NAMPA, Idaho -- The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team had its two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday evening, as the Nooks fell, 74-57, at Northwest Nazarene in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.
The Nanooks fall to 7-10 on the year and 2-5 in GNAC play, while the Crusaders improve to 5-8 overall and 3-4 in league play.
"The first and third periods really killed us tonight," said head coach Cody Bench. "Our defense was sloppy and (Northwest Nazarene) got too many offensive rebounds. We did have a good comeback in the fourth and got it within 13 points, but we couldn't get out of the hole we build ourselves."
Alaska got a pair of 20-plus-point performances from juniors Jaylee Mays and Jordan Wilson on the night. Mays posted her fifth 20-point game of the season, by scoring a game-high 25 points. The guard hit a game-best four 3-point field goals and made a total of 10 field goals on the night. Wilson collected her 15th-straight double-digit scoring game on Thursday by tallying 22 points. Wilson's performance marks her third-straight game with 20-or-more points.
"Jordan played tough for us all night and picked up two charges," expressed Bench. "Jaylee was a rocket for us all night. She was all over the court and really had a strong overall game."
Freshman Marian Wamsley continued her solid play off the bench, as she registered six points and set a new career-high in rebounds by pulling down six caroms in 14 minutes of action.
The Nanooks were able to outscore the Crusaders, 30-26, in points in the paint. Alaska also collected 12 steals on the night, as Mays and Autumn Childers each knocked away three passes.
The Nooks held an early 6-4 lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but NNU would close the frame out on a 17-3 run to take a 21-9 lead. The first bucket of the second quarter took nearly three minutes to get, as Northwest Nazarene ended the drought with a basket at the 7:21 mark. NNU pushed its lead to 18, at 34-16, after a pair of Taylor Simmons free throws with 1:59 remaining before half. The teams would trade baskets for the remainder of the stanza, with the Crusaders taking a 36-20 advantage into the locker room.
Northwest Nazarene built a 21-point lead early in the third quarter, and pushed its advantage all the way to 29 in the final minute of the frame. Alaska did not give up in the final quarter of play, as they went on an 18-2 run to pull within 13 after a Mays 3-point field with 3:23 remaining. The run took a lot out of the Nooks, as they managed to hit just one more field goal for the remainder of the game and suffered a 17-point loss.
The Nanooks will be back in action on Saturday, as they conclude their brief two-game road trip with a 3 p.m. AKT contest at Central Washington.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter.
