Nanooks Resume GNAC Play to Start 2025

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Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

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FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks women's basketball team is back in action to start 2025, hitting the road for two GNAC contests vs. Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.

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FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks women's basketball team is back in action to start 2025, hitting the road for two GNAC contests vs. Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.

Thursday, Jan. 2 6:00 p.m. | at Central WashingtonNicholson Pavilion | Ellensburg, Wash.Watch | Live Stats

Saturday, Jan. 4 11:45 a.m. | at Northwest NazareneJohnson Sports Center | Nampa, IdahoWatch | Live Stats

Last Time Out The Nanooks ended 2024 in California with a game against Cal State East Bay on Dec. 17. They fell to the Pioneers 62-49 to drop to 5-5 on the season. CSEB led by three at halftime before pulling away in the final two quarters, outscoring Alaska 11-9 in the third and 22-14 in the fourth. The Nanooks shot 27.3% from the floor and 19.2% from three. Alaska did not make a three in the second half after five made threes in the first half. Taylor Pilot finished the game with eight steals, tying the third-most in a game in GNAC history. She also led the way for the Nanooks in scoring, finishing with a team-high 12 points on 4-10 shooting. She added five assists. Kayla Johnson and Taylor Tiulana added eight points, Bobbi Clark had seven and 10 rebounds. Alaska forced 29 turnovers and had 19 steals in the game.

Their scheduled game against San Francisco State was canceled.

#NookNotes

Destiny Reimers is Alaska's leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game.
Kayla Johnson is also averaging double-digit points, posting 11.5 points per game.
Taylor Pilot's 3.2 assists per game pace the squad and rank 12th in the GNAC. Pilot has swiped 3.5 steals per game, putting her second in the conference and ninth in the nation.
Emily Freeman has connected on 39.3% of her shots from beyond the arc, good for sixth in the GNAC and 44th in DII. Her 2.4 three-pointers per game are the sixth-most in the conference.
Alaska has received 28 points per game from its bench this season, the second most among GNAC schools and 34th most in the country.
The Nanooks have attempted the most three-pointers in the GNAC this season, averaging 29.3 shots from three. They have knocked down the second-most threes per game in the conference at 9.1. Those marks rank sixth and 10th in the nation, respectively.

Meet the OpponentsCentral Washington 8-2, 1-0 GNAC Head Coach: Randi Richardson (8th season)

The Wildcats enter the week sitting third in the GNAC after defeating Northwest Nazarene 70-64 in their only GNAC contest of the season. Their two losses on the season have come against No. 9 Cal State Dominguez Hills (85-73) and RV Cal State Los Angeles (71-68). Their last game saw them defeat Biola 88-52.

Central Washington's 46.7% team field goal percentage paces the GNAC and puts it eighth among all Division II teams. The Wildcats have hit an average of 9.6 threes per contest this season, leading the GNAC and ranking ninth in the country. They have connected on 40.2% of their shots from beyond the arc, good for fourth in the nation.

CWU is led by senior guard Sunny Huerta, who ranks second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II in points per game, averaging 18.8. She is also second in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting at a 47.5% clip this season. Huerta has been Central Washington's primary scorer from beyond the arc, knocking down an average of 3.1 threes per game, putting her third in the GNAC and 12th in the nation. Her 51.7% three-point percentage is the fourth highest in DII and leads the GNAC.

Northwest Nazarene 6-4, 0-1 GNAC Head Coach: Steve Steele (9th season)

The Nighthawks are currently eighth in the GNAC at 6-4, 0-1 GNAC. They are coming off a 78-72 win over MSU Denver on Friday, Dec. 20, at the Westminster Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah. They dropped their only GNAC contest of the season against CWU.

NNU has knocked down the second-most free throws per game among GNAC teams, averaging 13.8 makes from the line. They have the 17th-highest free throw percentage in Division II, posting a 78% conversion rate from the charity stripe.

The Nighthawks are led by sophomore forward Kendall Clark, who has posted 15.3 points per game, good for fifth in the GNAC. Her 60.7% field goal percentage ranks sixth in the nation and leads the conference. She has grabbed an average of seven rebounds per game, putting her fourth in the GNAC, while her 2.7 offensive boards per game is third-best among GNAC players.

GNAC Standings