BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball hung tough for three quarters, but a 17-0 run by Montana State Billings to open the fourth quarter lifted the Yellowjackets past the Nanooks, 72-46, at Alterowitz Gymnasium on Thursday night.
The loss puts the Nanooks at 9-13 and 4-9 overall in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. For Montana State Billings, the win improves the Yellowjackets record to 14-5 overall, and they move back into a first place tie with No. 2 Alaska Anchorage, as both team sport a 10-1 league mark.
Alaska was within six points at the 6:03 mark of the third quarter, after a pair of Jordan Wilson free throws made it 42-36. The Nanooks trailed by 10, 49-39, at the end of the third, but Montana State Billings opened the final frame on a 17-0 run to go up a game-high 27 points. The run put the game out of reach for the Nooks, as MSUB captured the 26-point victory.
Junior Jordan Wilson extended her double-digit scoring streak to a conference-best 20 games. The Henderson, Colorado native scored a team-high 20 points and pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds in the loss. Thursday's performance marks her second-straight 20-point outing, and is her ninth game with 20-or-more points this season.
Senior Arinesha Smith also tallied double-digits on Thursday night, by collecting 10 points. Junior Jaylee Mays added eight points, as she hit two of Alaska's three 3-point field goals on the night.
The Nanooks shot a blistering 54.2 percent from the field in the first two quarters of play, as they connected on 13 of their 24 attempts. The success from the field would not care over to the third and fourth periods, as the Nooks managed a 13.8 percent (4-of-29) performance in the final 20 minutes of play. Overall, Alaska shot 32.1 percent for the night.
Alaska was able to match MSUB on the boards, as both teams collected 37. Four of Wilson's team-high seven rebounds came on the offensive end, while junior Autumn Childers pulled down five caroms. Junior Victoria Milton and freshman Marian Wamsley each tallied four rebounds apiece.
Alisha Breen led a trio of double-digit scores for Montana State Billings, as she collected a game-best 22 points. Janiel Olson posted a double-double for the Yellowjackets with her 12-point, 10-rebound performance.
The Nanooks have this weekend off, but they continue their three-game GNAC road trip with Western Oregon on Feb. 4. Tip-off from Monmouth, Oregon is set for 6 p.m. AKT.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter.
