NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball used a huge third quarter to rally back from a 10-point halftime deficit and hold on late with a 61-59 win over Central Washington on Saturday afternoon.
How It Happened
- The Nighthawks and Wildcats went back and forth over the first quarter, with CWU taking a two-point advantage, 15-13, after one.
- Central pulled away a bit in the second quarter, outscoring the Nighthawks by eight to take a 33-23 lead at the break.
- After the Wildcats scored the first basket of the third quarter, NNU went on to a 22-9 run over the rest of the period. It included a 13-0 run between the 5:12 mark and 40 seconds remaining in the quarter, capped by a triple from Teagan Thurman.
- The lead changed hands a few times early in the fourth, until a three from Nyalam Thabach and a Clare Eubanks layup put NNU up six, 54-48, with 6:10 to go.
- The Wildcats cut the deficit all the way down to one, 60-59, with 10 seconds to play, but NNU converted one of two free throws and CWU missed their attempt at the buzzer as the Nighthawks held on for the win.
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU improves to 2-1 in GNAC play and 6-3 overall, while Central falls to 1-2 in conference play and 5-4 on the year.
- With the win, head coach Steve Steele is now just two wins away from 100 in his NNU career.
- NNU has now defeated CWU six times in a row dating back to the 2017-18 season.
- Three Nighthawks were in double figures, led by 13 points and eight rebounds from Thabach and a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards from Thurman.
- Erin Jenkins also tallied 11 points and seven rebounds along with two steals.
- Central's Samantha Bowman had a great game to lead the Wildcats' effort, scoring 29 points and recording 16 rebounds, five steals, and three blocks in the defeat.
- Rebounds were even at 37 apiece, but NNU held a 13-7 advantage on the offensive glass that led to eight second-chance points.
- NNU's bench vastly outperformed CWU's at a 23-3 margin.
Next Up
The Nighthawks will play one more game before the holiday break, hosting non-conference opponent Lincoln University (CA) on Friday, Dec. 17 in the Johnson Sports Center at 7:00 p.m.
