NAMPA, Idaho – The Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team got back into the win column Thursday with an 82-73 victory against last-place Concordia in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

While the win was nice, the process wasn't exactly what head coach Paul Rush was looking for.

The Nighthawks (12-3 overall, 7-2 GNAC) came out flat and struggled offensively all night, possibly because they have a date with the other second place GNAC team in Western Oregon on Saturday.

"Our goal is to consistently get better and tonight we didn't get better," Rush said. "That is the most frustrating part. We didn't get better to get ready for Western Oregon."

NNU trailed by as many as nine in the first half, taking their first lead at 29-28 with 5 minutes, 22 seconds remaining. The teams went into halftime tied at 35-35.

"The last seven minutes of the first half we really started defending and started to get back to who we are on the defensive end," Rush said. "Offensively, we were never back to our normal self."

The game remained close throughout the second half until NNU closed on a 14-6 run over the final 5:32.

Sam Roth kicked it off with a layup, Obi Megwa hit two layups and a jumper, Jalen Burkett had a layup and Adonis Arms closed it out with four free throws.

"We did show some toughness down the stretch," Rush said. "Not turning the ball over and getting a couple of stops defensively when we needed to.

"I was encouraged with the guys being aggressive, getting to the basket and getting inside-outside looks. I think that kept us in the game because it was kind of a disjointed night."

Megwa scored a team-high 19 points with five rebounds, while Arms added 18 points and six rebounds and Jayden Bezzant had 14 points returning from injury. Bezzant missed both games in Alaska with an ankle injury.

James Nelson and Olamilekan Adetunji each had eight points and Roth had six points and five rebounds.

Jarrett Gray had a game-high 20 points for the Cavaliers (6-11, 1-8).

The Nighthawks host Western Oregon at 7 p.m. Saturday. The teams are tied for second place, a game behind Saint Martin's as the first half of league play will come to an end.