PORTLAND, Ore. – The Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team escaped Concordia with a 79-78 overtime victory to keep its Great Northwest Athletic Conference title hopes alive.

Jayden Bezzant scored all eight points in overtime as the Nighthawks held off an emotional Cavaliers team that was honoring five seniors.

"There is some huge growth in our team tonight," NNU coach Paul Rush said. "From Adonis (Arms) overcoming a charge call at the end of regulation and keeping his head in the game to having a tough game Thursday and knowing we were coming into a hornet's nest tonight."

NNU led 71-66 with 2 minutes, 45 seconds left in the game after a James Nelson layup, but Concordia eventually got a 3-pointer with 56 seconds left and a tip-in with 24 seconds remaining.

Arms then took the ball baseline and was called for an offensive foul with 3.1 seconds to go. Concordia didn't get a shot off and the game headed to overtime.

In the extra session, Concordia jumped ahead 74-71 on a 3-pointer by senior Jarrett Gray. Bezzant answered with a jumper and a 3-pointer for a 76-74 lead.

After Concordia again tied it up, Bezzant had a layup and a free throw for a 79-76 lead. Concordia cut it to one and after Bezzant missed a 3-pointer Concordia turned the ball over. The Nighthawks ran out the shot clock without getting a shot off, but Concordia (9-17 overall, 4-14 GNAC) missed a desperation 3-pointer thanks to solid defense from Obi Megwa.

"Concordia has a scrappy group of seniors that plays the game really hard we knew coming in it was going to be a fight," Rush said. "They always play really hard at home and you add senior night to that list – those guys were going to go down swinging."

NNU (19-5, 14-4) took Concordia's best punch and lived to tell about it, setting up the biggest two home games since the school went to NCAA Division II in 2001.

The Nighthawks host Saint Martin's at 7 p.m. Thursday trailing the Saints by one game in the GNAC standings. NNU then hosts third-place Seattle Pacific at 7 p.m. Saturday. If they win both of those games they are guaranteed at least a split league title and the No. 1 seed to the conference tournament.