Men's Basketball | 1/21/2010 11:38:18 PM

Box Score [Box score]

FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Matt Schmidt notched 22 points and the Western Oregon University men's basketball team outscored Alaska Fairbanks 14-4 down the stretch to earn the road win 83-68, Thursday, Jan. 21.

This was the first conference victory of the season for the Wolves, as they moved to 8-8 on the year and 1-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The loss was the fourth-straight for the Nanooks (5-8, 0-4 GNAC).

After the Nanooks' Cole Daniel drilled a three-pointer to pulled UAF to within five points at 69-64 with 4:37 reamining, WOU put together a 10-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes to secure the game. The seniors Mike McLaughlin and Schmidt helped lead the way during the run as each scored four points and they combined to hit all four of their free throws.

Western Oregon was very efficient from the three-point line and the charity stripe in the game. It shot 50-percent from behind the arc (8-of-16) and 89-percent from the free throw line (17-of-19). WOU also made its last 10 free throws of the game.

Schmidt went 8-of-11 from the field and scored eight of his 22 points in the final seven minutes. Kolton Nelson also chipped in with a career-high 13 points, while Kyle Long added 11 and Blair Wheadon 10. Wheadon also recorded a career-best eight assists in the victory, while McLaughlin grabbed a team-best eight boards.

The Wolves' perimeter defense was strong on the evening, as it held the Nanooks' starting guards Emmanuel Jenkins and Jon Moe 20 points below their season scoring average, as the duo combined for just 13 points for the game on 3-of-19 shooting.

The Western Oregon men's basketball team will continue its road trip Saturday (Jan. 23) against Alaska Anchorage. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (ast).