FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team snapped its seven-game losing streak on Thursday night, as junior Jordan Wilson scored a career-high 35 points to help the Nooks collect a 75-66 victory over Concordia (Ore.) to pick up their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference win of the season.
The win moves Alaska to 6-9 overall on the year and 1-4 in GNAC play, while the Cavaliers fall to 3-10 in their first NCAA Division II season. CU is now tied with the Nooks in league play, as they are also 1-4. The victory also pushes the Nanooks record to 4-3 in games played at the Alaska Airlines Court this season.
"It's nice to win at home in front of a good crowd and to maintain a lead and finish strong, especially with your go-to player on the bench in foul trouble," said head coach Cody Bench. "I'm really proud of the efforts that Jordan Wilson and Kaillee Skjold put forth tonight. They were great offensively and defensively, and that's what we need out of them every night."
Wilson done most of her damage in the first two quarters of play, as she posted 25 points before the break. The junior battled foul trouble in the final two frames, but she still managed to add 10 more points to her total, as she ended the night with a career-best 35 points. Wilson hit an impressive 13 of her 18 shot attempts and added a game-high 12 rebounds to post her second-straight double-double and her fourth overall of the season. The 35-point outing also marks the 13th-straight double-digit scoring performance for Wilson, which matches her career-long streak set last season.
Fellow junior, Kaillee Skjold, was the only other Nook to score double-figures on Thursday night, as she record 17 points. Skjold also finished behind Wilson in the rebounding category, by picking up seven boards. The Kasilof, Alaska native also dished out a five assists.
Junior McClain Williams had a standout game off the bench, as she produced a career-high six assists and seven rebounds in 27 minutes of action. The point guard took exceptional care of the ball on Thursday night, as she did not commit a single turnover.
Alaska produced its highest point total and field goal percentage in a conference game this season. The Nooks shot an impressive 54 percent (27-of-50) from the field, which was spearheaded by a 60 percent shooting performance during the first and second quarters.
The Nanooks held a nine-point lead, 18-9, at the end of the first quarter. Wilson scored 10 of her points in the opening frame. Alaska took a double-digit lead at 21-11 early in the second stanza, but Concordia cut its deficit in half with a 5-0 spurt that was capped off with a Keesha Sarman layup. The Nooks responded by closing out the quarter on an 11-3 run to take a 40-26 lead at the break.
Alaska maintained its double-digit lead through most of the third quarter, but Wilson picked up her fourth foul at the 3:36 mark of the frame, and was forced to take an extended stay on the bench with her team up 13. The Cavaliers were able to capitalize on Wilson's absence, as they made it a one-possession game at 52-49 after a Sierra Dean 3-point basket with 33 seconds remaining in the quarter. Skjold would go down a drill a trifecta of her own on the next possession, just as time was expiring, to give the Nooks a six-point lead entering the fourth.
Skjold's 3-pointer sparked a 9-3 run that carried over into the final frame. The run was capped off with a pair of free throws from Wilson, who had just reentered the game. Concordia never got closer than seven points in the final four minutes of play, as Alaska captured the nine-point victory.
The Nooks will be back in action on Saturday, as they take on Western Oregon at the Alaska Airlines Court. The game will be the first game in the team's second-consecutive GNAC doubleheader, as tip-off is set for 5:15 p.m. Saturday will also be the school's 'Hometown Heroes' promotion, as all first responders, emergency personal and military members get in free with a valid service ID.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter.
