BILLINGS, Mont. — Northwest Nazarene put together a gritty offensive effort Thursday night but came up just short on the road, falling 82–87 to Montana State Billings in a hard-fought GNAC matchup. The Nighthawks were led by a historic scoring night from
Easton Reagan, but late free throws and key possessions swung the outcome in favor of the home team.
The opening half was tightly contested and physical from the tip, with both teams trading baskets and battling on the glass. Reagan quickly found his rhythm for NNU, scoring from all three levels and keeping the offense moving through aggressive drives and perimeter shooting.
Michael Day provided a steady interior presence, finishing efficiently around the rim and controlling rebounds in traffic.
Briggs Ranstrom impacted the game defensively, collecting rebounds and forcing turnovers to limit second-chance opportunities.
Northwest Nazarene began to find offensive flow midway through the half as
Garrett Hawkes knocked down shots from deep and facilitated the offense. Hawkes finished the night with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including four three-pointers, while adding five rebounds and five assists.
RJ Chatman played a key role as a distributor, recording six assists to help keep the Nighthawks' offense balanced. Despite multiple scoring runs, Montana State Billings stayed within reach, and the teams entered halftime separated by just a few possessions.
The second half featured extended runs by both sides as momentum swung back and forth. Reagan continued to carry the offensive load, finishing with a career game-high 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including six three-pointers, while adding seven rebounds and converting seven free throws.
Aaron Murphy added timely buckets inside, finishing with four points, while
Kyelin King provided energy off the bench with six points and two rebounds.
As the game tightened in the final minutes, NNU continued to battle. Hawkes knocked down a three-pointer, and Day added a late dunk to keep the Nighthawks within striking distance. Day finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and a block, while Ranstrom contributed three points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes of action.
Jaden Byers added four points and three rebounds while defending multiple positions throughout the night.
Ultimately, Montana State Billings capitalized at the free-throw line late and secured critical rebounds in the closing moments to maintain its advantage. Northwest Nazarene's late push fell just short as the final horn sounded, sealing the 82–87 result.
Despite the loss, NNU's effort was highlighted by Reagan's standout performance and a collective willingness to compete for 40 minutes in a hostile road environment. Northwest Nazarene will look to regroup and build on the positives from the performance as conference play continues on Saturday at Seattle Pacific, as tip off is at 2pm Pacific.
