NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball upset the No. 6/8 team in the nation on Thursday night, defeating Western Washington 77-70 in a thrilling overtime classic.
How It Happened
The Nighthawks and Vikings battled close over the course of the first quarter, with the lead exchanging hands multiple times before WWU took a 19-17 advantage at the end of the period.
WWU extended that lead in the second quarter, pulling ahead for a six-point advantage, 37-31, at the break.
The Vikings led by as much as 12 in the third quarter, but a 7-0 run by the Nighthawks brought the deficit back down to five, 52-47, going into the final 10 minutes. WWU quickly extended their lead back up to 10, but NNU just kept chipping away and eventually a
Jordan Pinson jumper brought the Nighthawks within two, 62-60, with 1:34 remaining.
The Vikings still led by four and had the ball with under a minute to play, but Pinson came up huge with a steal and fast-break layup on the other end to cut it to two with 48 seconds to go in regulation.
After WWU went 1-2 from the line to build the lead back to three, the Nighthawks had a chance to tie but missed a triple. WWU then missed both free throws on their ensuing possession, giving the Nighthawks another shot with just four seconds remaining. NNU got the ball to
Cami Knishka, who rose up for a game-tying three-point attempt and got fouled with just .7 seconds left. She calmly stepped up and drained all three free throws, sending the game to overtime tied at 65.
In extra time, Knishka promptly stepped up and drilled a three on NNU's first possession. WWU countered with a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game, and then neither team would score for the next three minutes of game time.
NNU finally broke the drought with 1:35 to go as
Nyalam Thabach scored off a wild, falling out of bounds assist from Knishka. A free throw and another Thabach layup later, NNU had pulled ahead by six, 73-67, with 50 seconds to play.
Knishka then sealed it, going 4-4 from the free throw line the rest of the way as the Nighthawks took the seven-point thrilling win.
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU improves to 13-6 overall and 7-4 in GNAC play with the victory as the dealt WWU just their second loss of the season.
- Thabach led NNU with 17 points and seven rebounds, shooting 8-13 from the field.
- Knishka finished with 16 points and three assists, the majority of which came in the final moments of regulation and overtime.
- Erin Jenkins had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Jordan Pinson was also in double figures with 11 points, four assists, and five steals.
- NNU forced a whopping 28 WWU turnovers and committed just 14 of their own.
- The Nighthawks picked up 15 steals as a team, and outpaced the Vikings 7-0 on the break.
Next Up
The Nighthawks will be back home in the Johnson Sports Center on Saturday, hosting Simon Fraser at 7:30 p.m.
