NAMPA, Idaho – The Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) Women's Basketball team delivered a strong performance at home on Thursday, February 20, defeating the Saint Martin's Saints 77-70. With this win, the Nighthawks improve to 9-7 in GNAC play and 15-10 overall.
NNU also clinches a berth in the GNAC Championships tournament for the first time since the 2021-22 season. Seeding will be decided over the final two weekends of the regular season, with the tournament held March 6-8 in Lacey, Washington.
The game opened as a defensive battle, with both teams locked at 2-0 for the first four minutes of play. The Nighthawks set the tone early, forcing 10 turnovers in the first quarter while tallying six steals. Key three-pointers from Kate Clark and Madeline Gebers helped NNU close the period with a 17-9 lead.
Saint Martin's fought back in the second quarter, closing the gap to just one point after a jumper by Madelyn Brown at the four-minute mark. However, the Nighthawks responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Gebers, capitalizing on untimely Saints turnovers. NNU entered halftime ahead 36-31.
Gebers continued her dominance in the third quarter, answering a three-pointer from Saint Martin's Jade Travis with one of her own at the 6:30 mark. Just 30 seconds later, she sank another three, extending NNU's lead to 48-38. As the Nighthawks' advantage grew, SMU struggled with fouls, allowing NNU to capitalize with an impressive 81% shooting from the free-throw line. By the end of the quarter, the Nighthawks held a commanding 63-48 lead.
Despite being outscored 22-14 in the fourth quarter, NNU's rebounding and previously built lead secured the win. The final buzzer sounded with the Nighthawks on top, 77-70.
Stat Leaders
The Nighthawks will continue to compete at home on Saturday the 22nd as they face off with Western Oregon. The game will be at 5:15 pm in the Johnson Sports Center.
