NAMPA, Idaho – Bushnell led by eight points with under eight minutes to play on Saturday evening, but Northwest Nazarene University was able to mount a late comeback to claim a 78-65 victory in what was an exhibition game for the Beacons.   
 
Head Coach Eddie Alexander said, "We did an excellent job tonight, up until the eight minute mark. Coming out of a timeout, the game changed and we were unable to adjust. We made some changes and tried to respond to how the game was being played, but unfortunately NNU was able to take advantage of the momentum shift."
 
The Beacons (2-1) shot 40% in the game but struggled to overcome a 21-13 discrepancy in fouls that amounted to a 23-4 advantage in free-throws for the Nighthawks.  Bushnell was also out-muscled down low with NNU claiming a 7-0 advantage in blocks, but the Beacons were able to stretch the lineup a little better than the home team, claiming a 30-10 margin in bench scoring.
 
"I was really proud of our guys and the way they played and fought tonight," said Alexander. "We have some things to clean up offensively, but we played hard and executed in most of our possessions for 32 minutes tonight."
 
Bushnell was led by Squeeky Johnson (pictured), scoring 14 points including ten in the second half. Luke Smith came in off the bench to score 12 while Christian Pitcher added nine.
 
Northwest Nazarene (1-0) who counted the game as their season-opener and Homecoming contest, was led by 23 points from Yaru Harvey who shot 5-for-5 from the field and a perfect 13-for-13 at the charity stripe.
 
After starting the season with four road games, the Beacons will play their home opener next Saturday, facing Portland Bible College at 5:00 pm.