CALDWELL, Idaho – This game may have said exhibition the schedule, but it certainly didn't feel like it Tuesday.

The Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team lost 86-82 in a double overtime thriller to cross-county rival College of Idaho in the first part of the United Heritage Insurance Mayors Cup in Caldwell.

"This is so far from an exhibition game," NNU coach Paul Rush said. "This is one of the biggest games we play all year. It's televised, crowds like that … we don't try to downplay this. We hype it up."

It was just the third double overtime in the 205 contests between the schools. College of Idaho won 125-117 in 1985 and NNU won 98-89 in 1996.

Tuesday's game featured big shots, stifling defense and wild crowds for both teams.

NNU (1-0 overall) took an 80-78 lead early in the second overtime on two free throws by Obi Megwa. Gibson Berryhill then hit a 3-pointer for the Coyotes. Adonis Arms split a pair of free throws to tie the game up, but Talon Pinckney hit a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to put the Coyotes up 84-81.

Arms then split another pair of free throws to make it 84-82. After a free throw at the other end, the Nighthawks had three chances to tie but couldn't get a shot to go down.

"It was a great game until the last second," Rush said. "This one goes down as another great, fun game. Fun to be a part of, though not fun to be on this side of it."

Early on no one on the Nighthawks was having any fun.

The Coyotes (7-0) came out hot early, jumping out to a 24-5 lead. The Nighthawks struggled with the zone defense employed by the Coyotes.

College of Idaho eventually took a 42-26 lead into halftime and it certainly didn't seem like much was going to change.

The Nighthawks came out with much better defensive intensity after the break and offensively they put Arms in the high post where he was able to use his athleticism and length to break down the defense.

NNU opened the half on a 15-4 run to pull within 46-41 with 15 minutes, 22 seconds left in the game. Suddenly the big Coyotes crowd was silent and a large contingent of Nighthawks fans was going crazy.

The Nighthawks took their first lead with 6:47 left as Olamilekan Adetunji made a layup for a 59-58 lead. NNU led by as many as five with less than five minutes to go.

After Berryhill hit a jumper with 36 seconds left for a 67-65 lead, Arms made a pair of free throws to force overtime.

In the first overtime, the Coyotes jumped out to a 72-67 lead on a monster alley oop, but Adalberto Diaz answered with a quick 3-pointer. NNU eventually tied it back up at 78-78 on a three-point play by Arms.

NNU had the ball with 1.8 seconds left and a chance to win, but couldn't get a clean inbounds pass setting up the loss in the second overtime.

 "It starts with defense, that is the main thing," NNU's Obi Megwa said of not having another slow start. "I'm glad this is the second game of the season and it is something we can learn from and move on. But we'll see them next Tuesday for sure."

Arms finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Diaz had 12 points and four rebounds, Megwa had nine points and five assists before fouling out and Jayden Bezzant had nine points and five rebounds. Adetunji had six points and seven rebounds, providing solid post defense as well.

Nate Bruneel's 18 points led five Coyotes in double figures.

The two teams play at 7:07 p.m. Tuesday at NNU.