Nanooks Can't Ground Falcons As Seattle Pacific Soars, 84-55 :: Bruketta's 12 points not enough for Alaska

Feb. 9, 2008

FAIRBANKS, AK- The Falcons showed that they deserve their place atop the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings as Seattle Pacific registered an efficient 84-55 win over the Nanooks at the Patty Center on Saturday. With the loss, Alaska falls to 9-10 (2-9 GNAC) on the season, while the Falcons remain perfect at 20-0, 11-0 GNAC.

The visitors opened with a bright start, forcing the Nanooks to play catch-up throughout the game after embarking on a 7-0 run from the opening tip.

Beth Christensen was effective all night for the Falcons, pulling the strings on their fast-paced offense. The senior guard played a big part establishing the visitors' early lead, placing a perfectly-weighted lob into Jessie Christensen for an easy lay-in before finding Kelsey Hill with a quick bounce pass for another inside basket.

The Nanooks would trim the lead to 11 behind three-pointers from Sheena Brown and Cristina Bruketta on either side of halftime, but the Falcons would waste no time in restoring their advantage through a three-pointer from Jackie Hollands and a Kelsey Hill putback.

From there, the Blue and Gold couldn't get any closer to the Falcons, as they shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half and 47 percent for the game to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the final stanza.

Alaska was also frustrated by the Falcons defensive pressure as well, turning the ball over 26 times in the contest. Seattle Pacific would translate those turnovers into 33 points, compared to just 22 points off turnovers for the Nanooks.

Cristina Bruketta was a bright spot for the home side, however, hitting four shots from behind the arc to finish the game with a team-high 12 points. Sheena Brown also had 10 points while point guards Caitlin Hamsley and Anna Simmons would log career-highs in points and rebounding, respectively. Hamsley would shoot a perfect 3-3 from the floor for seven points, while Simmons grabbed five boards.

The Nanooks now return to the road for a Valentine's Day meeting with Saint Martin's in Lacey, Washington. The women play their final home games of the year on Feb. 28 and March 1, when Western and Central Washington come to Fairbanks.