Boxscore

NAMPA, Idaho - Kendall Gielow scored a career-high 24 points to power the Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team past Western Oregon University on Saturday afternoon in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa.

 

Gielow led a group of five Crusaders into double-figures as Brian Barkdoll scored 18 and earned the game's only double-double with a career-best 11 rebounds.  Joel Ryman hit on five-of-nine three pointers to add 15 and both Louie Beech and Tyler Roberts scored 10.

 

NNU improves to 10-4 overall and 2-2 in GNAC play and will travel to Seattle Pacific (1/21) and Montana State Billings (1/24) next week for GNAC counters.  WOU falls to 7-7 overall and 1-2 in league play.

 

Blair Wheadon led the Wolves with 23 points and three assists, while Travis Kuhns scored 15 and both Stanley Ratcliff and Sam Kelly had 14.

 

The Crusaders shot 52.9-percent (36-68) from the floor and out rebounded WOU 38-31 as Gielow picked up eight rebounds and Anthony Golden came off the bench to score nine and hustle for five boards.

 

NNU led 45-38 at the half, but the Wolves would open the second frame strong, cutting the lead to three after a Kelly three-pointer made it 55-52 with 15:22 to play. 

 

The Crusaders would answer, scoring eight straight points with Gielow getting a jumper and Ryman draining back-to-back three's to push the lead back to 11.  NNU would finish the decisive run at 15-4 as Matt Mgebroff finished in the paint to make it 70-55 with 10:28 left.  NNU would lead by as many as 19 on the way to the home court victory.