FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks women's basketball team returns to the Patty Center this week with two games against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks and Central Washington Wildcats.
Thursday, Jan. 30
vs. Northwest Nazarene | 5:15 p.m. | Staff and Faculty Appreciation
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks
Saturday, Feb. 1
vs. Central Washington | 12:00 p.m. | Pink Rally & Referee Appreciation
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks
Watch | Live Stats | Buy Tickets
Last Time Out
The Nanooks began last week by falling to Montana State Billings 71-51 on Thursday before picking up their first GNAC win over Seattle Pacific, taking down the Falcons 88-82 on Saturday.
Alaska held a 15-12 lead after one in its game against the Yellowjackets, but an 11-0 MSUB run in the second saw the 'Nooks enter the halftime break down 25-19, and they would not lead for the rest of the game. Destiny Reimers led the team with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. She added five rebounds, two steals and an assist. Taylor Pilot was the other Nanook to finish with double-digit points, posting 12. She also led the team with seven rebounds and tied for the team lead in assists (3) and steals (2). Emily Freeman knocked down a pair of threes on four attempts to give her six points on the evening. Alaska shot 33.3% from the floor and 23.5% from three while knocking down 11 of its 13 free throws.
The game against the Falcons began similarly to their previous matchup, with the Nanooks establishing an early lead after the opening quarter. They built a 25-18 advantage in the first 10 minutes, but SPU came back to tie it at 43 entering the halftime break. However, the 'Nooks held on from there, picking up the six-point win. Reimers posted 28 points in the game, going 13-28 from the floor. She secured the double-double by grabbing 10 boards in the win and tied for the team lead with four blocks. Miranda Lomax knocked down five of her nine attempts from the floor, going 4-5 from deep to finish with 16 points. Pilot nearly finished with a triple-double, posting 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. She also forced a team-high three steals. Freeman and Jayda Van Dyke were the other Nanooks to finish in double-figure scoring. Freeman knocked down three of six shots from beyond the arc, helping her finish with 10 points, while Van Dyke posted 11 points. Alaska shot 45.2% from the floor and 42.9% from three in the win.
#NookNotes
- Destiny Reimers leads the Nanooks with 13.9 points per game, which is good for 10th in the GNAC. She also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 6.4 boards per game. That ranks eighth in the conference.
- Reimers' five defensive rebounds per game is the sixth-best mark in the GNAC.
- Taylor Pilot ranks in the top 10 in the GNAC for assists per game, dishing out an average of 3.4. She is second in the conference and 25th in DII in steals per game, tallying 2.82.
- Amelia Brady leads the team with 12 blocks on the season.
- Emily Freeman and Miranda Lomax sit 10th and 12th in the GNAC in three-pointers per game, posting 1.94 and 1.76, respectively.
- As a team, the Nanooks have knocked down the second-most threes in the GNAC and 23rd-most in the nation, averaging 8.2 connections from beyond the arc this season.
- Alaska has received 26.1 points from its bench this season, the second-most in the GNAC.
GNAC Standings
- Alaska Anchorage (17-3, 8-1 GNAC)
- Montana State Billings (18-4, 7-2 GNAC)
- Central Washington (14-4, 7-2 GNAC)
- Northwest Nazarene (12-6, 6-3 GNAC)
- Western Washington (11-7. 6-3 GNAC)
- Saint Martin's (11-6, 4-5 GNAC)
- Simon Fraser (10-8, 3-6 GNAC)
- Western Oregon (7-10, 3-6 GNAC)
- Alaska (6-11. 1-8 GNAC)
- Seattle Pacific (6-16, 0-9 GNAC)
Meet the Opponents
Northwest Nazarene (12-6, 6-3 GNAC)
Head Coach: Steve Steele (9th season)
The Nighthawks dropped their last game on Jan. 25, falling to Saint Martin's 79-58. Before that, they were on a six-game winning streak.
They are led by sophomore forward Kendall Clark, who ranks fourth in the GNAC in points (16.1) and rebounds per game (7.7). Her 58.9% field goal percentage leads the conference and puts her 11th in Division II. She has grabbed an average of 3.2 offensive rebounds per game, ranking second in the GNAC.
NNU has the second-highest scoring offense in the conference, averaging 73.2 points per game.
Central Washington (14-4, 7-2 GNAC)
Head Coach: Randi Richardson (8th season)
The Wildcats have won their last four entering the week, defeating Seattle Pacific (88-65), Montana State Billings (48-45), Saint Martin's (77-72) and Western Oregon (66-35).
Junior guard Asher Cai and senior guard Sunny Huerta are tied for the second-most points per game in the GNAC, posting an average of 18.3. That mark puts the two Wildcat guards 24th in Division II. Huerta ranks fourth in the GNAC in field goal percentage (46.2%) and first in three-point percentage (44.6%), giving her the seventh-best clip from beyond the arc among all DII players.
They are shooting at the highest clip in the GNAC, with their 45.9% field goal percentage ranking first in the conference and 10th in the nation. CWU's 39.3% shooting percentage from beyond the arc is the second-best in DII, while its 9.3 three-pointers per game put it fifth in the country.
Staff and Faculty Appreciation
Thursday's game against the Nighthawks is Alaska's Staff and Faculty Appreciation game. All UAF Faculty and Staff with their Polar ID card will receive FREE admission!
Pink Rally & Referee Appreciation
The Alaska Nanooks are partnering with the Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska for their Pink Rally Game on Saturday. Remember to wear pink and consider making a charitable donation while at the game to support their efforts for early detection in interior Alaska.
What's Next
Alaska hits the road next week for one game against Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.
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