NAMPA, Idaho - The Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team defeated College of Idaho in the first Mayor's Cup of the season on a 90-86 decision in front of a packed house.Â
Nick Corbett led the Nighthawks with a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double, adding seven assists and two steals. Briggs Ranstrom followed with 18 points, while Ethan Berninger added 17 and Andrew King chipped in 15.
The opening half featured a back-and-forth battle before NNU began to create separation midway through the period. With the score tied at 20, the Nighthawks used a 13-2 run to build a 33-22 advantage with 7:47 remaining. Berninger helped fuel the surge, knocking down a three-pointer and converting a pair of layups.
College of Idaho responded behind Dougie Peoples, who scored 36 points on the night, but the Nighthawks maintained their advantage and entered halftime leading 47-41.
NNU opened the second half with a three-pointer from Corbett to extend its lead to nine, but the Yotes quickly battled back. College of Idaho erased the deficit and eventually took a 62-57 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining.
The Nighthawks answered with timely baskets from Ranstrom and King, tying the contest at 64 before the teams continued trading blows. A three-pointer from CJ Richardson with 7:01 remaining put NNU back in front, 74-73, and Ranstrom followed with a layup and free throw to stretch the advantage to four.
NNU continued to make key plays down the stretch, including a Corbett tip-in with 3:34 remaining that pushed the lead to six. College of Idaho refused to go away, cutting the deficit to three in the final minute, but the Nighthawks held on to secure the four-point victory.
Despite the Yotes shooting 61.8 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from beyond the arc, NNU capitalized on its opportunities inside and at the free-throw line. The Nighthawks finished with a 37-24 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive boards that helped produce 26 second-chance points.
The victory marked a strong start to the season for the Nighthawks, who improved to 1-0 while defending their home floor in one of the Treasure Valley's biggest basketball rivalries.
By the Numbers:
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Nick Corbett recorded a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, adding seven assists and two steals.
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Briggs Ranstrom finished with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including two three-pointers, while grabbing six rebounds.
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Ethan Berninger scored 17 points, Andrew King added 15, and Jayden Smoot contributed 11 to give NNU five double-digit scorers.
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The Nighthawks outrebounded College of Idaho 37-24, including a 15-1 advantage on the offensive glass.
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NNU held a 26-2 advantage in second-chance points and outscored the Yotes 40-34 in the paint.
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The Nighthawks forced 13 turnovers and converted them into 19 points while committing just 10 turnovers themselves.
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NNU finished 27-of-36 (75.0 percent) from the free-throw line.
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A crowd of 3,267 attended the Mayor's Cup rivalry matchup at the Johnson Sports Center.
