Ellensburg, WA – In their final game of the regular season, Northwest Nazarene battled back for a thrilling 58-56 victory over Central Washington, closing out conference play with momentum as they now turn their focus to the GNAC Tournament. After trailing by double digits early, the Nighthawks pieced together a resilient second-half performance to secure the comeback win.
Central Washington struck first in the opening quarter, using a fastbreak layup from Thornton to set the tone. The Wildcats capitalized on early defensive pressure and strong play in the paint from Cai, Snashall, and Coronado to build a 10-0 lead midway through the period. NNU found a spark late in the quarter as Beaux Bruegman knocked down a three-pointer and Jené Wells added a jumper, but Coronado's pair of triples helped Central Washington maintain control.
Kendall Clark closed the frame with a basket inside, yet the Nighthawks trailed 18-9 after one.
The Wildcats opened the second quarter with a jumper from Cai to extend the lead, but NNU began to settle in. Sadi Clemons connected from midrange, and Trinidie Nichols converted a fastbreak jumper following a steal to shift the energy. Clemons then drilled a fastbreak three, cutting the deficit to single digits. After Central briefly stretched the lead back to 10, Claire Fischer buried a transition three-pointer and Wells added a jumper to bring NNU within striking distance. Nichols scored inside in the final 30 seconds, and the Nighthawks headed into halftime down just 27-23 after trimming the margin to four.
Coming out of the break, Clemons immediately attacked and knocked down two free throws to pull NNU within two. Though Central Washington responded with timely baskets from Cai and Coronado to push the lead back to double digits at one point, the Nighthawks continued to chip away. Wells and Clark scored in the paint, Kelly Garrity added a jumper, and Clemons stayed aggressive offensively. Late free throws from Clemons and Nichols capped a strong close to the quarter, sending NNU into the fourth trailing 44-41.
The final period belonged to the Nighthawks. Nichols opened the quarter with a three-pointer to tie the game at 44-44, and Bruegman followed with another triple to give NNU its first lead of the night. Clemons added a layup, and Wells knocked down two free throws to keep the Nighthawks in front. After Central Washington tied the game at 53-53 with just over three minutes remaining, Clark delivered a clutch three-pointer off a Garrity assist to put NNU back ahead for good.
Defensive pressure forced key turnovers down the stretch, and Clemons sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds. Despite late attempts from Central Washington to rally at the stripe, Northwest Nazarene held on for the 58-56 victory.
With the regular season now complete, the Nighthawks carry hard-earned momentum into the GNAC Conference Tournament, ready to continue their postseason push.
