EUGENE, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University men's basketball team continues to put up impressive numbers, hitting 17 three-pointers as they closed out the non-conference schedule with a 107-87 victory over Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday night.  
 
Deadlocked at 45-45 after the end of the initial half after fighting through eight lead changes and five ties, the first five minutes of the second half proved to be decisive. The Beacons rattled off an 8-0 run and surged to a 26-6 scoring binge. NCU made good on eight three-pointers on 11 attempts in the first ten minutes of the second half and PLU never got closer than 13 the rest of the way.
 
Junior Tyrus Hosley once again proved to be the main attraction for the Beacons as he came within one assist of the first recorded triple-double in NCU history. His stat line consisted of 13 points, ten boards and nine assists, adding a pair of steals as he set the tone for the Beacons all evening.
 
"Ty had an amazing all-around game tonight," said head coach Eddie Alexander, "and when we got focused on defense in the second half, it fueled our offense. Ty got Austin and Ernest going and that is when we took over. I was very proud of our bench energy and the way we came together as a team tonight."
 
The Beacons (9-2) were led by Ernest Ugoagu who scored a season-high 33 points, hitting seven three-pointers. Austin Tyner added 21 points as he shot 89% from the floor including 4-for-5 from outside. Reece Robinson chipped in with 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while Davonte Cleveland came off the bench to join Hosley at the 13-point mark, adding a game-high three steals.
 
As a unit, NCU shot 56% from the field including a 17-for-37 mark from behind the arc and a 10-for-12 night at the charity stripe. The Beacons out-rebounded the Lutes 39-34 and collected 22 assists, the fifth time they have crossed 20 assists in a game this season.
 
Pacific Lutheran (3-3) also had five players in double-figures, led by 28 from Leighton Kingma who shot 7-for-10 from three-point range. Kelton Williams added 14 points and nine assists and Jordan Thomas scored 12 points with a team-high seven rebounds. Conor Geiger and Zac Webb added ten points each. 
 
With the preseason firmly in the rearview mirror, NCU will resume Cascade Collegiate Conference action next weekend, hosting Eastern Oregon University on Saturday at 6:00 pm and No. 2 ranked College of Idaho on Sunday at 4:00 pm.