SEATTLE – The big scoring run was there. The potent performance in the post was there.
 
However, for all of those things that the Seattle Pacific Falcons did on Saturday afternoon …
 
… the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks had an answer.
 
In her first-ever start, junior center Emilia Bishop put together a career-high double-double of 27 points and 15 rebounds, but Fairbanks went on an 18-4 run to finish the third quarter – including the last 11 in a row – and hung on down the stretch for an 88-82 victory in Brougham Pavilion.
 
Both SPU (6-16, 0-9 GNAC) and Fairbanks (6-11, 1-8 GNAC) were seeking to break into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference win column as the first half of that schedule came to a close.
 
Fifth-year point guard Hunter Beirne added 20 points and four assists for the Falcons.
 
The Falcons rang up 16 straight points bridging the second and third quarters. They finished the second with a 10-0 burst to turn a 43-33 deficit into a 43-43 tie by halftime. The Falcons then scored the first six of the third period to take a 49-43 lead
 
The Nanooks (6-11, 1-8 GNAC) responded with seven in a row to go up 50-49. Seattle Pacific got one more lead on a free throw by Bishop and a 3-pointer by Grace Turley, making it 53-50 at the 4:29 mark. But the Falcons didn't score again until the opening moments of the fourth quarter – by which time UAF had scored 11 straight to take  61-53 lead into the final 10 minutes.
 
 

"They got us where we tend to be got, which is their 3-point shooting (42.9 percent on 9 of 21) and us forgetting where they are and not being able to get there in time," Falcons coach Karen Byers said. "Our intensity on defense was really what got us, and we were stagnant in our offense. Our focus going forward will be on early entry into our offense and getting people moving and seeing if that can open things for us."
 
Fairbanks kept trying to pull away in the fourth, but SPU kept climbing back into it. A lay-in by Bishop and a traditional three-point play by Beirne cut the margin to 73-69 with 3:19 remaining.
 
The Nanooks then got back-to-baskets on what amounted to third-chance opportunities: a 3-pointer by Tristian Martin for 76-69, and a putback by Reimers for 78-69 and the clock now down to 2:14. A free throw by Taylor Pilot on the next possession pushed it back out to double digits, 79-69, at 2:01.
 
SPU came as close as four at 84-80 when Beirne drained all three attempts on a three-shot foul with 42 seconds to go. Forced to foul, the Falcons stayed within reach when the Nanooks hit just two of their four free throws during the next nine seconds, leaving it at 86-80 with 33 seconds remaining.
 
Beirne tried to find an open 3-point try, but it wasn't there, so had to settle for a mid-range jumper for 86-82 at 21.7 seconds. Miranda Lomax drained a pair of foul shots for the Nanooks, expanding it back to 88-82 with 20 to play. A final pair of 3-pointers by the Falcons both missed.
 
"We had some really good moments, but I think we came out too soft again," Byers said. "I think we weren't quite ready to play, and we've got to make an adjustment for that and have more energy out there."
 
 

Junior center Bishop hit 10 of 19 from the floor on the way to her first career double-double for the Falcons. It was her second straight game with a career scoring high. She tallied 15 on Thursday against Alaska Anchorage. Her previous rebounding high was 11, also against Fairbanks on Nov. 30, 2023.
 
Bishop's performance in her first start likely will mean additional opportunities to be on the floor for the opening tip-off.
 
"Emilia is on a roll," Byers said. "We did a new drill where we got really tough about rebounding, and she had to rebound with two people who were fighting her with pads. That helped her with that mentality of, 'I'm the strongest out there and I'm going to get every board.' I'm proud of her – she did great."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- While Bishop poured in 27 for the Falcons, senior guard Destiny Reimers had 28 for Alaska Fairbanks on 13-of-28 shooting (and made it a double-double with 10 rebounds). She was one of five Nanooks in double-digit scoring.
-- SPU did have a 42-38 edge in rebounding. That included 22-12 at the offensive end, leading to 26 second-chance points. Alaska Fairbanks had 15 (which included those five points on third chances late in the fourth quarter.
-- Both teams hit 28 field goals. But the Nanooks had five more makes (9-4) from 3-point range.
-- The Falcons shot 36.4 percent (28 of 77); UAF hit 45.2 percent (28 of 62).
-- The game went nearly two hours as 56 fouls were called – 30 on Seattle Pacific, 26 on Fairbanks. The 59 free throw attempts were almost dead even: 22 of 28 for the Falcons, 23 of 31 for the Nanooks. Each team had two players foul out.
-- Fairbanks had lost 13 straight to the Falcons, dating back to its last series win on Feb. 16, 2017.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons begin the second half of the GNAC schedule next Saturday at home against Montana State Billings. Tip-off is at 2:00 p.m. Because the two teams are travel partners, neither one plays on Thursday. Saturday's game will be the first half of a doubleheader, followed by the SPU men against Saint Martin's at 4:15 p.m.


NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Alaska Fairbanks 88, Seattle Pacific 82
 
ALASKA FAIRBANKS (6-11, 1-8 GNAC)
Brady 0-3 0-0 0 Freeman 3-6 1-2 10, Reimers 13-28 2-2 28, Pilot 3-7 7-12 13, Lomax 5-9 2-2 16, Martin 2-3 2-2 8, Van Dyke 1-3 9-11 11, Tiulana 0-1 0-0 0, Clark 1-2 0-0 2, Nevison 0-0 0-0 0.  Totals 28-62 23-31 88.
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (6-16, 0-9 GNAC)
Leasure 0-1 0-0 0, Weatherspoon 3-9 2-3 8, Bishop 10-197-9 27, Beirne 6-17 6-6 20, Kearns 3-7 3-4 9, Ohta 0-6 0-0 0, Rubino 1-4 2-2 4, Turley 1-6 0-0 3, Mertes 1-2 0-0 3, Lavigne 3-6 2-4 8.  Totals 28-77 22-28 82.
 
Alaska Fairbanks                 25           18           18           27           -- 88
Seattle Pacific                     18           25           10           29           -- 82
                                                                                                                                 
3-point goals – UAF 9-21 (Freeman 3-6, Reimers 0-5, Pilot 0-1, Lomax 4-5, Martin 2-2, Van Dyke 0-1, Tiulana 0-1), SPU 4-18 (Beirne 2-4, Kearns 0-2, Ohta 0-4, Turley 1-6, Merrtes 1-2).  Fouled out – UAF: Reimers, Martin.  SPU: Weatherspoon, Kearns).  Rebounds – UAF 38 (Reimers 10), SPU 42 (Bishop 15).  Assists – UAF 13 (Pilot 9), SPU 11 (Beirne 4, Ohta 4).  Turnovers (points allowed) – UAF 22 (18) SPU 19 (17).  Total fouls – UAF 26, SPU 30.  Technical fouls – None.   Attendance – 125.
 
 
Next game
Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Feb. 1     2:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 

 
 
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