NAMPA, Idaho - Four Crusaders reached double-figures as the Northwest Nazarene University men's basketball team defeated the University of Alaska Fairbanks 77-60 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game on Saturday night in Nampa.

 

Joel Ryman led the quartet with a game-high 19 points off the bench, going four-of-eight from the three-point line and hitting on seven-of-eight free throws.  Justin Parnell scored 18, on five-of-eight shooting from the arc, while Kendall Gielow had 13 and Scott Helpenstell added the games only double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

 

The Crusaders improve to 17-8 overall, 9-7 in GNAC play, and tie the NNU record for wins in a season since the Crusaders transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division II.  The 2004-05 Crusader squad finished the season 17-10.

 

The Nanooks (5-20, 2-14 GNAC) were led by Colin Matteson who matched NNU's Ryman with 19 points.  Travis Pew joined Matteson in double-figures with 11.

 

NNU out-rebounded UAF 32-18 and shot 51.1-percent (24-47) from the floor, including a 55.6-percent (10-18) mark from the three-point line.  The Crusaders were 19-for-23 from the free throw line, while UAF finished nine-of-13.

 

Tyler Roberts finished with a game-high eight assists and scored seven points.

 

UAF shot 45.8-percent (22-48) from the floor and 41.2-percent (7-17) from the three-point line, however, all seven treys come in the first half.

 

The Crusaders will finish the regular season on the road next weekend, traveling to Central Washington on Thursday and Western Washington next Saturday night.  Both games will tip-off at 8 p.m. MST and can be heard live on AM 950 in the Treasure Valley.

 

Newspaper Box Score
Alaska Fairbanks vs Northwest Nazarene
3/1/08 7pm at Nampa,Id
At Nampa,Id
NORTHWEST NAZARENE 77, ALASKA FAIRBANKS 60
ALASKA FAIRBANKS (2-14 GNAC, 5-20)
Matteson,Colin 6-15 5-7 19; Pew,Travis 4-6 1-2 11; Titus,Mike 3-4 0-0 7;
Campbell,Keven 2-4 1-2 6; Pico,Bobby 1-3 2-2 4; Anderson,Michael 2-4 0-0 4;
Atkins,Kevin 2-4 0-0 4; Begojevic,Mladen 1-2 0-0 3; Maynard,Nashorn 1-5 0-0
2; Cannamore,David 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-48 9-13 60.
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (9-7 GNAC, 17-8)
Ryman,Joel 4-9 7-8 19; Parnell,Justin 5-9 3-4 18; Gielow,Kendall 6-11 1-1
13; Helpenstell,Scott 4-6 4-6 12; Roberts,Tyler 2-3 2-2 7; Barkdoll,Brian
1-2 0-0 2; Simmons,Jason 1-2 0-0 2; Shildmyer,Adam 1-3 0-0 2;
McGovert,Morgan 0-1 0-0 0; Mgebroff,Matt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-47 19-23 77.
Alaska Fairbanks..............   37   23  -   60
Northwest Nazarene............   42   35  -   77
3-point goals-Alaska Fairbanks 7-17 (Matteson,Colin 2-7; Pew,Travis 2-4;
Begojevic,Mladen 1-1; Titus,Mike 1-2; Campbell,Keven 1-1; Cannamore,David
0-1; Pico,Bobby 0-1), Northwest Nazarene 10-18 (Parnell,Justin 5-8;
Ryman,Joel 4-8; Roberts,Tyler 1-1; Gielow,Kendall 0-1). Fouled out--Alaska
Fairbanks-None, Northwest Nazarene-None. Rebounds-Alaska Fairbanks 18
(Maynard,Nashorn 4), Northwest Nazarene 32 (Helpenstell,Scott 10).
Assists-Alaska Fairbanks 11 (Campbell,Keven 4), Northwest Nazarene 16
(Roberts,Tyler 8). Total fouls-Alaska Fairbanks 21, Northwest Nazarene 11.
A-1052