FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Crusaders bid to be the first team other than the Nanooks to win in Fairbanks came up just short Saturday night.

Redshirt freshman Derek Isaak scored a career-high 24 points, but it wasn't enough for Northwest Nazarene as the Crusaders fell 79-69 at Alaska Fairbanks in Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball.

"It was a hard-fought contest, a two possession game with two minutes to go and we just came up a little short," NNU coach Dave Daniels said.

The Crusaders (5-10 overall, 3-4 GNAC) erased a 10-point deficit in the first half, tying the score at 30-30 with 5 minutes left in the opening session on a Michael Loomis 3-point play.

UAF (10-5, 5-2) – which improved to 8-0 on its home court – stretched its lead to 50-40 on a Joe Slocum 3-pointer in the second half before the Crusaders again made a charge, closing to 55-54 back on a Pol Oliver triple with 12:44 left in the game.

A missed free throw cost NNU the chance to tie the score once again, and after a Kevin Rima bucket with 11:52 left made it 57-56, the Crusaders went through a brief 0-of-3 shooting slump that allowed UAF to stretch the lead to 63-56.

The Crusaders never got within a possession again, despite Isaak hitting 8-of-14 3-pointers, and a 19-point effort by Loomis.

"Michael and Derek were outstanding offensively," Daniels said, adding "we really missed Grayson (Moore) on the defensive end and on the boards."

Moore missed the game after spraining his ankle Thursday in the Crusaders game at Alaska Anchorage.

Missing Moore hurt as the Nanooks outrebounded NNU 34-30 and UAF shot 29-of-55 (52.7 percent) from the field.

Senior guard Mario Donaldson, who missed Thursday's game at UAA, did return to the lineup Saturday for NNU, though, and contributed four points, two assists and a rebound.

"I couldn't be prouder of how this group continues to stick together and continues to fight," Daniels added.

Fairbanks product, Rima, also added 10 points and nine rebounds in his return home for NNU, which next hosts Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

Stefan Tica led the Nanooks with 20 points and Andrew Kelly added 16 points and 12 rebounds.