NAMPA, Idaho – The Nanooks men's basketball team trailed by as many as 18 points during their Saturday afternoon contest against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks, but came back to tie the game late. However, they could not take the lead, eventually falling 74-68. The loss drops the Nanooks to 8-7, 3-3 GNAC on the season.

How it Happened
Luke Fotheringham put the 'Nooks on the board with a driving dunk off the handoff from Mike Miller, and would follow with a driving layup down the lane to give him an early four points and put the Nanooks up 4-3. Miller and Fotheringham added layups in the following four minutes, and neither team was able to build a lead greater than two until a Michael Day three-pointer put the Nighthawks ahead 15-10 with 11:56 left in the first. Layups from Miller and Fotheringham kept the Nanooks within two scores before Jalai O'Keith scored Alaska's next six points on three field goals. A Tyriq Luke three-point play brought the deficit down to four at 27-23, and the 'Nooks scored their next three points from the free throw line to enter the halftime break down 31-26.

The Nighthawks opened the second half by scoring 13 unanswered points to take an 18-point lead. O'Keith ended NNU's run by connecting on a three, and Davis Crilly added a four-point play two minutes later. Baskets from O'Keith and Cortarius Mingo brought the deficit down to 12, but the Nighthawks quickly responded with a 6-0 run to bring their lead back to 18. Alaska eventually cut the lead down to single digits after a 10-0 run made it 59-51. Three pointers from Miller and Tariq Weiser brought it down to a six-point deficit, and Miller followed with a layup and a three on back-to-back possessions to make it a two-point game. Fotheringham answered a Nighthawks three by converting the and-one after being fouled on a layup, and the Nanooks would tie things up at 68 after a Crilly layup with 1:20 to go. However, the game ended on a 6-0 Nighthawks run, putting the game out of reach for the Nanooks after they came back to tie it.

Inside the Numbers

• Mike Miller led the team with 16 points and nine rebounds. He went 6-14 from the field and knocked down his two attempts from three. He also tied for the team lead with two assists and had a block.
• Jalai O'Keith and Luke Fotheringham both had 14 points. O'Keith finished with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Fotheringham shot 6-8 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line.
• Tyriq Luke was the final Nanook in double-figures, posting 10 points to go along with three rebounds and two assists.
• After going 0-6 from three in the first half, the Nanooks would knock down 6-12 attempts from beyond the arc in the second half. They shot 24-61 (39.3%) from the field, 6-18 (33.3%) from three and 14-17 (82.4%) from the free throw line during the game.
• The Nanooks had nine turnovers to NNU's 13, and they scored 12 points off turnovers to seven for the Nighthawks.
• Alaska held the advantage in bench points 17-6 and fastbreak points 7-6, but trailed in second-chance points 8-5 and points in the paint 46-36.

What's to Come
The Nanooks return to Fairbanks next Saturday for a game against in-state rivals Alaska Anchorage. They face off against the Seawolves on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m., for their Pack the Patty and White Out Game, with the goal of 1,000 fans in the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. There will be special giveaways for fans wearing white and making noise, so get your tickets and be a part of the 1,000.

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