FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team's comeback fell short on Thursday night, as the Nooks fell 71-66 to the Simon Fraser Clan in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest at the Alaska Airlines Court on Thursday night. The loss drops Alaska's overall record to 13-11 and 7-9 in conference play, while the Clan improves to 5-19 on the season and 2-15 in league games.
Turning Point
Despite being a close game for the entire first half and the majority of the second, Alaska found themselves in a 13-point hole (50-63) at the 7:13 mark of the later half. The Nanooks' defense stepped up and made consecutive shots, eventually going on a 15-point run to take the lead 64-63 at the 3:04 mark. After tying the game at 65-65 and then taking a one-point lead at the 1:41 mark, Alaska missed three consecutive shots to close out the game with the Clan sealing the victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Alaska shot 41.7 percent from the floor (25-for-60), 33.3 percent from outside (8-for-24) and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (8-for-12).
- The Nooks picked up 11 offensive and 24 defensive rebounds, totaling 35 boards on the night.
- Alaska also collected 13 assists, six steals and three blocks.
Alaska Leaders
- Junior guard Tymoryae Glover led all players in scoring on Thursday night, connecting on 8-of-15 shots from the floor, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 1-for-1 from the free throw line for game-high 19 points.
- Glover also picked up six rebounds against the Clan and tied for a team-best three assists, while also chipping in a team-high three steals.
- Junior Michael Kluting picked up his ninth double-double of the season and third-straight, posting 17 points and 16 rebounds against the Clan.
- Kluting shot 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-6 from the free throw line, while also adding one assist, one steal and one block.
- The Palmer, Alaska native's 16 rebounds led all GNAC players on Thursday night, collecting six offensive and 10 defensive rebounds.
Next Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team returns to the Alaska Airlines Court for another GNAC matchup on Saturday, Feb. 23, hosting the Western Washington Vikings at 2pm AKST.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.
