Sun Star

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

sports

Dynamic Duo leads 'Nooks to victory
By CHRIS CRUTHERS
Staff Reporter

Coach Lynne Andrew couldn't remember the last time the Nanook women's basketball team had scored over 100 points.

But that's exactly what the 'Nooks did on Friday, finishing 105-66 versus the Mid-Continent Cougars and breaking the three-digit barrier that had stood for the past eight years.

Helping break that ceiling was largely accredited to a pair of freshmen roommates, Sarah Herrin and Brittany Black. The dynamic duo scored a point for every minute they were in the game. Herrin scored 17 points in 17 minutes and Black scoring 18 points during her 16 minutes of play.

But the two, though excited from their first real game playing for the 'Nooks, were also humble attesting their high scores to working out together, shooting everyday and positive team chemistry.

That same team chemistry was evident on the court as the 'Nooks plowed over the Cougars in the first half 49-34.

Of the 34 points scored by the Cougars, a third of them were thanks to penalty shots. The 'Nooks racked up 13 personal fouls in comparison to the Cougars five.

However, coach Andrew wasn't overly worried about the fouls.

"Aggressive fouls I will take as a coach," she said. But if any player stacks up more than two, Andrew said she'd take them off the court.

On the Cougars side, stats remained low in the first half. Omega Key managed to score 10 points with five rebounds and a single steal.

For the 'Nooks, spirits and scores where high as Herrin and Black scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and a steal for each. Black shot 3-4 on three points, and Herrin shot 2-2.

On two points, the duo did a little worse, with 4-5 for Black and 3-6 for Herrin. But they kept their shooting averages well over 50 percent.

In the second half, fans saw additional great performances by the duo. Fans also saw four additional players scoring double digits. Caitlyn Rohrbach scored 5-8 in her two points and Kari Reabold shoot a clean 4-4 during her free throws.

Three point percentages decreased from the first half's 61.5 to 41.7, but left the game total swinging in around a 52 percent.

"The biggest strength [the Nanooks had] is that they were hitting everything," including all their three points, said Cougars head coach Kevin Brown.

Brown added he underestimated the Nanook women's basketball team.

Coach Andrew said she Nanooks had not expected to shoot a three-point game, but the Nanooks decided to "take what the defense gives ya," she said.

And what they were giving the team was three point opportunities, she said

The next home game for the 'Nooks women's basketball will be on Nov. 24 versus Chaminade University.


Rosie Milligan/Sun Star

Lexie Black, center, of the Alaska Nanooks fights to dribble the basketball against Katelynn Perry of the Mid-Continent College Cougars on Nov. 10.



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