Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. – Missed free-throws in the final minute proved too costly as the Northwest Christian University men's basketball team was upset by Willamette University on Saturday night, 64-63, in a non-conference game at the Morse Event Center.

After a back-and-forth first half, NCU pulled out to a 31-30 lead at the intermission. Willamette scored the first bucket of the second half, but the Beacons went on a 7-0 run to establish a five-point lead with 7:45 to play. The Bearcats stayed in the game as NCU stretched the lead to as many as seven but could never pull away.

With just under four minute to go, a Kyle McNally layup gave WU a 57-56 lead. The teams traded buckets and leads four more times over the next three minutes and with just under a minute to play, Willamette got a three-point bucket from Taylor Mounts to go ahead 62-60. Trevor Parker answered for the Beacons with his own three pointer just 15 seconds later and NCU was again ahead by one point.

Clinging to the 63-62 lead, NCU buckled down on defense on the next possession, getting back-to-back blocked shots from Jordan Buhler and Greg Shepard to get the ball back. Willamette was forced to foul and with 17 seconds to play, Parker missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw situation, giving the ball back to the Bearcats.

With the seconds coming off the clock the Beacons again came up with a big defensive play as Jordan Myers got a steal with just eight ticks remaining. NCU was quickly fouled, but missed another front-end free-throw to once again give the ball back to WU.

Then, on a 50-50 loose ball on Willamette's last-gasp possession, Parker was called for a foul, sending Ryan Meehan to the free-throw line where he won the game with a pair of free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining.

Head Coach Corey Anderson said, “We made great defensive stops down the stretch to give ourselves the opportunity to win but unfortunately our front ends didn't fall. It was definitely a frustrating loss.”

The Beacons (6-7) were led by Mitch Wilson, scoring 13 points and six assists. Parker also scored 13 and Buhler added a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. Travis Pacos come off the bench to score nine and Brian Hampton added eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.

Willamette (2-7) ends a seven-game losing streak with their victory. Terrell Malley led the team with eleven points and Mounts finished with ten points and ten boards.

Northwest Christian will be back on the floor on December 19th when they resume Cascade Collegiate Conference action at home against Northwest University.