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BOISE, Idaho – It wasn't a victory but by all accounts it was a successful Exhibition on Saturday night as the Northwest Christian University men's basketball team put a scare in NCAA DI Boise State before falling 91-76.
 
NCU held the lead for nearly five minutes in the second half but the Broncos got things together at the end to avoid the upset. The Beacons ended up shooting a respectable 40.4% from the field and had the three highest scoring players in the game.
 
Head Coach Luke Jackson said, "Our guys fought really hard. We just kind of ran out of gas in the end but I was so proud of the effort and the way we are starting to come together as a team. Jay Mayernik and Brendyn Taylor were tremendous leaders as seniors and Kylor Kelley really had an impact in his second collegiate game. There are bright things ahead for this group."

The Beacons were led by Kenny Blackwell who scored a game-high 17 points including a 9-for-9 effort at the free-throw line along with team highs of three assists and two steals. Jack Hackman hit a pair of three-pointers and finished with 16 points while Mayernik scored eight points and seven rebounds. Anthony Walker Jr. made his debut for the Beacons and came off the bench to score 16 points, shooting 7-for-12 from the field.
 
Boise State was led by Chandler Hutchison and Justinian Jessup with 15 points apiece. Nick Duncan added 14 points and Austin Paris scored 13 along with seven assists.
 
It's a quick turnaround for the Beacons who will be back in action on Monday night at 7 p.m. with their third annual exhibition matchup with the University of Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena. Tickets are still available for five dollars in the NCU Student Life office.