BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Nanooks men's basketball team fell to 3-6, 0-3 GNAC with a hard-fought loss to the Western Washington Vikings on Saturday, Jan. 8. Alaska battled back from a 10-point halftime deficit but fell 94-92.

The opening 15 minutes was back-and-forth basketball. Shadeed Shabazz got the scoring started hitting a three to open up the game. The 'Nooks ran ahead 5-2 before WWU pushed back to tie the game at 10-10. Shabazz quickly answered back with a jumper regaining the lead for the Nanooks. A quick 6-0 run for Alaska gave them an 18-14 lead with 14 minutes remaining in the half. After trading buckets, the Vikings went on a run. They out to an eight-point lead behind three-straight field goals. 

The Nanooks hung around. Shabazz connected on a three and Coleman Sparling made a layup bringing Alaska back within five. Alaska used a pair of free throws by Quin Barnard to make it a one-point game but after Shabazz made it one point again, WWU ran out ahead, once again. This time they pushed ahead by a dozen before Koby Huerta made a jumper with 33 seconds making it a 10-point game heading into the locker room. Out of the break, Barnard stayed hot from beyond the arc. He hit one of this five three-pointers making it a seven-point deficit. At the 14:02 point of the second, Willie Thomas netted two free throws and Shabazz made a layup bringing Alaska back within four. 

They maintained their answers down the stretch, pulling even at the 8:13 mark with a Sparling three. Soon after, the Nanooks found themselves with the lead. They pushed their lead to five on a pair of Abdullahi Mohamed free throws but Western responded, tying the ballgame up at 89-89. Western snagged the next five points, taking a lead of 94-89 into the final moments. Barnard hit a three pulling the Nanooks within two, but after regaining possession, Shabazz's final look from deep, for the win, was just long, as WWU knocked-off the 'Nooks 94-92.

Shabazz ended the night with a game-high 30 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Barnard added 19 points on 5-9 from deep. Sparling posted 16 with eight rebounds and Willie Thomas III scored a dozen and grabbed seven boards.

The Nanooks return home for their home-openers next weekend on Jan. 13-15.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter, @AlaskaMensBasketball on Instagram, or like the Alaska Nanooks athletics page on Facebook.