Box Score

SEATTLE, Wash. — Sometimes life has a way of putting the outcome of a game into perspective.

The outcome wasn't what the Crusaders hoped for Thursday night in Seattle, especially not with the Northwest Nazarene women's basketball team playing in front of Mason Nettleton, who was routing them on.

Playing for Mason, the Crusaders gave their all but just couldn't come up with their second upset this season, falling 81-65 to host and 12^th-ranked Seattle Pacific in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

"Aside from the outcome, it was a very special day and trip to Seattle, spending time with little Mason and his family," NNU head women's basketball coach Ryan Bragdon said. "As a team we learned a lot about life and real adversity."

Mason, the son of Briana Nettleton who played college basketball with NNU assistant women's basketball coach Elpidia Allen, is battling kidney cancer.

The Crusaders honored him with their effort, a strong outing against one of the best team's in the country.

Early on, NNU (4-12, 2-5 GNAC) hung right with the Falcons as Taylor Simmons tied it, 27-27, with a free throw.

And after trailing by eight points at the break, the Crusaders closed to 45-39 back on a Kate Cryderman 3-pointer with 16 minutes to play.

Then the Falcons (13-1, 5-1) pulled away, breaking the game open with a 9-0 run.

The Crusaders managed to get as close as 56-47 down on a Lexi Tubbs free throw, but never managed to get closer.

"Tonight we lost to a very good SPU team because in games like this, we need to do all the little things right that it takes to beat a team like SPU on the road," Bragdon said.

"They beat us to those 50-50 loose balls, we gave up big offensive rebounds that hurt us at critical moments, we turned the ball over way too much in the first half, we missed free throws, and we didn't execute as well as we are capable offensively."

Still, there were some bright spots on the night for the Crusaders, who against a nationally-ranked team turned in a solid defensive effort, holding the Falcons to 42.4 percent (25-of-59) shooting, and nearly won the rebounding battle, falling just 38-34 on the boards.

"I think we were better in a lot of ways defensively, but continue to find ways to hurt ourselves deep into possessions," said Bragdon, whose team looks to bounce back when the Crusaders play at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

Simmons led the way for NNU with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Cierra White scored 11 and grabbed eight boards and Cryderman added 10 points.