ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team earned their second victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Holy Names Hawks 73-29 in day two of the Seawolves Hoops Classic at the Alaska Airlines Center. The nonconference win improves Alaska's overall record to 2-2, while the Hawks drop to 0-5 on the season.
"I'm really proud of the way our girls represented the Alaska Nanooks today," head coach
Brett Sawyer said on Saturday. "We were disappointed with the way we played offensively yesterday but we bounced back and earned a solid win over a West Region opponent. Ashlie played outstanding today, especially around the net and was rewarded by being named the Player of the Game, while Sabrina hit two early three-pointers that really restored some confidence in our shooting."
Junior forward Ashlie Blackburn led all players around the net, pulling down one offensive and nine defensive rebounds to tally 10 on the night and lead all players on the court. Blackburn also shot 3-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line to register nine points against the Hawks. The Douglas, Wyoming native also chipped in three blocks and was named to the All-Tournament Team for her first honor as a Nanook.
Junior guard Emily Evans led Alaska's offensive efforts on Saturday, shooting 5-for-8 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line to collect a game-best 14 points. Evans also dished three assists and pulled down two rebounds in 16 minutes on the court.
Sophomore guard
Lexi Carpenter shot 3-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-6 from behind the arc and went 2-for-2 from the free throw line to score double-digit figures in her fourth-straight game, totaling 10 on the night. Junior center Josie Sewell posted a game-best four assists against the Hawks.
As a team, the Nooks shot 26-for-72 from the field to average a 36.1 shooting percentage and went 10-for-29 from behind the arc to total a 34.5 percent three-point field goal percentage. Additionally, Alaska shot 11-for-14 (78.6 percent) from the free throw line.
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team will kick-off Great Northwest Athletic Conference play at home on Thursday, Nov. 30 as they host the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks at the Alaska Airlines Court at 7pm AKST.
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.
