NAMPA, Idaho – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team (0-18, 0-10 GNAC) fell to the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks on Thursday evening by a final score of 84-45.

How it Happened
The Nanooks got their first points of the contest at the 8:15 mark of the first when Jazlynn Novelli connected on a jumper, which made it 5-2 Nighthawks early in the game. Novelli added a layup after an NNU basket to keep it a three-point game, but the hosts would score their next five points unanswered to go up 12-4. Tamai Mancuso would get her first points of the game by connecting on a jumper before Emily Freeman followed by sinking a three, but that would be Alaska's last field goal of the quarter, and after a Mancuso free throw, they ended the first down 19-10.

The Nanooks had to wait until the 5:36 mark of the second before they got on the board, allowing a 6-0 NNU run to start the quarter. Mancuso got the scoring started with a jumper and followed with a fastbreak layup off her own steal to cut the deficit to 11. Mancuso and Freeman would both connect from downtown over the final four minutes of the second, but the Nanooks found themselves down 19 at the end of the half, trailing the Nighthawks 43-24 entering the locker room.

The Nighthawks scored the first five points out of the break, with Mancuso getting Alaska's first points on a jumper 3:05 into the period. She added a layup later in the quarter, being fouled on the shot and completing the three-point play, but the Nanooks got just one more field goal during the quarter, with Novelli hitting a jumper, and they entered the final 10 minutes down 61-35. Novelli and Mancuso each knocked down threes in the final quarter, but the 'Nooks were outscored 23-10 in the fourth to close out the game.

Inside the Numbers

• Tamai Mancuso led the Nanooks with 25 points on 9-17 shooting. She added two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Jazlynn Novelli followed with nine points and finished with five rebounds.
• The Nanooks shot 16-45 (35.6%) from the field, 5-24 (20.8%) from three and 8-12 from the free throw line.
• The Nanooks grabbed 29 rebounds to NNU's 44.
• Alaska scored six points off turnovers during the game compared to 32 for the Nighthawks. They trailed in points in the paint (29-27) and fastbreak points (23-9).

What's Next
The Nanooks play one more game on the road on Saturday, Jan. 31, when they take on No. 9 Central Washington at 6 p.m. AKST.

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