FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks women's basketball team was downed by the Saints of Saint Martin's on Thursday, Feb. 24 in the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. The Nanooks hung with SMU for much of the game, but the Saints pulled away for the 69-78 win in Fairbanks. This loss drops the Nanooks to 3-18, 2-14 GNAC.

Saint Martin's hopped out to an early nine-point lead after the first quarter, outshooting the Nanooks 60% to 30% from the field. The Nanooks pulled within three at the break, holding Saint Martin's to 10 points in the second quarter, but a 14-22 third for SMU flipped the momentum and lead back in SMU's favor. Despite winning the fourth, the deficit was too much for the Nanooks as the Saints won it. Caitlin Pusich had herself another career game to lead the Nanooks. The sophomore opened the scoring in the game, knocking down two consecutive three-pointers to launch Alaska up 6-0. Their lead stuck as Claudia Diez Marti made it 8-3 with 6:46 left in the quarter. SMU pushed back to tie the game at 12-12 on a Claire Dingus fastbreak bucket. The Saints extended their run to 10-straight, pushing ahead to 12-18 on another Dingus made field goal. The lead continued to grow before Rian Clear made it a nine-point deficit after one for the Nanooks on a jumper in the paint for her first make of the night. Pusich led the way for the 'Nooks in the first, tallying eight points. 

To start the second, Emma Wass scored the first four points for Alaska, pulling the Nanooks within seven. Pusich chimed in and connected on back-to-back shots, making it a two-point deficit with 6:47 remaining in the half. Following back-and-forth possessions and a media timeout, the Saints stunted the run, pulling back ahead by eight behind Clear and Dingus. Destiny Reimers got on the board with just over a minute remaining in the second. Her layup pulled Alaska within six before Savannah Huerta hit a three from the corner to make it a 32-35 game going into the break. 

SMU opened the second half with a six-point swing, pushing their lead to nine. Ellen Silva and Diez Marti cut their lead back to five on a pair of free throws and layup. With less than two minutes remaining, SMU's lead grew to double-digits, hitting 10 on a Josie Matz bucket. The lead grew to as much as 13 before ending the quarter at 11. At the 7:10 moment of the fourth, the Nanooks were staring down a 15-point deficit, but that did not shy them away from the battle. Back-to-back Reimers buckets pulled Alaska within 11 before Pusich connected on a three for her 18th point of the night to make it an eight-point deficit. They'd follow up, pushing it to six on another Reimers made field goal. They would not draw any closer. SMU pushed ahead to a 15-point lead, before falling by nine. 

Alaska was led by Caitlin Pusich's 20-point performance, her second in a row that tied her career-high. She added four steals, two rebounds and one assist. Destiny Reimers posted 14 of her own, shooting 6-13 from the field while grabbing two assists, rebounds and one steal. Ellen Silva was finished with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

The Nanooks are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 26 against Western Oregon where they'll celebrate Senior Day and their lone-senior, Zosha Krupa. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with the senior celebration slated for the pregame. 

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter, @NanookWBB on Instagram, or like the Alaska Nanooks Women's Basketball team page on Facebook.