Women's basketball falls in opener to Colorado Mines
November 13, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
Allie Grazulis scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the first half as Colorado School of Mines downed the Alaska women's basketball team 87-73 on Saturday night at the Patty Center.
In addition to her 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting, Grazulis also controlled the glass with a game-best 20 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. Courtney Gallo also turned in 18 points for the Orediggers (2-0) while Danielle Skinner added 11.
The Nanooks (0-1) had four score in double figures as senior guard Taylor Altenburg (Elko, Nev./Criminal Justice) and sophomore guard Benissa Bulaya (Sacramento, Calif./Business Administration) each scored 15 points while Altenburg had a seven rebounds and Bulaya tallied a game-high eight steals.
Junior guard April Fultz (Rialto, Calif./Political science) contributed 14 points in her Nanook debut with a team-best eight boards and junior guard Destini Lewis (Beaumont, Texas/Psychology) netted four threes to account for her 12 points.
CSM shot 43-percent from the floor and converted on 29 free throws for 76-percent. Alaska struggled offensively with a 36-percent shooting night and missed 12 free throws for a 57-percent success rate at the charity stripe. The Orediggers commanded the boards 58-38, including 22-16 on the offensive glass but the Nanooks were big-time thieves with 16 steals to the visitor's five.
Leading 24-23 midway through the first, Mines put together a mini 5-0 run to grab a 29-23 lead with just under six to go in the opening stanza. Alaska had the deficit to two at 33-31 with under three to go, but went cold from the floor and CSM took a 37-31 lead into the locker room.
The Orediggers opened the second with an 8-2 run to grab the 45-33 lead just over three minutes in. The lead later stretched to 15 at 52-38 with 13:32 to go but the 'Nooks struggled to put a run together. CSM led by as many as 17 on three occasions down the stretch.
Alaska heads to California next week for road match-ups at Academy of Art on Nov. 16 and Cal State East Bay on Nov. 17.