POCATELLO, Idaho – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team unofficially opened the 2016-17 season on Saturday afternoon, ultimately falling to NCAA Division I Idaho State University 88-46 at the Reed Gymnasium in a non-conference exhibition game. Senior Jordan Wilson paced the Nanooks with a team-high 14 points, while fellow-senior Kaillee Skjold posted 11 points.
"It was good to get back on the court today and play some physical competition," seventh year head coach Cody Bench said on Saturday. "Jordan was very solid, as was Sanni. They were being pushed around quite a bit but were still able to score and rebound."
Wilson, a unanimous Preseason All-GNAC Team selection, shot -14 from the field to combine for her 14 points. The Thornton, Colorado native collected a team-high seven rebounds, including five offensive, two steals and the Nooks' lone block of the afternoon.
Skjold followed up Wilson's standout performance with a good showing herself, going 4-12 from the field and went 3-5 from the free-throw line to total 11 points. Skjold also chipped in three defensive rebounds and one assist against the ISU Bengals.
The Nooks also saw offensive contributions from newcomers Lexi Carpenter and Sanni Salonen, as the duo both recorded six points each. Salonen tallied six rebounds, five of which were defensive, while Carpenter went 2-5 in three-point attempts.
"Freshman Lexi Carpenter and Kylie Wallace worked hard and in time, I think, will adjust to the speed of the game," Bench concluded. "The third quarter was a good challenge for us to build on and learn from going forward."
As a team, the Nooks shot 29.2% from the field (19-65), with their best shooting quarter coming in the fourth, where they went 7-15 from the field for 46.7&, while putting up 19 points.
Idaho State was led by Brooke Blair, who recorded a game-high 20 points, while three other players recorded double-digit scoring. The Bengals shot 48.6% from the field throughout the game.
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team heads to Boise for an exhibition match against another NCAA DI opponent in the Boise State Broncos tomorrow, Nov. 6. Tip-off is scheduled for Noon AKT.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Women's Basketball team page on Facebook.
