BILLINGS, Mont. – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball couldn't hang on in the end of their GNAC opener, falling to a furious Montana State Billings comeback 71-67 on Thursday night.
How It Happened
- NNU opened the game strong, jumping out to a 24-12 lead after the first quarter, with Nyalam Thabach scoring half of the team's points with six layups.
- The Nighthawks maintained that lead over the next two periods, closing out the third quarter with an 11-point advantage, 51-40.
- The Yellowjackets caught fire in the final period, however, shooting 70% (7-10) from the field and a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc to rally for 31 points and stun NNU 71-64.
- NNU had a chance to tie with three seconds left, trailing by three and inbounding from half court, but the Nighthawks were unable to get the ball inbounds for a five-second violation that ultimately ended the game.
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU's four-game win streak was snapped as they fall to 4-3 on the year and 0-1 in GNAC play.
- The Nighthawks shot a decent 43% from the field, outpacing MSUB's 40%, but a 35% mark from deep was below the Yellowjackets' 47%.
- NNU led for 78.9% of the game, with a 15-point advantage at the 9:52 mark of the third quarter standing as their largest advantage.
- Thabach scored a season-best 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
- Jordan Pinson was next with 12 points, including three triples, along with four assists.
- Teagan Thurman was the other Nighthawk in double figures with 11 points and six boards.
- Lydia Nieto and Cami Knishka each had five assists for NNU.
Next Up
The Nighthawks continue their GNAC-opening road swing this Saturday in Seattle, taking on Seattle Pacific at 2:00 p.m. Pacific.
