FAIRBANKS – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team fell to the Seattle Pacific Falcons (3-2, 1-0 GNAC) to fall to 1-6, 0-2 GNAC. SPU used a late push in the fourth to grab a 65-60 win over the Nanooks. 
 
The Nanooks jumped out to a quick lead, using a 22-17 first quarter but a 19-9 second quarter in favor of SPU gave the Falcons a five-point lead at the break. The Nanooks came out of the break, scoring 18 and taking a lead into the fourth before SPU battled back to snag the five-point win. In the first, the Nanooks jumped out to a 9-2 lead behind a pair of Ellen Silva buckets, Destiny Reimers layup and free throw and a pair of free throws by Caitlin Pusich. They extended their lead to nine at 13-4 on another Pusich bucket. After an SPU run to pull within three, the Nanooks used back-to-back threes from Taylor Tiulana and Sam Tolliver to make it 19-10. Another three from Tolliver was all the 'Nooks could tally in the first before SPU pulled within five to end the quarter. 
 
Two minutes into the second SPU quickly tied the game at 22-22 before snagging the lead with 7:37 remaining in the half. The 'Nooks took a three-point lead with six minutes remaining on a Destiny Reimers three before Seattle Pacific put together their big run in the second. That lead quickly became an eight-point deficit as SPU turned it into a 35-27 lead with 3:17 left in the half. SPU took a five-point lead into the break with a 36-31 score. Out of halftime, the Nanooks pulled within two on a Kayla Johnson three-pointer but the Falcons maintained their lead until the 2:48 mark when Paola Perez-Mendoza tied the game at 44-44 with a jumper from Johnson. Caitlin Pusich followed with a three, giving the 'Nooks their first lead since early in the third. They maintained the lead heading into the fourth. 
 
In the fourth, the Nanooks jumped out to a quick four-point lead on another Perez-Mendoza bucket. The two traded buckets and leads until the 60-60 mark. SPU grabbed a quick one-point lead before the 'Nooks tied it on a Destiny Reimers. Unfortunately for the Nanooks, that was all they'd score as SPU went on to score the final five points in the final 53 seconds, grabbing the 65-60 win. 
 
Caitlin Pusich led the way with 11 points for the Nanooks, shooting 4-9 from the field and grabbing two rebounds. Destiny Reimers added nine with three rebounds and two assists. 
 
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Instagram or Twitter, or like the Alaska Nanooks Women's Basketball team page on Facebook.