HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team overcame a 19-2 deficit to take the lead on two separate occasions but unfortunately, it wasn't enough for the Nooks to hold on, as they fell 71-78 to the Hawaii Pacific University Sharks at the Moanalua High School Gymnasium on Friday night. The Nooks now hold a 0-1 record on the season, while the Sharks improve to 1-0.
The nonconference matchup was part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference/PacWest Conference Crossover between the Nanooks, the HPU Sharks, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves and the Chaminade Silverswords, as the two Alaska team's flip-flop opponents Friday and Saturday in the Aloha State.
"We had a hard time overcoming that 19-2 start at the beginning of the game and too many fouls and boards cost us tonight," head coach Mick Durham said on Friday night. "There were some good things that came out of tonight's game, I really liked how we battled back to take the lead late but we learned things tonight we can use going forward."
As a team, Alaska had four players who scored double-digit figures, led by senior Brandon Davis, who posted 15 points on the night. Davis went 4-12 from the field, 2-6 in 3FG and 5-6 in free-throw attempts, while also dishing four assists and three steals in a team-leading 36 minutes of play.
Senior transfer Nahjee Matlock and sophomore LaDonavan Wilder chipped in 14 points each, while senior Bengaly Kaba posted 13 points on the night. Kaba led the Nanooks with four steals, while the Houston, Texas native and Wilder tied for a team-high seven rebounds each.
As a team, the Nooks shot 38.5% from the field (25-65), 28% in three-point attempts (7-25) and 77.8% in free-throw attempts. Alaska tallied 31 boards against the Sharks, while dishing 11 assists and compiling 10 steals.
Alaska recorded 30 of their 71 points in the paint, 21 points off of turnovers, 13 points off of second chances and 23 points from the bench. The Nooks tied the game once and saw the lead change on two occasions throughout the 40 minutes of regulation.
The Sharks were led by Chauncey Orr, who posted a game-high 27 points on the night, while also recording 14 rebounds for the double-double. HPU's Connor Looney ranked right behind Orr with 24 points himself.
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team is back in action at the GNAC/PacWest Crossover tomorrow, Nov. 12 against the Chaminade Silverswords at the Moanalua High School Gymnasium in Honolulu. Tip-off is slated for 6:30pm AKST.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter.
