POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The Northwest Christian University men's basketball team erased all memories of their first-round exit in 2014, topping Southwestern College 84-69 in the opening round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament.
 
The Beacons led for most of the afternoon and overcame a brief first-half lapse to take a seven-point lead into the intermission and went on to dominate the second half. NCU finished the game shooting 53% from the field including a scorching 10-for-16 performance from three-point range. Most impressively, the Beacons shot 86% from the free-throw line, 20 percentage points higher than their season average.
 
NCU's solid defense was once again on display as the Beacons held the Moundbuilders (26-8) to 41% shooting including a 6-for-26 effort from long range. Southwestern's big pair of seniors, Cameron Clark and Chris Waller, were held 14 points under their combined scoring average and were 2-for-12 collectively from beyond the arch.
 
The Beacons shot out to an early 5-0 lead on a pair of free-throws from Javonte Byrd and a triple from Omar Richards. The lead grew to as many as nine points, 15-6, but Southwestern became the Momentum Builders, using 17-4 run to claim a 23-19 lead with just under seven minutes to play.
 
Trailing 28-27 with three and a half minutes to go, NCU went on an 8-0 run to close out the half, extending it to 13 consecutive points early in the second to build a 14-point lead. SC could not get closer than nine points the rest of the way.
 
The Beacons (28-6) had four players in double-figures, led by senior Austin Kuemper with 22. Kuemper is now averaging 27.5 points per game in the NAIA national tournament after scoring 33 against Cornerstone in 2014. Freshman Kenny Blackwell made his national tourney debut count as well, scoring 19 points as he shot 4-for-5 from three-point range, adding a game-high four assists.
 
Richards scored 16 for the Beacons along with a game-high 19 rebounds. Byrd scored 14 points and broke through with a milestone, scoring his 1000th career point early in the first half. He becomes the 8th player in recorded history to score at least 1000 points for the Beacons.
 
Clark scored 19 points and nine boards to lead Southwest and DJ Wallace added 17 points underneath, shooting 7-for-9 from the field. Waller scored ten points and Bryan Lipsey came off the bench to add 12.
 
NCU advances to the Round of 16 for the first time and will play again at 4:00 pm (CST). That game will be featured live on AM 590 KUGN and available online at www.kugn.com.

The No. 3 seeded Beacons will take on the winner of No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan vs. No. 7 Bellevue (Neb.). That game tips-off today at 1:45 pm local time.