KIRKLAND, Wash.  – Cory Johnson scored 36 points, the most in the Cascade Conference this season, as the Bushnell men's basketball team overpowered Northwest University on Sunday evening in a 96-77 victory.
 
Johnson scored 25 points in the first half as the Beacons dominated NU, hitting eight of their first 11 three-point attempts to pull out to 53-28 lead at the intermission. It was smooth sailing from there, and another opportunity for the Beacons to go deep into their bench with 12 different players scoring at least one point.
 
"This was a huge night for Cory," said Head Coach Eddie Alexander, "but our defense set the tone and gave him a lot of opportunities. I am proud of the way our guys executed and worked tonight. Our goal was to jump on them quickly and our guys did. I am proud of this group and how they continue to get better and keep working."
 
With the win, the Beacons (12-14, 8-12 CCC) are on the cusp of qualifying for the CCC post-season, needing just one win or one Warner Pacific loss in the final weekend to claim the No. 8 seed for the conference tournament.  
 
For Johnson, his career night included a 13-for-19 shooting performance, along with 18 rebounds, placing him just two boards shy of the fourth 20/20 game in school history. His 36 are the third-most ever for a Beacon in a CCC game and lands just outside the all-time top-ten list.
 
Luke Smith was also in double-digits for the Beacon, finishing the night with 17 points off the bench, shooting 4-for-5 from three-point range. As a team, Bushnell was 10-for-19 from outside.
 
Kaleb Burnett added 13 points while Squeeky Johnson scored ten points, five rebounds, and a game-high five assists.
 
Northwest (5-21, 4-15) was led by Manuel Crujeiras, scoring 14 points and seven rebounds. Nash Wobrock added 12 and Dominic Wilson scored 11.
 
The Beacons will have their first chance to clinch the post-season on Friday at 2:00 pm, playing host to Walla Walla University.