FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks men's basketball team improved to 4-13, 2-7 GNAC with a gritty 72-67 victory on their home court. This was the Nanooks first GNAC-home win this season and first win of 2024. 

This win also snaps a seven-game losing streak for Alaska. 

In the first, the Nanooks outshot Western Oregon 48.5% to 44% and held a nine-point lead. In the second, the Wolves outshot the Nanooks with 15 field goals. The Nanooks had a tough showing in the second-half, shooting 25% on 8-32 shooting. Alaska used a strong performance at the free-throw line in the second to secure the win. WOU went to the line only six times over the course of the game and went 3-6 while the Nanooks shot an impressive 90.5% from the game, going 19-21. 

Demarcus Hall-Scriven got the scoring started for Alaska on a fastbreak layup off of a Trey Anderson steal. Nick Hopkins and Abdullahi Mohamed extended the lead to five on a bucket and free throw before WOU pulled the game even at 7-7. For the next seven minutes the two sides traded buckets and stuck within a possession. At the 6:15 mark, the Nanooks made it a four-point game on a Nick Hopkins layup. He followed that make up with two more, making it a 29-21 lead. The Wolves crawled back to within three before Mohamed and Tyriq Luke grew it back out to eight. With 33 seconds left, Mohamed made a layup to give Alaska their biggest lead of the night at nine, and gave them a 38-29 lead heading into the break. 

Out of the break, WOU's Kris Cook hit one of his seven three-pointers, and made it 38-32 Nanooks. Jaycson Bereal, Jr. responded with his own three and started a run for the Nanooks. Their lead reached 13 in the opening 2:17 and reached as many as 15. After a pair of Abdullahi Mohamed free throws at the 15:17 mark made it 51-36, the Wolves started a big run and chipped into the lead. In eight minutes, they pulled within four at 57-53 as Makaio Morphy connected on a three. WOU had a chance to cut even more into the lead but Morphy missed another three-point attempt and the Nanooks used a Luke jumper and three to extend their lead back to nine. A pair of Bereal free throws and a Hall-Scriven three-point play extended their lead to 14 with 4:59 remaining. That was the final field goal of the night for the Nanooks and set WOU up for their final run of the night. 

The Wolves dropped their deficit to single-digits at the 2:14 mark with another three-pointer. After a minute and a half of no field goals, Cook connected from deep for WOU to pull them within five at 70-65. They then pulled within three with nine seconds left but a pair of Mohamed free throws pushed the 'Nooks back ahead by five and they prevailed for the win. 

Mohamed played the most minutes for the Nanooks, spending 35 minutes on the court. In the victory, the senior posted 17 points on 7-8 shooting from the free-throw line. He added five made field goals, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, dished a team-high seven assists, blocked two shots and had a steal. Demarcus Hall-Scriven and Tyriq Luke finished with 13 points each. Hall-Scriven added four assists and steals and grabbed two rebounds. Nick Hopkins finished with 12 points and five rebounds. 

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