ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Feb. 25) -- The Central Washington University men's basketball team fell to the University of Alaska Thursday evening 71-92, and dropping the Wildcats to fifth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
 
With the loss the Wildcats drop to 17-7 on the season and 12-7 in the GNAC and will be either the fourth or fifth seed in the GNAC playoffs on Mar. 3.  The Nanooks (20-7, 14-5) secure a finish no lower than third place in the conference.
 
Alaska jumped out to an early 10-4 lead less than four minutes in the game.  The Nanooks led by 12 points with 14:21 left in the first half before the Wildcats went on a 14-4 run on a quartet of three pointers, two by Gary Jacobs and one from Joey Roppo and Naim Ladd.
 
Alaska bumped its lead back up to double-figures at the 6:03 mark and held on to the two-digit lead for all but 19 seconds of the remainder of the stanza.
 
Central Washington was unable to find an answer to the Nanooks who held a double-digit lead for the entire length of the second half and led by as many as 24 points in the period.
 
The majority of the Alaska points came in the paint where they scored 52 counters.  They also controlled the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 47-24 with 14 offensive rebounds, leading to 20 second chance points.
 
Jacobs led the Wildcats with 17 points and six assists on 7 of 11 shooting.  Terry Dawn had his best scoring output of the year adding 15 points, all of which coming from long range.  Joseph Stroud also scored in double figures for the Wildcats adding 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
 
The Wildcats committed just eight turnovers on the evening, but could not stop the Nanooks' attack as they shot 53.2 percent from the field and converted on 20 of 24 shots from the free throw line.
 
 
Travante Williams, who scored 19 points and hauled down 11 rebounds, led Alaska.  Bangaly Kaba also added 19 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Wildcats wrap up their 2015-16 regular season this Saturday, Feb. 27 when they host Alaska Anchorage at 7:30 p.m. inside Nicholson Pavilion.  Saturday will also be senior night as the Wildcats say farewell to five outgoing seniors on their roster.