LANGLEY, BC. - The Nanooks women's basketball team opened their season on the road at the DII Canadian Tip-Off Classic against Texas A&M International. A tough end to the first quarter played the difference as the 'Nooks fell to Texas A&M International 83-47 to fall to 0-1, 0-0 GNAC to start the season.

The two teams opened the game trading blows, staying tight for most of the first quarter. Two Ekko Hopkins free throws gave the Nanooks a brief 12-11 with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter. The Dust Devils would end the first quarter on a 16-3 run, to end the first quarter up 27-15. The Nanooks went into the locker room down 44-29 after being outscored 17-14 in the second. Out of the break, the Dust Devils extended its lead, outsourcing Alaska 20-8 in the third for a 64-37 lead. The Nanooks battled in the fourth, ultimately falling 83-47. In the first, Emma McKenney got the Nanooks scoring started early, just six seconds into the opening quarter. The two battled to a 12-11 Nanooks lead at the 3:50 mark on a Hopkins free throw. After falling behind by seven, Destiny Reimers broke the Dust Devil run on a free. The Dust Devils would end the quarter on an 8-2 run that stuck into the second. The first four minutes of the second saw Texas A&M International open up their lead to 16, pulling ahead 35-19 on a pair of free throws. 

Kayla Johnson connected on a jumper-to-end cut into the Dust Devil lead. An Alaska run culminated by a Taylor Tiluana three-pointer cut the lead to just eight, 37-29. A 7-0 Dust Devil run extended the lead back to 15 at the half, 44-29. 

The second half started with each team trading baskets until the 7:24 mark, holding the Dust Devil lead steady at 15, 48-33. Texas A&M International grew its lead to 27 by the end of the third quarter. The Nanooks shot 25% in the third, being outshot 31.82% to 25% and outscored by 12 due to four Dustdevil threes to Alaska's zero. Texas A&M International would keep its foot on the gas in the fourth and extended the lead to as many as 40. Alaska would cut the lead slightly, ultimately falling 83-47. 

Ellen Silva led the way in scoring and rebounding, with nine each. Two of her nine rebounds were on the offensive end. She also added one assist, block and steal. Emma McKenney finished with seven of her own. Three Nanooks finished with six points, seeing Reimers, Johnson and Hopkins each score six. 

The Nanooks will continue at the DII Canadian Tip-Off Classic on Saturday, with a game against the University of Texas at Tyler at 9 a.m. AKT. 

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