Nanooks End Top Of The World Run With 82-47 Loss To IUPUI

Submitted by Tom Myrick
Phone: 907-474-6805
11/18/07

There was to be no repeat of Alaska’s inspired victory over Oregon State, as IUPUI piled on the points early and often against the Nanooks. The Jaguars came out hot and never looked back, as they strolled to the BP Top of the World Classic’s fourth-place title, 82-47.

Alaska’s hopes were dealt a serious blow even before tip-off, as senior co-captain Mike Titus had to be left off the roster due to illness. Still, Alaska could hit just four field goals in the first half, as the Jaguars effectively killed the game off before the break, going into the locker room boasting a 50-21 lead.

"We lost this game from the opening tip," said head coach Clemon Johnson. "Needless to say, we just weren’t there in the first half of the game: they had more offensive rebounds than we had total rebounds."

Johnson shook off notions that his team came out flat, deflated after their emotional victory the previous night. "[The reason for the rough start] is spelled `IUPUI’. We weren’t necessarily that flat: they were just that high."

A major reason for the Jaguars dominance was the play of junior George Hill. Hill seemed to be everywhere on the court, finishing the night with 26 points and nine boards: both game-highs. IUPUI also enjoyed a significant height advantage which they exploited to good effect, recording 26 points in the paint and pulling in 14 offensive rebounds.

There was some bright spots for the Nanooks, particularly the play of guards Keven Campbell and DeRay Carger. Campbell provided spark again to the Nanooks again, penetrating and drawing fouls, while Carger hit three shots from behind the arc on his way to 11 points. Mladen Begojevic led the Nanooks with 15 points. Alaska also shot significantly better from the foul line, missing just two of their 17 shots.

The loss drops the Nanooks to 3-2 on the season, and forces them to settle for sixth place overall in the tournament. Alaska now gets nearly a three-week break before a two-game road trip to California, where they will meet UC San Diego on Dec. 6, and UC Irvine on Dec. 8.

On the web at BP Top of the World Classic or visit alaskananooks.cstv.com.