NAMPA, Idaho – Junior guard Megan Hingston matched her career-high with 32 points to lead the Northwest Nazarene women's basketball team to an 82-67 victory over Seattle Pacific in the final regular-season Great Northwest Athletic Conference game of the year tonight at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa.

The Crusaders (19-7, 11-7 GNAC), who are ranked 7^th in this week's NCAA West Regional poll, have earned the fifth seed in the GNAC Tournament and will face fourth-seeded Alaska Anchorage at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the first round of the GNAC Basketball Championships in Lacey, Wash. on the campus of Saint Martin's University.  

“I am so proud of the effort and focus the ladies came out with tonight,” commented NNU head coach Kelli Lindley. “On her senior night, Heather was awesome once again, dishing out seven assists and setting the tone on defense.” Adams scored 14 points and added three steals to her stat line in her final appearance on her home court in Nampa.

Red-hot and defending well, the Crusaders shot 51.4-percent (18 for 35) in the first half and held the Falcons (16-10, 10-8 GNAC) to just 23.8-percent (5 for 21) from the floor in taking a 40-22 lead into the locker room.

Joining Hingston and Adams in double-figures were Chelsie Luke with 15 and Veronika Skokankova with 10.

“Megan was incredible offensively,” Lindley added.  “She hit some really tough shots and played very smart.” Hingston, who leads the GNAC in scoring at 18.9 points per game, also finished with a team-high eight rebounds and had five assists.

Leading by as many as 22 in the second-half, the Crusaders cruised home with the win, shooting 53.6-percent (15 for 28) in the second-half and finished at 33 for 63 (52.4-percent) for the game.

Katie Benson led Seattle Pacific with 26 and Aubree Callen chipped in 11.

The Falcons out-rebounded the Crusaders 37-28, but committed 26 turnovers against only 13 for the Crusaders.