Box Score

KIRKLAND, Wash. – Senior Rich Skillman scored 18 second half points as the No. 11 Northwest University Eagles out-fought an upset-minded squad from Northwest Christian University on Monday evening with a 79-66 victory.

After NCU scored the first points of the game on a jumper by Trevor Parker, Northwest used a 12-2 run to establish the early lead. The Eagles went ahead by as many as 16, and led 38-25 with 4:29 to play. The Beacons, however, closed out the first half on a 7-1 run and pulled to within seven points at the end of the period, 39-32. 

The Beacons fell further behind in the second half and were trailing 46-36 with 17:27 to play. That is when things took a turn for the better for the team from Eugene. NCU went on a 10-0 run, capped off by a Travis Pacos layup to tie the game. Soon, the Beacons would grab their first lead of the night, as Pacos hit a three-pointer.

The teams traded leads three more times before the Eagles emerged on top for good, led by ten points over the final four minutes from Skillman.

Skillman finished with 22 points for the Eagles (19-2, 9-2 CCC), adding nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Jordan Call scored 17 and Ahmaad Cook added 14 points, shooting 4-for-4 from three-point range. Northwest shot 53.8% in the game and out-rebounded the Beacons, 30-34.

NCU (10-13, 3-8) was led by Pacos (pictured), who finished with a double-double as he scored 15 points and ten rebounds, leading the team with four assists. Brody McGowan and Mitch Wilson each scored eleven. NCU forced 18 Eagle turnovers, and collected 12 steals, including four from Jordan Myers and three from Jordan Buhler.

The Beacons will return to the court on Friday against Corban University with a 7:30 pm start time in the Morse Event Center.