SEATTLE -- The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team opened the final road trip of the 2015-16 road trip on a sour note, as they fell at Seattle Pacific, 57-49, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on Thursday night.
The loss snaps a tie between the Nooks and SPU for seventh place in the GNAC standings, as Alaska is now 6-11 in league games and stand at 11-16 overall on the year. For the Falcons, they improve to 7-10 in the GNAC and 10-14 overall.
"Our defense was solid most of the game, but we didn't get the rebounds we needed," said head coach Cody Bench. "It was a hard-fought effort. We were down 16 and brought it within five. Arinesha Smith played with good intensity and did good things for us all night."
Smith was one of two player to record double-digits in the scoring column on Thursday, as she turned in a 12-point performance. Junior Jordan Wilson returned to double-figures after a one-game absence. She registered a team-best 13 points, while shooting 6-of-7 from the field.
The Nooks outshot Seattle Pacific (37.3%-31.7%), but a 46-31 rebounding advantage for the Falcons led to 13 second chance points, which proved to be the difference in the game. SPU grabbed 15 offensive caroms on Thursday, while Alaska just had five.
Junior Kaillee Skjold provided the Nanooks with a bright spot on the boards by pulling down double-digits caroms for the sixth time this season with 14 rebounds. Skjold just missed out on her fourth double-double of the year, as she scored eight points on the night.
Despite the rebounding disadvantage, Alaska was able to find an offensive rhythm down low and outscored SPU, 28-22.
Alaska trailed by six going into halftime at 25-19. The six-point deficit remained until the 6:31 mark of the third quarter when Seattle Pacific went on a 10-0 run to go up 16 with 1:06 left to play in the frame. SPU's lead grew to a game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, but the Nooks chipped away at the deficit and pulled within five points with 1:40 left, as an Autumn Childers jumper capped off a 16-5 run. That however, would be the last basketball the Nooks scored on Thursday, as SPU picked up the 57-49 victory.
The Nanooks will be back in action on Saturday, as they conclude the 2015-16 road slate at Saint Martin's. Tip-off from Lacey, Washington is set for 6 p.m. AKT.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter or like Alaska Nanooks Women's Basketball on Facebook.
