Women's basketball notches first win with 96-50 victory over DCC
December 18, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
Six different players scored at least 10 points and the Alaska women's basketball team controlled every facet of the game as it achieved its first win of the season with a 96-50 win over Dallas Christian College on Monday evening at the Patty Center.
Junior guard April Fultz (Rialto, Calif./Political science) scored a game-high 16 points to go with six rebounds, five assists and four steals after only playing 19 minutes. Senior guard Taylor Altenburg (Elko, Nev./Criminal Justice) and junior guard Marissa Atoruk (Kiana, Alaska/Business administration) each tallied 14 points, which was a career-high for Atoruk. Altenburg also produced four assists and four steals.
Other double-figure scorers included junior center Jacqueline Bartleson (Santa Fe, N.M./Elementary education), senior forward Jacqueline Lovato (Gunnison, Colo./Business administration) and junior forward Ruth O'Neal (Fort Washakie, Wyo./Justice) as the trio combined for 33 points, eight assists and five thefts. Freshman guard Brianna Kirk (Noatak, Alaska/General studies) came off the bench to provide nine points, seven rebounds (four offensive), three assists and two steals.
The Nanooks (1-7, 0-1 GNAC) shot 48 percent (41-85 FG) for the game while holding the Crusaders (1-12) to just 33 percent (16-48 FG) shooting. They also commanded the boards with a 51-28 advantage, including a dominant 24-6 lead on the offensive glass. Alaska had 28 assists and 21 steals and forced DCC into 27 turnovers.
The 'Nooks outscored Dallas Christian 37-15 off turnovers, 60-16 in the paint and 26-6 in transition. The Alaska bench also tallied 39 points to DCC's 10 from its reserves.
Alaska led 9-8 in the early going but a Fultz layup with 15:06 to go in the opening stanza sparked an 8-0 run in less than four minutes to give it a 17-8 advantage. Dallas Christian cut it back to two at 17-15 and kept it close but with Alaska leading 33-30, it drained a pair of threes and ended the half on a 15-3 run to take a 48-33 lead into the locker room.
The Nanooks opened the second half with a full court press and it worked as they scored 20 straight points in the first 3:59 to gain a 68-33 lead. The Crusaders never got closer than 31 as the 'Nooks led by as many as 51 points late in regulation.
Alaska and DCC hit the court Tuesday evening at 5:15 p.m. at the Patty Center and it will mark the final game of 2012 for the Nanooks.