NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball built a big first half lead and was able to withstand an Alaska Anchorage comeback as the Nighthawks defeated the Seawolves 70-66 on Thursday.
How It Happened
- The Nighthawks came out hot, scoring the first seven points and racing out to a 21-4 lead after eight minutes.
- UAA went on a quick 7-1 run to cut the deficit to 11, but NNU responded with eight unanswered, as a James Nelson triple made it 30-11 with 5:10 remaining before the half.
- The Nighthawks' lead extended as high as 20 over the rest of the half, but five Seawolf points just before the break sent NNU into halftime up 15, 38-23.
- As cold as Anchorage was from the floor in the opening half, they came out firing in the second as they quickly cut NNU's lead to seven, 42-35, at the 13:58 mark.
- The Nighthawks temporarily stopped the bleeding, but the Seawolves eventually cut the deficit all the way down to two with 8:48 to play.
- Julian Agosto then came off the bench to provide a spark, draining a triple and then sending a sweet assist to a George Reidy layup for a quick 5-0 run.
- UAA brought it back to within two again three minutes later, but NNU responded with another 5-0 run on a Nelson layup and Jaylen Fox three-pointer.
- From there, NNU was able to convert seven free throws to preserve the lead and take the four-point win.
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU improves to 5-4 in GNAC play with the win and 7-7 overall on the year.
- The Nighthawks have now defeated the GNAC leaders in two-straight games, as Saint Martin's was atop the standings before Tuesday's game and Anchorage rose above them after SMU fell to NNU.
- The Nighthawks have now won five-straight home games over the Seawolves and six of the last seven in the Johnson Sports Center.
- James Nelson led NNU with a near double-double of 19 points and nine rebounds, going 7-14 from the field and 3-5 from deep.
- George Reidy and Tru Allen were close behind in scoring with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
- Gabriel Murphy also added 10 rebounds in the win.
- NNU had a slight edge both from the field and from deep, outshooting UAA 42% to 40% overall and 30% to 28% from beyond the arc. The Nighthawks shot 54% in the first half but cooled off in the second period.
- Turnovers and points off turnovers were nearly even between the teams, but NNU was able to get out on the break more often with a 12-2 advantage in fast-break points.
Next Up
The Nighthawks round out their three-game homestand on Saturday with a matchup against Alaska Fairbanks at 5:15 p.m.
