Boxscore
NAMPA, Idaho - Drew Eisinger and Louie Beech led a Northwest Nazarene University offensive attack that shot 55-percent from the floor as the Crusaders defeated the University of Alaska Anchorage 79-74 on Saturday night in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game in front of 1,875 fans at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa.
Eisinger led the Crusaders (12-6, 4-3 GNAC) with 17 points and Beech scored 16 as each player hit four three-pointers. NNU finished the game 26-of-47 from the floor and 11-of-20 from the three-point line for 55-percent in both areas.
Donnie Lao led UAA (12-6, 3-4 GNAC) with a career-best 21 points, while Brandon Walker scored 12 and Casey Robinson had 11. UAA, ranked 3rd in this week's inaugural NCAA D.II West Regional Poll, shot 46.7-percent (28-60) from the floor and 30.8-percent (8-26) from the arc.
Also in double-figures for the Crusaders were Anthony Golden with 13 and Brian Barkdoll with 11. NNU was 16-of-17 (94.1-percent) from the free throw line and was even on the glass with the Seawolves at 28-28.
UAA's Nick Pacitti led all players with eight rebounds and also scored eight points.
The Crusaders led by five at the break (41-36) after leading by as many as nine (32-23) with 4:21 to play in the opening period. However, the Seawolves ended the first half and started the second with an 8-0 run that pushed the visitors to a 44-41 lead with 15:34 left after another Lao triple.
Four lead changes later, the Crusaders would take the advantage for the final time when Eisinger buried a three-pointer to give NNU a 60-58 lead with 6:14 to play. NNU would close out the contest going 10-of-11 from the free throw line in the final five minutes of play.
Jamie Eisinger led all players with six assists and committed only one turnover in 29 minutes at the point.
NNU will travel next weekend to the top two GNAC schools in the standings, facing Western Washington University on Thursday and playing at Seattle Pacific University on Saturday.