NAMPA, Idaho — Northwest Nazarene men's basketball delivered one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season Thursday night, shooting over 62 percent from the field and pulling away late to secure an 83–71 home victory over Western Oregon in GNAC play. The win marked another strong showing inside the Johnson Sports Center as the Nighthawks used balanced scoring, disciplined ball movement, and timely defensive stops to close out the Wolves.
The opening half was tightly contested from the tip, featuring six ties and frequent lead changes as both teams traded punches.
Garrett Hawkes set the tone early for NNU, knocking down a pair of three-pointers and jumpstarting the offense.
Easton Reagan consistently attacked the rim and found success at the free-throw line, while
Kyelin King provided a spark off the bench with aggressive drives and finishes in the paint. Despite stretches of strong shooting from the Nighthawks, Western Oregon stayed close behind timely threes and second-chance opportunities, taking a narrow 37–36 lead into halftime.
Northwest Nazarene flipped the momentum early in the second half with an 8–2 run highlighted by a Reagan three-pointer and a
Briggs Ranstrom finish inside to regain the lead. From there, the Nighthawks began to separate by sharing the ball and capitalizing in transition.
Reagan continued to lead the charge, scoring from all three levels and finishing with a game-high 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while going 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Hawkes added 17 points, connecting on four three-pointers and dishing out three assists, while
Jaden Byers chipped in 12 points, four assists, and four rebounds.
The interior presence of
Michael Day proved critical down the stretch, as he finished a perfect 2-for-2 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out four assists, and recorded two blocks to anchor the defense. King was a major factor off the bench, pouring in 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a flawless 6-of-6 at the line, helping NNU extend its lead to double digits midway through the half.
Western Oregon attempted to rally late, but Northwest Nazarene responded with poise, closing the game at the line and limiting clean looks defensively. NNU finished the night shooting 62.8 percent overall, 44.4 percent from three, and 87.5 percent from the stripe, while outscoring the Wolves 38–26 in the paint and recording 14 fast-break points. The bench contributed 22 points, underscoring the depth and balance of the Nighthawk attack.
The Nighthawks advance to 12-5 on the season and 6-2 in GNAC conference play. NNU remains second on the GNAC table only behind Saint Martins who are a perfect 8-0 in conference play. The Nighthawks look to continue this run and make it a winning streak on Saturday as they host the Saint Martins Saints here on home court on the 24th.
