Smoot's 25 Points Lift Nighthawks Past Sunbirds, 81-78

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Led by a game-high 25 points from Jayden Smoot, the Northwest Nazarene men's basketball team held off a late Fresno Pacific rally to earn an 81-78 victory Friday afternoon in San Francisco.

The Nighthawks improved to 2-0 on the young season, using a strong performance on the glass and timely shooting down the stretch to secure their second consecutive victory.

Smoot led the way with 25 points, knocking down three triples and going 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. Briggs Ranstrom added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Nick Corbett chipped in 12 points and six boards.

NNU opened the contest with five unanswered points, highlighted by an early three-pointer from Ranstrom. Fresno Pacific responded with a run of its own, eventually taking a 17-12 advantage midway through the opening half.

The Nighthawks battled back behind Smoot, who scored four straight points to even the contest at 19-19. A three-pointer from CJ Richardson gave NNU a 22-21 lead with under eight minutes remaining, and the two teams continued trading baskets.

With the score tied at 27, NNU began to create separation. A pair of free throws from Ethan Berninger and a transition layup from Ranstrom helped spark a run that eventually pushed the Nighthawks ahead by eight following another Ranstrom triple with 1:25 remaining.

Andrew King capped the opening period with a layup at the buzzer, sending NNU into the locker room with a 43-37 advantage.

Fresno Pacific continued to challenge the Nighthawks throughout the second half, cutting the deficit to three on multiple occasions. However, NNU consistently found answers to keep the Sunbirds from taking the lead.

After Fresno Pacific trimmed the margin to 60-58 with under nine minutes remaining, Richardson responded with five consecutive points, including a three-pointer that extended the lead to seven.

The Sunbirds refused to go away, pulling within two at 68-66 with just over five minutes remaining. Corbett answered with a layup before adding six more points over the next several possessions to help NNU maintain its advantage.

With the Nighthawks holding a narrow 75-73 lead in the final minute, Smoot delivered the biggest shot of the afternoon, connecting on a three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining to push the advantage back to five.

Fresno Pacific answered with a triple of its own, but Smoot calmly knocked down two free throws with 18 seconds left. Following another Sunbirds basket, Richardson split a pair at the line to give NNU an 81-78 lead with six seconds remaining.

Fresno Pacific's final three-point attempt missed as time expired, sealing the victory for the Nighthawks.

NNU finished the afternoon shooting 42.4 percent from the field while connecting on eight three-pointers. Despite Fresno Pacific shooting 54.9 percent, the Nighthawks controlled the rebounding battle 38-28, including a 15-4 advantage on the offensive glass.

The extra opportunities proved crucial, as NNU outscored the Sunbirds 18-6 in second-chance points and 17-6 in points off turnovers.

Fresno Pacific was led by Brandon Gibson Jr. with 21 points, while Nick Davidson added 20.

By the Numbers:

• Jayden Smoot led the Nighthawks with 25 points, four rebounds, and four assists, shooting 10-for-11 from the free-throw line.

• Briggs Ranstrom added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds while shooting 6-for-9 from the field.

• Nick Corbett finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

• Andrew King and CJ Richardson each contributed nine points, while Ethan Berninger added seven.

• NNU outrebounded Fresno Pacific 38-28, including a 15-4 advantage on the offensive glass.

• The Nighthawks held an 18-6 advantage in second-chance points and outscored the Sunbirds 17-6 off turnovers.

• NNU finished with 14 assists and committed just seven turnovers.

• The Nighthawks shot 42.4 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from three-point range, and 71.9 percent from the free-throw line.