FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball suffered their first loss since November on Saturday night, falling at Alaska Fairbanks 71-62.
With their first GNAC defeat, the Nighthawks drop to 4-1 in conference play and 11-2 overall.
The loss also snaps NNU's eight-game win streak, with their only prior defeat coming against Westmont on Nov. 22.
Behind 11 quick points from
Kye Dickson, NNU jumped out to a 16-10 lead at the 13:14 mark of the first half. Of those 11 Dickson points, two were and-one conversions, and the run was capped by a deep triple.
UAF fought back and regained the lead temporarily, going up 19-18 with 10:23 to go. NNU responded with seven straight points to take back the lead, though, and a Biggie Bergersen three at the 4:48 mark gave the Nighthawks their biggest lead of the half of eight, 33-25.
The Nanooks went on a bit of a run to close the half, drawing within one before NNU took a three-point lead into the break at 38-35.
The teams traded blows to begin the second half, exchanging the lead a couple of times with neither team leading by more than three until a
Yaru Harvey layup put NNU up 52-48 at the 12:49 mark.
The Nighthawks couldn't build on that lead, though, and UAF was eventually able to use a late 14-0 run to go back in front and pull away for the win.
Dickson led the Nighthawks with 27 points and six rebounds.
Sullivan Menard had 11 points and
Yaru Harvey finished with 10.
Zane Foster and Biggie Bergersen each had eight rebounds to tie for the team lead.
NNU will be back home next week, hosting Montana State Billings on Thursday night and Seattle Pacific on Saturday night.
