MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon men's basketball team withstood a pair of game-tying missed shots by Alaska Fairbanks to grind out a 61-59 victory Saturday evening at New PE Building.

The Wolves (7-9 overall, 4-5 GNAC) and Nanooks (7-10, 2-7) played a close, back-and-forth game (the score was tied 10 times, the lead changed eight times) throughout where the largest lead for either team was eight points - and that was only reached once.

Down the stretch the Wolves held a slim 57-55 lead before Qiant Myers drained a 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining to increase the lead to five points.

The Nanooks eventually got the Wolves lead down to 60-59 with 27 seconds remaining before Jahville Collins split a pair of free throws for WOU with six seconds left - giving UAF one last shot. The Nanooks drove the ball to the basket and missed and the follow-up attempt was also off the mark as the buzzer sounded.

The Wolves withstood shooting 33.8 percent from the field thanks to grabbing 24 offensive rebounds - turning those into 17 second-chance points.

Cameron Benzel led the Wolves with 15 points to go along with six rebounds - going 6-for-8 from the field. Myers finished with 10 points to go along with a team-high five assists and four rebounds. Peter-Kaci Gwananji grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points for the Wolves.

WOU hits the road next week to take on Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.