Nanooks Erase Wolves First Half Lead, Win 77-60

Alaska women outscore Western Oregon 45-25 in second half.

Salem-News.com Sports

FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The Alaska Nanooks erased a 35-32 Western Oregon halftime lead, outscoring the Wolves 45-25 in the second half on their way to a 77-60 women’s basketball win on Thursday night at the Patty Center.

The victory gave Alaska its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory of the year (1-4) and the Nanooks improved to 8-6 overall. Western Oregon fell to 0-4 in the GNAC and to 4-9 overall.

Sheena Brown led the hosts with 24 points, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Joscelyn Shumate added 20 points and eight boards for Alaska, while Western Oregon was paced by Leada Berkey’s double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Vanessa Wyffels added 14 points and five boards before fouling out.

WOU raced out to a 10-0 lead in the game, and Alaska did not score its first basket until the 15:22 mark. But the Nanooks would rally, eventually taking a 17-16 lead on a hoop by Kari Reabold, and the two teams would then trade buckets until the Wolves went into the locker room with a 35-32 lead at the break.

The Wolves come out of the half and treked to a 40-32 lead, but UAF would come back to tie it at 46-46 with 10:53 left. The Nanooks would then outscore Western 12-2 over the next four minutes, and WOU wouldn’t get close again. The Wolves shot just 30 percent from the field in the game.

Western Oregon will continue road work in Alaska, taking on No. 9 nationally ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

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