Boxscore

NAMPA, Idaho - Extending their season-high winning streak to six, the Northwest Nazarene University men's basketball team closed out the regular season with an 81-75 victory over Saint Martin's University on Thursday night at the Johnson Sports Center.  The win earned the Crusaders the fifth seed in the GNAC post-season tournament.

 

NNU, now 14-11 overall and 10-8 in GNAC play, will play at fourth-seeded Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., on Monday night.  The game will be carried live on AM 950 KNJY in the Treasure Valley and also with live video-streaming on the web on GNAC-TV.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. PT / 8:30 p.m. MT.

 

Darious Walker led a group of five Crusaders into double-figures, scoring 18 and grabbing five rebounds.  Paul Egwuonwu added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Brian Barkdoll scored 13.  Drew Eisinger chipped in with 11 and Lateef Williams scored 10.

 

The Saints (14-14, 7-11 GNAC) were led by Jeremy Green with a game-high 22, while Blake Poole added the games only double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, with nine rebounds coming on the offensive end.

 

The Crusaders shot 61.2-percent (30-49) from the floor and held the Saints to just 40.6-percent (28-69) shooting, overcoming an SMU edge on the glass as the Saints out-rebounded NNU 36 to 30.  SMU committed only five turnovers against 12 assists, while the Crusaders had 13 turnovers and 14 assists.

 

Saint Martin's enters the post-season tournament as the seventh seed and will travel to #2 Alaska Anchorage for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in Anchorage on Monday evening.

NNU head coach Tim Hills, who will retire at the end of the season, recorded his 644th career victory tonight and will finish his 38-year collegiate basketball coaching career with a winning record at all five programs that have been under his direction.