BILLINGS, Mont. – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team (0-24, 0-16 GNAC) was unable to overcome a 49-19 halftime deficit in their game against the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets, falling by a final score of 80-53.

How it Happened
The Nanooks fell behind 13-0 to start the game, getting their first points of the contest halfway through the first on a pair of Genevieve Velasquez free throws. The 'Nooks would score 10 more points over the remainder of the quarter, with Jazlynn Novelli sinking a shot from downtown and Pearle Green converting a three-point play, but they ended the opening 10 minutes down 27-12. They managed just seven points in the second, as Sophia Lachenmayer hit a three and Marney Rees added a pair of layups, and they entered the locker room down by 30 points.

The Nanooks would post their best offensive output of the game in the third quarter, scoring 21 points while going 4-6 from downtown. Emily Freeman was lights out from deep in the quarter, going 4-5 from beyond the arc, including notching a pair of triples in the first two minutes of the period. However, despite layups from Green and Lachenmayer to go along with an old-fashioned three-pointer from Tamai Mancuso, the 'Nooks could not make a dent into MSUB's lead and entered the final quarter down 68-40. Mancuso opened the fourth with a jumper, but the Nanooks would not score for another four minutes, with Novelli ending the drought with another jumper. Freeman would notch her fifth three of the afternoon later in the quarter, and Mancuso added a layup, but despite Alaska outscoring MSUB in the final two quarters, they still fell by 27.

Inside the Numbers

• Emily Freeman led the way with 15 points, going 5-11 from downtown. She added four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
• Tamai Mancuso followed with nine points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and a block.
• Pearle Green posted a team-high seven rebounds and four steals, and tied for the team lead with three assists.
• The Nanooks shot 16-71 (22.5%) from the field and 7-27 (25.9%) from three while converting 14-16 free throw attempts.
• The Nanooks forced 15 MSUB turnovers while committing 13. However, Alaska scored only four points off its takeaways, while MSUB posted 10 points off turnovers.

What's Next
The Nanooks close out their season at home next week, welcoming Saint Martin's and Western Oregon to the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium for two more games. They face SMU on Thursday, Feb. 26, and conclude their season on Saturday, Feb. 28, vs. WOU.

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