PORTLAND, Ore. – As the race towards the 2026 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Basketball Championships heats up, Northwest Nazarene kept itself towards the top of the standings with two big wins last week.
 
The Nighthawks improved to 9-5 in league play and 15-8 overall on the season, remaining in the driver's seat to lock down a conference tournament berth and staying in the conversation for the GNAC regular-season title.
 
A pair of gritty wins last week earned the Nighthawks the Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week honor, as they defended their home court with triumphs over a pair of conference tournament contenders in Seattle Pacific (12-10, 7-8 GNAC) and Montana State Billings (20-8, 9-6). NNU started its week by edging SPU 67-64 on Thursday before inching past MSUB 68-65 on Saturday.
 
The Nighthawks were tested mightily in their opening game of the week, enduring a first half in which they made just 8 of 30 shots (26.7%) and found themselves down 34-22 at the break. Things changed in the second however, as NNU caught fire hitting 15 of 24 shots (62.5%) to out-pace the Falcons 45-30 over the final 20 minutes. RJ Chatman played the role of hero down the stretch, hitting consecutive 3-pointers inside of six minutes to go that tied the score and put NNU up by four, in succession. The Nighthawks never surrendered the lead after that, holding off the Falcons through the closing minutes of play.

Chatman made 4 of 8 threes in the game on his way to 12 crucial points in 17 minutes off the bench. Easton Reagan, the GNAC's leading scorer on the season at 21.0 points per game, led all players with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. Garrett Hawkes meanwhile entered into the triple-double neighborhood, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds while adding seven points, six assists and a pair of steals.
 
"It helps to have smarter people around you," said NNU head coach Jon Hawkins. "My staff gave me great feedback on adjustments we needed to make on SPU's gameplan against our personnel. We also made sure our players understood the type of shots we wanted to attempt, and to attempt them with confidence knowing we believe in them. Second-half stops led to those offensive adjustments to quickly change the momentum."

Things went better from the opening tip for NNU on Saturday against the Yellowjackets, as they got themselves out to a 38-31 advantage by halftime. Although MSU Billings got itself back into the game over the final 20 minutes, NNU never relinquished the lead and held on for the victory. The 'Jackets got within one point on two occasions in the final 10 seconds of the contest, but Hawkes iced the game with a pair of free throws with two seconds left. Hawkes finished with a season-high 21 points, making 9 of 13 shots while adding seven boards, three steals, two assists and a block.
 
Reagan shot 7-for-14 in his second game of the week, adding 18 points to go with seven rebounds. The Nighthawk defense was largely responsible for the victory, as MSUB's field-goal percentage of 34.8 (23-for-66) was the third-worst by an NNU opponent thus far in 2025-26. "Last week we talked about responding together through the ups and downs, that's what makes a tough team tough," Hawkins said. "MSUB & SPU are well coached, and it was going to take responding as a unit as we stay focused on what we can control. I thought our guys took a step in that direction last week."

In his third season with the Nighthawks and first as a full-time starter, Reagan has come alive to emerge as one of the top offensive players in the conference. He averaged just 5.2 points per game across his first two seasons at NNU, before progressing into this year's conference-leading scoring figure. Reagan owns a 55.4% field-goal percentage, which includes a mark of 41.6% from 3-point range. He also ranks second on the squad with 5.8 rebounds per game.
 
Jaden Byers is the other Nighthawk to average in double figures in scoring, as he has contributed 12.0 points per game, while Parker Martens is close behind at 9.8 points per game. After Hawkes' big week, he is up to 9.3 points per game, while chipping in 4.0 rebounds and ranking second on the squad with 2.39 assists per game. Briggs Ranstrom and Michael Day are the other Nighthawks to have started all 23 games this season. Ranstrom is averaging a team-best 2.48 assists per game, while Day is chipping in 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
 
Hawkins is now in his third season leading the Nighthawks, as he once again has the program on its way to a successful campaign. Across his first two years in charge NNU compiled a record of 52-26 (.667) overall and a mark of 35-15 (.700) in conference play. NNU finished as the GNAC runner-up in each of the last two seasons, and is coming off an NCAA West Region Championships appearance last winter. 

Next up for the Nighthawks is a date against GNAC-leading Saint Martin's (19-5, 11-3) on Thursday evening (8:30 p.m. Mountain) in Lacey, Wash. From there, NNU faces Western Oregon (9-14, 4-10) on Saturday afternoon (5:15 p.m. Mountain) in Monmouth, Ore. "We just want to improve daily and be the best version of ourselves daily," Hawkins said. "Everything else will take care of the rest. We still have lots to improve upon and haven't quite figured out how to put a whole 40 minutes together. One day at a time is our mindset this last stretch."
 
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025 and it will sponsor the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.