BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball secured the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Championships with an 87-84 win over Western Washington in the regular-season finale.

The Nighthawks finished 18-9 overall and 12-6 in conference play, tying for second in the standings. NNU will face No. 6 seed Alaska Fairbanks in the quarterfinal round Thursday at 5:15 p.m. Pacific in Bellingham, with the tournament hosted by Western Washington University.

Northwest Nazarene is making its ninth GNAC Championships appearance and will look to capture its second tournament title after winning the crown in 2023.

How They Got Here

NNU averaged 77.2 points per game this season while allowing 73.7, finishing with a +3.5 scoring margin. The Nighthawks shot 46.6% from the field and 34.8% from three while holding opponents to 43.7% shooting.

They averaged 35.0 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.6 steals, and 4.0 blocks per game, showcasing balance on both ends of the floor.

Player Notes

Easton Reagan leads NNU with 19.7 points per game, shooting 52.9% from the field and 37.5% from three while adding 5.6 rebounds per contest.

Jaden Byers contributes 12.9 points per game, and Parker Martens adds 9.8 while shooting 42.0% from beyond the arc.

Garrett Hawkes (9.6 ppg) and Briggs Ranstrom (7.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg) provide steady production, while Michael Dayanchors the defense with 49 blocks on the season.

The Nighthawks will need three wins in three days to bring another GNAC title back to Nampa.