NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball opened the 2021-22 season with a thriller on Saturday night, defeating Bushnell University 101-91 in overtime in front of a raucous Homecoming crowd.
How It Happened
- NNU came out strong, going up by 10, 19-9, at the 12-minute mark after a pair of free throws from James Nelson.
- The Beacons chipped away at the lead before halftime, though, and even took the lead momentarily on a three pointer that made it 40-38 with three minutes to go until the break.
- NNU took the advantage back just before halftime when a Tru Allen free throw made it 46-45 in favor of the Nighthawks.
- The Nighthawks came out strong again in the second half, building a 13-point lead at 61-48 with 14:17 to play.
- Again, however, the Beacons clawed back to tie things up late and send the game to overtime even at 83 after a Nelson three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.
- The home team would have their way in overtime, though, as NNU scored 11 of the first 13 points of the extra period to pull away for the win.
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU outrebounded Bushnell 46-36 in the contest and forced 17 Beacon turnovers.
- James Nelson led the Nighthawks with a double-double of 21 points and a career-best 12 rebounds, hitting nine free throws in the game while also notching two blocks.
- Kobe Terashima and Tru Allen both had 19 points, with Terashima also notching 10 assists for a double-double. Allen's point total was a new career high for the sophomore.
- Christian Rose tallied a career-high 15 points to round out four double-figure scorers for NNU.
- Gabriel Murphy pulled down a career-high 12 boards to go along with five points.
- George Reidy had eight points in just 12 minutes, as he was relegated to the bench for most of the game due to foul trouble.
Up Next
NNU will now set their sights on the renewed Mayors' Cup rivalry, as they head to College of Idaho on Wednesday night for an exhibition against the Yotes.
