Feb. 6, 2008

Complete Alaska vs. Northwest Nazarene Game Notes

• Tonight's meeting with Northwest Nazarene kicks off the second half of the GNAC season for the Nanooks. The Crusaders came out as winners of the two teams' last meeting, taking a 93-89 decision over the Blue and Gold on Jan. 12. The Crusaders now hold a 10-5 lead in the all-time series with Alaska.

• Though the Crusaders got the better of the Nanooks in their Jan. 12 meeting in Idaho, Sheena Brown stole the headlines with a 34-point individual performance, tying the 11th-highest point total in GNAC history. Brown made 11 of her 27 shots from the field against Northwest Nazarene, sunk nine of her 12 free throws and had five assists as well.

• The Crusaders come into tonight's game after having seen a five-game winning streak snapped by GNAC leaders Seattle Pacific. Northwest Nazarene came within a second of handing the Falcons their first loss of the season, but two late free throws from Beth Christensen gave SPU a 68-67 win.

• Last year's meeting between Alaska and Northwest Nazarene at the Patty Center proved to be a pivotal point in the Nanooks season. Not only did they get their first win of the conference season in a nail-biting 65-64 game, but the victory sprung Alaska to a four-game winning streak, which included an 85-83 overtime victory over arch-rival Alaska Anchorage.

• A total team effort boosted Alaska to its second conference win of the season last week in a tough road game against Central Washington. All but two of the Nanooks put points on the board, led by 12 points apiece from Cristina Bruketta and Kari Reabold, in helping the team to an important 67-63 win. The Blue and Gold recorded 16 team assists in the game as well: their highest such total since dishing out 18 against Texas Permain Basin on Dec. 6

• Tonight's contest will also be a family affair of sorts as the Nanooks' Jessie Craig takes to the court against her sister Heather, who is a freshman for Northwest Nazarene.

• Senior co-captain Kari Reabold continues her climb up the Nanook record books in both scoring and rebounding. Reabold currently sits in 14th place in school history for points scored with 1030, and eighth in rebounding with 577 career boards. Reabold needs just 70 more points to surpass recent graduate Cody Burgess, who scored 1100 points for the Nanooks between 2002-05.

• After no Nanook player was able to crack the 30-point barrier for nearly three years, Sheena Brown has now accomplished the feat twice this season. After scoring 34 points against Northwest Nazarene earlier this year, Brown put 30 on the scoreboard again in the team's home clash with rivals Anchorage on Jan. 26. The Lathrop graduate, who is currently second in the GNAC with a 18.4 points per game average, scored an incredible 28 points in the second half alone against the Seawolves.

• The Nanooks encourage fans to "Think Pink" as they "Pack the Patty" for a basketball doubleheader this Saturday, as the women take on Seattle Pacific and the men face rival Alaska Anchorage. The games will also mark the second straight year that Alaska has participated in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's "Think Pink" initiative, a nation-wide campaign to raise breast cancer awareness. The Fairbanks Breast Cancer Detection Center will be on hand to offer information about the disease, and fans are encouraged to wear pink along with their blue and gold to help the Nanooks and the WBCA raise awareness about breast cancer on campus and in the community. All UAF students and kids eighth grade and younger will get in free to the event.