Mens Nanooks vs. Seattle Pacific University

By Autumn McPherson

Photo by Autumn McPherson

Ketan Sidhu defending his side of the court.

The Nanook den had an intense atmosphere during the men's basketball game on February 20. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks faced the Seattle Pacific University Falcons, who were up with a 10 to 8 score at the start of the game. At the 8:07 mark of the first period, UAF player Jeremiah Hersurd was seen limping off the court. The cause of the injury has not been determined. Chris Lee, a UAF athlete, turned the game around by scoring seven points, closely followed by UAF’s Jaxon Nap and Elyon Zevenbergen making bucket shots. UAF’s Isaiah Samms-Hoy made the last score of the half, bringing the Nanooks to a 32-point score against the Falcon’s 20-point score. 

The Nanooks increased their score by being on high defense during the match. Players were seen consistently passing the ball around the court. Paul Johnson made sharp turns during the first period to restrict the opposing team’s chance to steal the ball. Johnson lost hold of the ball twice during these sharp turns, resulting in a multi-team pile up, and the Nanooks were awarded possession. 

Photo by Autumn McPherson

Multi-team pile-up.

The Falcons attempted to distract the Nanooks by yelling, “Yup,” sounding like a talkative seal. However, the Nanooks stayed focused during the second period, starting with two layups from Ketan Sidhu and Chris Lee. Shortly after, the Falcons scored eight consecutive points. The atmosphere was intense, with the Falcons creeping up on the Nanooks during the second half. With UAF’s Samms-Hoy making two free throws, two layups, and Jalai O’Keith’s three-pointer, the Nanooks went home with a victory of 71 to 60.