Box Score    |    Final Stats

FAIRBANKS, Ak. – Tony Miller erupted for a career-high 32 points for the Seattle Pacific men, who closed out the 2016 calendar year Saturday with a 79-77 victory over Fairbanks in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball game at the Patty Center.
 
The Falcons (6-6) evened their league record at 2-2 while UAF (6-7) dropped to 1-3 in GNAC games.
 
Despite leading by as many as 18 points in the first half, SPU needed to rally from 11 points behind late in the second period.
 
A 23-8 run immediately after halftime saw the Nanooks surge into the lead. They later scored eight straight points to gain a 69-58 advantage with 6:19 left to play.
 
SPU responded with a 14-1 spurt to reclaim the lead with 2:58 showing on the clock. Two free throws from Miller completed the run that resulted in a 72-70 margin.
 
The visitors captured the lead for good with 1:01 remaining when Olivier-Paul Betu converted two free throws for a 77-75 edge.
 
Coleman Wooten and Sharif Khan each made 1 of 2 free throws during the final minute to secure the win.
 
Two days after his lowest scoring game as a collegian, Miller posted the Falcons first 30-point performance this season. He has 10 double-figure performances in 12 games this year.
 
The freshman product of Woodinville (Wash.) High School was held to two points in Thursday's 85-49 loss at Alaska Anchorage. Miller matched that total just 15 seconds into Saturday's contest with a put-back basket that started the scoring. He made 11 of 16 shots in Fairbanks, including 3 of 6 treys.
 
Miller notched his fourth double-double with 10 rebounds, sparking SPU's 42-31 domination of the boards.
 
Wooten was the only other Falcon in double figures, with 22 points.
 
Zach Pederson topped five Nanooks in double digits. He scored 17 points, Nahjee Matlock had 13, Brandon Davis 12, Bangaly Kaba 11 and Michael Kluting 10.
 
The Falcons were the better shooters, 46 percent (24 of 52) to 43 percent (27 of 63), but turned the ball over 16 times compared to just seven miscues for Fairbanks.
 
In the first half, Wooten tallied five consecutive points, followed by five from Miller for a 10-point SPU run that netted a 14-5 lead 4:30 into the action. After a UAF layup, the Falcons scored seven straight to lead 23-8 with 10:30 to go in the first half.
 
Miller registered seven of his team's final nine first-half points to provide a 40-32 halftime margin in SPU's favor.
 
A pair of home games at Brougham Pavilion await the Falcons next week upon their return to Seattle. They host defending GNAC champion Western Oregon on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Concordia (Ore.) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016
Patty Center / Fairbanks, Ak.
 
Seattle Pacific 79, at Alaska Fairbanks 77
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (6-6, 2-2 GNAC)

Wooten 7-12 7-12 22, Miller 11-16 7-10 32, Rasmussen 2-6 0-1 4, Parker 0-4 0-0 0, Betu 1-6 6-6 9, Khan 3-7 1-2 9, Long 0-1 2-2 2, Streufert 0-0 1-2 1, Eisenhower 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-52 24-35 79. 

 
ALASKA FAIRBANKS (6-7, 1-3 GNAC)

Kaba 4-9 3-3 11, Pederson 7-15 0-0 17, Clark 1-3 2-4 5, Matlock 4-11 4-6 13, Davis 5-11 1-2 12, Kluting 2-7 5-6 10, Wilder 4-6 1-1 9, Molesworth 0-0 0-0 0, Hornbuckle 0-1 0-0 0, Scarver 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 16-22 77. 

 
Seattle Pacific      40   39  -  79
Alaska Fairbanks     32   45  -  77
 

3-point goals--SPU 7-22 (Miller 3-6, Khan 2-3, Betu 1-3, Wooten 1-5, Parker 0-3, Rasmussen 0-2), UAF 7-17 (Pederson 3-6, Davis 1-2, Matlock 1-4, Kluting 1-4, Clark 1-1). Fouled out--SPU-None, UAF-None. Rebounds--SPU 42 (Wooten 11), UAF 31 (Kluting, Matlock 5). Assists--SPU 4 (Parker 2), UAF 10 (Matlock 4). Total fouls--SPU 18, UAF 24. Technical fouls--SPU-None, UAF-None. A-295.

 
 
Next SPU Men's Basketball Game
Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Jan. 5, 7:30 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.