Box Score FAIRBANKS – Despite a 75-60 loss to Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season champion, Western Oregon, it was a day of celebration for the Alaska Nanooks, as they honored the team's three seniors, Anthony Reese, Rashaad Allen and Eric Fongue on Senior Night at the Patty Center.
Alaska ends its season with its heads held high, after defeating Saint Martin's on Thursday, and giving the GNAC Champs all they could handle on Saturday night. The Nanooks hung tough through the first twenty minutes, trailing just 36-31 at halftime.
In the second half, Western Oregon did just enough to keep Alaska at bay, before pulling away towards the end. The Nanooks will end the season 7-19 overall and 4-14 in the GNAC while Western Oregon ends its regular season with a 23-5 record overall and 15-3 in league play.
"Western Oregon showed what they were made of in the second half," said head coach Mick Durham. "We gave them a good fight for a while, but their depth and rebounding in the second half was the difference."
Ashton Edwards was stellar throughout the game, as he scored a game-high 27 points, just three short of his career-high of 30 which he set against Western Washington earlier this season. Edwards, who hit five 3-pointers, also had five rebounds, an assist and a steal in the game.
"We've always felt that we are a solid team, despite our record," said Edwards post-game. "We know that we can hang with anybody, so long as we trust in each other and coach's system. We had that mentality today, and it showed."
Devon Alexander scored 19 points, including 15 from beyond the arc, to lead four WOU players in double-digits. Lewis Thomas scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds inside for the Wolves.
Almir Hadzisehovic scored 10 points for the Nanooks inside, grabbed six rebounds and had one assist with a block. Fongue and Reese scored six and five points, respectively, in their final games while Alex Dunacn had seven points with a team-high four points.
"I thought we battled today, but we couldn't get a rebound when we needed it," said Durham. "We gave them two or three chances to score, and they took them."
Unfortunately for the Nanooks, the difference was inside, as WOU outrebounded Alaska 43-28 and scored 44 points in the paint compared to 20 for the Nanooks. Alaska battled hard throughout though, as they forced four lead changes in the game and forced WOU to the brink in the opening stages of the second half.
The Nanooks season ends with several high notes, including a weekend sweep of Western Washington and Simon Fraser and big wins over Montana State Billings and Saint Martin's.
"I'm proud of the guys this season," finished Durham. "It was a lot of fun this year with the team, despite the setbacks that we had. It was a strange year, but I think we played our best basketball at the end and I am very proud of the group."
