SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball continued its strong start to the 2026-27 season Saturday afternoon, defeating San Francisco State 79-60 to improve to 3-0 on the year.

The Nighthawks used an efficient offensive performance and a dominant effort on the glass to secure their third consecutive victory, shooting 53.8 percent from the field while outrebounding the Gators 44-22.

Andrew King led the way with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Briggs Ranstrom added 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 performance from beyond the arc, while collecting six rebounds and three assists.

Nick Corbett recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, making all five of his field-goal attempts. CJ Richardson provided a spark off the bench with 12 points and three three-pointers, while Canaan Magness contributed eight points and four rebounds.

The opening half featured a back-and-forth battle, with seven lead changes as both teams worked to establish control. After San Francisco State took a 22-19 advantage with just over seven minutes remaining, the Nighthawks responded with a 19-4 run to close the half.

Ranstrom helped ignite the surge with a three-pointer to tie the contest at 22, while King, Corbett and Richardson contributed key baskets down the stretch. Richardson connected from beyond the arc with 2:20 remaining to push NNU's lead into double digits, and King capped the half with a layup in the final second to send the Nighthawks into the locker room ahead 38-26.

San Francisco State opened the second half with a 7-0 run, trimming the deficit to five points at 38-33. However, Richardson answered with a three-pointer to halt the momentum and help NNU regain control.

The Nighthawks gradually extended their advantage throughout the second half, using strong rebounding and efficient shooting to pull away. A Ranstrom three-pointer pushed the lead to 15 midway through the period, and NNU continued to build its advantage over the following minutes.

A Corbett tip-in and two free throws from Jayden Smoot eventually gave the Nighthawks their largest lead of the afternoon at 70-44 with 6:50 remaining.

NNU finished the contest shooting 28-of-52 from the field and 7-of-17 from three-point range. Defensively, the Nighthawks held San Francisco State to 38.2 percent shooting and just 22.2 percent from beyond the arc.

By the Numbers:

• Andrew King led all scorers with 21 points and added nine rebounds, finishing one board shy of a double-double.

• Briggs Ranstrom scored 15 points, connecting on all three of his three-point attempts while adding six rebounds and three assists.

• Nick Corbett recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field.

• CJ Richardson contributed 12 points off the bench, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc.

• NNU shot 53.8 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three-point range.

• The Nighthawks dominated the rebounding battle 44-22, including a 33-17 advantage on the defensive glass.

• NNU outscored San Francisco State 40-30 in the paint and received 27 points from its bench.

• The Nighthawks held the Gators to just four made three-pointers on 18 attempts.

With the victory, Northwest Nazarene remains unbeaten at 3-0 to begin the season.