FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team traveled to Alaska Fairbanks to take on the Nanooks on Thursday night, where Owen Moriarty and Jaxon Nap turned in strong performances, but it wasn't enough as the Falcons fell to the Nanooks 71-60.
"Alaska is a tough place to play," head coach Keffrey Fazio said. "Credit them for having better fight and toughness. We struggled to find consistency offensively and defensively. It felt like we were chasing all night."
The Falcons jumped out to an early lead against the Nanooks on Thursday night. Jonas La Tour opened the game with a 3-pointer, followed by consecutive baskets from Owen Moriarty. The duo was responsible for a 7-3 run for the Falcons.
From there, the Falcons offense went cold. They finished the first half with a 28.6 percent (8-for-28) shooting percentage. At the same time, the Nanooks shot 46.4 percent (13-for-28) from the field, including five made 3-pointers. The shooting advantage helped the Nanooks take a 32-20 lead into halftime.
The Falcons had to chip away at the Nanook's lead in the second half. After a couple of baskets from the Nanooks, the Falcons took over at ly in the second half. SPU went on a 17-4 run that lasted 6:36. The Falcons went 6-for-8 from the field with two 3-pointers. Moriarty and Nap led the way with five points each. The run put the Falcons within three points of the Nanooks with 12:37 left to play.
After a burst from the Nanooks, the Falcons had to piece together another run. SPU answered with a two-minute 8-0 run. Moriarty, La Tour, and a 3-point play from Mason Landdeck made up the scoring during that stretch. It helped the Falcons move to within three points with 5:31 left in the game. The Nanooks closed out the game and took it 71-60.
Moriarty finished with a team-high 20 points on 7-for-18 shooting. He added four rebounds and two steals against the Nanooks. Nap's sixth double-double of the season was impressive. He scored 15 points while grabbing a game-high 18 rebounds. La Tour was the only other Falcon that scored in double-figures. He finished with 11 points against the Nanooks.
"Owen and Jaxon scored for us out of necessity tonight," Fazio said. "We're proud of what they did, but we needed more from everyone tonight."
The Falcon's time in Alaska concludes on Saturday when they visit Alaska Anchorage for a game at 8:30 p.m. PST.
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