NAMPA, Idaho - The Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team heads to California this weekend for the San Francisco State Tip-Off Classic, where the Nighthawks will face Fresno Pacific and host San Francisco State in their first two road contests of the 2026-27 season.
NNU opens the weekend against Fresno Pacific on Friday, Nov. 13, at 3 PM PT before taking on San Francisco State on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4:15 PM PT. Both games will be played at the San Francisco Federal Credit Union Gymnasium at Don Nasser Family Plaza.
The Nighthawks
Northwest Nazarene enters the weekend with a 1-0 record after defeating College of Idaho 90-86 in the United Heritage Mayors' Cup on Tuesday. The victory marked the Nighthawks' third consecutive win over the Yotes.
Nick Corbett led NNU with a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double while adding seven assists and two steals. Briggs Ranstrom followed with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Ethan Berninger added 17 and Andrew King chipped in 15. Jayden Smoot contributed 11 points to give the Nighthawks five players in double figures.
NNU used a 13-2 first-half run to build an 11-point advantage before taking a 47-41 lead into halftime. College of Idaho battled back to take a five-point lead early in the second half, but the Nighthawks responded with timely baskets down the stretch to secure the four-point victory.
The Nighthawks held a 37-24 rebounding advantage, including a 15-1 edge on the offensive glass. NNU converted those opportunities into 26 second-chance points while holding the Yotes to just two. Northwest Nazarene also outscored College of Idaho 40-34 in the paint and converted 27 of its 36 free-throw attempts.
Corbett has recorded double-doubles in both of NNU's contests this season, including the Homecoming exhibition against Walla Walla, when he finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Nighthawks defeated the Wolves 85-54 before opening their regular-season schedule against College of Idaho.
Northwest Nazarene enters the season following back-to-back NCAA West Regional appearances. The Nighthawks were picked third in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll with three first-place votes and 80 points.
The Sunbirds
Fresno Pacific enters Friday with an 0-1 record after falling 77-61 at Biola on Monday in its regular-season opener. The Sunbirds erased a 12-point second-half deficit to tie the game at 53 before Biola pulled away in the closing minutes.
Hugo Gonzalez Garcia led Fresno Pacific with 14 points and six rebounds, while Nick Davidson and Logan Kilbert each contributed 10 points. Davidson also recorded six rebounds and a team-high five assists, while Kilbert added three steals and two three-pointers.
Jaden Geron finished with nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. Fresno Pacific trailed by just four at halftime and used an 11-0 second-half run to close the gap before the Eagles regained control.
The Sunbirds also played an exhibition against Division I Fresno State on Nov. 2, falling 88-79 after trailing by just three points at halftime. Davidson scored 17 points in the contest, while Brandon Gibson Jr. added 16.
Fresno Pacific enters its first season as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association after moving from the PacWest Conference. The Sunbirds finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 14-15 overall record and a 13-9 mark in PacWest play, tying for third in the conference standings.
Head coach Daniel Dyck leads a roster featuring returning contributors and several newcomers, including Davidson, Geron, and Kilbert.
All-time vs Fresno Pacific
Friday's matchup will be the first recorded meeting between Northwest Nazarene and Fresno Pacific in men's basketball, according to NNU's official series history.
The Gators
San Francisco State enters the weekend with a 1-0 record following an 89-57 victory over Lincoln on Monday in its regular-season opener.
The Gators overcame a competitive first half before pulling away in the final 20 minutes, outscoring Lincoln 44-24 after halftime.
James Moore led San Francisco State with 20 points off the bench, while Achilles Woodson added 16. Bryce Buchanan contributed 12 points and nine rebounds, while Bricen Buciak finished with 10 points. Markees Williams directed the offense with a team-high seven assists.
San Francisco State shot 44.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range in the victory. The Gators dominated the glass with a 51-34 rebounding advantage, including 16 offensive rebounds, while recording 14 steals and forcing 21 turnovers.
The Gators also received 45 points from their bench and outscored Lincoln 44-18 in the paint.
Before opening the regular season, San Francisco State played a pair of Division I exhibitions, falling 89-56 at San Francisco and 85-55 at UC Santa Barbara.
San Francisco State will face Simon Fraser on Friday evening before taking on the Nighthawks in Saturday's tournament finale.
All-time vs San Francisco State
Northwest Nazarene trails San Francisco State 0-3 in the all-time series, with the teams first meeting on Nov. 22, 2008, when the Gators earned an 87-73 victory in Sonoma, California.
The programs met again in San Francisco on Dec. 18, 2015, with the Gators winning 81-50. Their most recent matchup came on Nov. 18, 2017, in Nampa, where San Francisco State defeated NNU 92-75.
Saturday's contest will be the first meeting between the programs in nine years, with the Nighthawks looking for their first victory in the series.
San Francisco State Tip-Off Classic
The two-day tournament features Northwest Nazarene, Fresno Pacific, Simon Fraser, and host San Francisco State.
Friday's schedule begins with NNU facing Fresno Pacific at 3 PM PT, followed by San Francisco State taking on Simon Fraser at 5:15 PM PT.
Saturday's action opens with Fresno Pacific against Simon Fraser at 2 PM PT before Northwest Nazarene and San Francisco State close the tournament at 4:15 PM PT.
Looking Ahead
Following the weekend in San Francisco, the Nighthawks will return to Idaho for the second meeting of the United Heritage Mayors' Cup against College of Idaho on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 PM in Caldwell.
NNU will then return home to host Cal Poly Humboldt and Adams State in the NNU Tournament on Nov. 20-21.
