FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team officially opened the 2017-18 season on Friday night, falling 62-49 to the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans in game one of the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Crossover at the Alaska Airlines Court. The Nooks fall to 0-1 overall on the season after the nonconference bout while the Vulcans improve to 1-0.
The game was the official debut for first-year head coach
Brett Sawyer and his assistant, former Nanook women's basketball player
Jessie Craig.
"I liked to force the pace tonight and like to play a buzz defense, which forces others to adjust to our pace," Sawyer said on Friday. "There are some adjustments that need to be made before tomorrow's game but our defense was outstanding. We're feeling things out still and see which lineups work together, different kids are better suited defensively and some coming off of injuries but it'll shape itself up. I like that we played so many people tonight but as the season gets deeper, we'll tighten that up a little bit."
Sophomore guard
Lexi Carpenter led all Nanooks with 12 points, shooting 4-for-10 from the field, 2-for-6 from behind the arc and 2-for-2 from behind the free throw line. The Yakima, Washington native also chipped in four steals, two rebounds and one assist in a team-high 27 minutes on the floor.
Junior forward Ashlie Blackburn was the only other Nanook to register double-digit figures on Friday night, as the Douglas, Wyoming native shot 4-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line to tally 11 points. Blackburn also led all players in Friday's game in rebounds, pulling down three offensive and six defensive for a total of nine. Blackburn also posted two assists and one steal in her debut as a Nanook.
Despite outscoring their opponent in the first quarter 16-10, the Nanooks were outscored by Hawaii-Hilo 26-16 in the third and held to only a combined 15 points in the third and fourth quarters.
As a team, the Nanooks shot 28.8 percent from the field (17-for-59), 20 percent from three-point territory (4-for-20) and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11-for-14). Although the Vulcans outdid the Nanooks in rebounds (40-39) and assists (12-8), Alaska recorded 15 steals to Hawaii-Hilo's four.
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team will take on the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans once more in the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational, hosting UHH at the Alaska Airlines Court at 2pm AKST tomorrow (Saturday), Nov. 11.
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.
