FAIRBANKS, Alaska—All jokes about the weather aside, it is too easy to say that Hawai`i Hilo's Saturday afternoon shooting was as cold as the Fairbanks weather.
But the truth is, both were ice cold as the Vulcans dropped a 56-50 verdict to host Alaska at the Alaska Airlines Center, giving the Nanooks a split of their two games this weekend. Less than 24 hours earlier, the Vulcans won the season tip-off between the two (62-49). Both teams are now 1-1 to open 2017-18.
UH Hilo trailed from start to finish and could not find their shooting range, on a day when it was 15 degrees outside the Alaska Airlines Center. The Vulcans shot just 32 percent from the field and connected on 18 percent of their shots from three-point range (4-22).
The Nanooks weren't much warmer at 36 percent, but they controlled the boards in a big way. UAF had a 53-33 rebound edge, including an 18-9 margin on the offensive end.
Alaska came out of the gates determined to gain the series split, jumping out to a 10-2 lead six minutes into the contest. They would lead at the end of the quarter, 14-10. Early in the second quarter, the Vulcans would pull to within two points (16-14) on a basket by Sara Shimizu, one of a number of times that UHH was just a basket away from tying the game.
But the Nanooks would pull away again, stretching their lead to ten points a minute before halftime on a three-pointer by Lexi Carpenter, and the hosts would hold a 30-22 lead at the break.
The Vulcans scored 18 points in the third quarter, cutting the Nanooks lead to four points at 44-40. Earlier in the period Safia Sheikh's trey made it a one-point game at 39-38, and her free throw a few moments later still had the Vulcans within a digit (41-40).
The Nanooks got the first basket of the fourth quarter and played just good enough to keep the Vulcans at arm's length for most of the period. Still, down only three points with less than a minute to play, UH Hilo missed five shots on one possession, and UAF would go to clinch it at the other end with a free throw and a breakaway lay-in as time expired.
Sheikh would lead the Vulcans with 13 points and nine rebounds. Junior transfer Alyssa Movchan (Cypress College) had 11 points, while Allie Navarette added eight points and four boards.
Kim Schmelz also had eight points for UH Hilo.
Carpenter led the Nanooks for the second straight night, this time with 19 points.
The Vulcans will now return to Hilo and get what is the equivalent of another pre-season of practice, not hitting the court again for game action until November 30 against California Baptist.
