MONMOUTH, Ore. – A late 16-6 run over a span of four-plus minutes in the second half was not enough for Western Oregon University's women's basketball team to comeback against the visiting Nanooks of the University of Alaska, as the Wolves fell 74-65 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) action Saturday inside the New PE Building.
"Our transition defense in the first half was unacceptable, we let them get too many easy looks at the basket and then we didn't convert from the free throw line at the other end," said Head Coach
Holli Howard-Carpenter. "To start the second half, we let them go on a 14-0 run and although we fought hard just couldn't get it to even. We have to be more mentally tough in those situations and stop runs."
Western Oregon (4-9, 1-4 GNAC) was led by freshman
Sami Osborne after she tallied her second career double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while junior
Shyla Akins and sophomore
Jordan Mottershaw also scored in double figures with 12 points each. Along with Osborne's performance on the boards, junior
Emily Howey chipped in with seven rebounds to go along with a four-assist night for both Mottershaw and freshman
Jasmine Miller.
"Shyla and Sami were a spark off the bench for us tonight and they are key people we need to step up every night for us," commented Howard-Carpenter. "Jasmine played a season high 20 minutes and really made the most of her opportunity."
Both teams would battle back-and-forth over the opening four minutes, as each squad scored six points heading into the game's first media timeout. Following the break in action, Alaska went on a 10-0 run over a span of five minutes and increase its lead to 16-6 on a free throw by Jordan Wilson with 11:05 on the clock. After WOU got within seven points (18-11) on a three-pointer by junior
Katie Goddard, Alaska scored seven unanswered points to pull ahead 25-11 on another free throw by Wilson with 9:19 left in the first half. The visiting Nanooks would push their lead to 15 points (36-21) with 4:42 remaining before Western Oregon used a 15-1 run to close out the first half and pull within 37-32 at halftime.
The second half would begin with Alaska scoring the first 14 points, as the Nanooks increased their lead to 51-32 with 15:24 on the clock after a lay-in by Kaillee Skjold. Over the next eight minutes, Western Oregon would used a 26-10 run that included the aforementioned 16-6 run to pull within five points (61-56) after a lay-in by Miller with just over seven minutes left. Five minutes later, Osborne pulled the Wolves back within five points (65-60) on a lay-in with 2:11 left. Unfortunately that would be as close as Western Oregon would get, as Alaska used timely free throw shooting down the stretch making 7-of-8 over the final 77 seconds en route earning the 74-65 victory.
As a team, Western Oregon combined to shoot 24-for-60 (40.0%) from the field as the Wolves went an identical 12-for-30 in each half. WOU was also a combined 3-for-11 (27.3%) from beyond the three-point line and 14-of-22 (63.6%) at the free throw line. On other other hand, Alaska was a combined 26-for-65 (40.0%) from the field, 1-for-12 (8.3%) from long distance, and 21-for-29 (72.4%) at the charity stripe.
When asked about playing without senior
Dana Goularte and freshman
Sydney Azorr for the past two games, Howard-Carpenter said, "Injuries and foul trouble are challenging, but we will not use those as excuses for not playing to our potential. Our goals aren't changing, we have to find a way to get things done for each other."
Western Oregon returns to action on Thursday, January 15, against Western Washington University beginning at 7 p.m. in Bellingham, Washington.
