FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks men's basketball team returns to Fairbanks this weekend and is set to hold its home opener against the Multnomah Lions.
Friday, Nov. 22
7 p.m. vs. Multnomah
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks
Saturday, Nov. 23
7 p.m. vs. Multnomah
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
Last Time Out
The Nanooks dropped their first three games of the season in Hawaii, falling in a hard-fought, 96-104 overtime defeat to Chaminade on Friday, Nov. 15, before dropping a contest against Hawaii Pacific the following evening 67-80. They then lost in a rematch against Chaminade on Monday evening 84-91.
Paul Johnson opened the season with a 29-point effort in the OT loss to CUH, shooting 10-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-10 from three. Elyon Zevenbergen and Jalai O'Keith both posted double-doubles; Zevenbergen tallied 19 points and 17 rebounds while O'Keith finished with 15 and 15. Chris Lee and Isaiah Saams-Hoy joined them in double-digit scoring, notching 15 and 14 points, respectively. The Nanooks shot 45.8% from the field and 36% from three while going 11-of-14 from the line.
Lee led the Nanooks in scoring in the loss vs. HPU, posting 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting. Saams-Hoy was the only other Nanook to finish in double figures, collecting 11 points. Zevenbergen led the team with 11 rebounds and nearly notched his second consecutive double-double, ending the contest with nine points. As a team, the Nanooks shot 38.5% from the floor and 30.4% from distance, getting to the line 14 times and converting 10 free throws.
In the rematch against Chaminade, Saams-Hoy paced the squad with 28 points, shooting an efficient 12-of-15 from the floor. The guard grabbed eight rebounds and swiped two steals in the game. Three other Nanooks tallied 10+ points, with Johnson, O'Keith and Lee finishing with 16, 12 and 11. O'Keith's 14-rebound performance gave him his second double-double of the season, while Zevenbergen finished with double-digit rebounds for the third time this season, grabbing 11 vs. the Silverswords. Alaska posted a 54% team field goal percentage and went 8-of-25 from beyond the arc.
#NookNotes
- Saams-Hoy ranks second in the GNAC in points per game and field goal percentage, averaging 17.7 points on 57.5% shooting.
- Johnson ranks fourth in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting at a 54.5% clip. He has scored the fifth-most points per game in the GNAC at 16.3.
- Johnson also leads the GNAC in three-pointers per game (3.33) and three-point percentage (58.8%).
- Johnson has played the most minutes for Alaska, averaging 36:58 minutes per game. This places him third in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II.
- O'Keith has recorded the most double-doubles in the conference this season, posting two in three games for the Nanooks.
- O'Keith leads the 'Nooks in assists per game with three. That mark also ranks ninth in the GNAC.
- Zevenbergen ranks seventh in the conference in field goal percentage, converting 50% of his shot attempts.
- Alaska is the third-highest scoring offense in the GNAC, posting 82.3 points per game in 2024-25.
- Alaska won its only matchup against Multnomah in December 2012, notching a 124-59 victory. Seven players finished with double-digit points during the game, and the Nanooks shot 48.5% from three.
Big on the Boards
The Nanooks are the top rebounding team in Division II to start the season, grabbing 34.33 defensive and 48.67 total boards per game. Both those marks are good for first in the nation. They also rank 17th in DII in rebound margin at +11.7. They are led by Zevenbergen, who has 13 rebounds per game, good for first in the GNAC and third in the nation. O'Keith sits one spot behind him in fourth, grabbing 12.7 boards per game this season. He has also collected the second-most defensive rebounds per game among all Division II players with 10.
Meet the Opponent
Multnomah 4-1, 0-0 CCC
Head Coach: Tayo Gem (2nd season)
The Lions have opened their 2024-25 campaign by winning four of their first five games. They started their regular season with four straight wins but fell to Montana Western 96-94 last Friday for their first loss. They are currently tied for the fourth-best winning percentage in the Cascade Collegiate Conference with Lewis-Clark State at .800. They are led by sophomore forward Keilan Torkornoo with 17.4 points per game.
Multnomah is coming off an 11-17 record last season, which saw them go 6-16 in the CCC.
What's Next
The Nanooks remain in Fairbanks for another weekend series against Northwest Indian College. They face off against the Eagles on Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. both nights.
Follow the 'Nooks
IG - @NanooksMBB
X - @NanooksMBB
FB - Alaska Nanooks
