by FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Tyriq Luke scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and added three steals as Alaska Fairbanks rolled past Northwest Indian College 108-64 on Saturday night at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium, completing a two-game sweep of the Eagles.
Luke finished right behind teammate Davis Crilly in the scoring column. The senior guard did much of his damage late in the first half, hitting three field goals during a closing 17-6 run that sent the Nanooks into the break ahead 51-27.
The game was tight early, with three lead changes in the first 2:20 and Northwest Indian ahead 6-5 on a Brandon Coffee jumper before a Crilly three-point play started a 10-2 Alaska run. Threes from Leyton Nield and Jett McCullough pushed the lead to 25-15, and the Nanooks were in control the rest of the way.
Northwest Indian scored the first two baskets of the second half, but Alaska answered with a 10-0 run and then 14 unanswered points — capped in part by a Luke three-pointer — to lead 77-35 with 13 minutes left. The Eagles outscored the Nanooks 11-2 over the final stretch, but the outcome was long decided.
Crilly led Alaska with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals. McCullough added 15 points and Nield 13, while Tariq Weiser handed out a team-high nine assists. Alaska shot 58.5 percent from the field, outrebounded Northwest Indian 43-21, scored 35 points off turnovers and held an 18-0 edge in fast-break points.
Alaska Fairbanks improved to 2-0. The Nanooks head to Hawaii next week for the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge, facing Hawaii Pacific on Friday and Chaminade on Saturday.
