Written by: Clayton Hashley
 
Kirkland, Wash. – Northwest University (12-14, 4-10 CCC) got the win against Eastern Oregon University (12-12, 7-6 CCC), a team that is receiving votes to be nationally ranked within the top 25. The final score was 86-76.
 
The Eagles started the game with a bang! In the very first possession, Josh Meyer threw an alley-oop to Alex Smith, who finished with a high-flying, one-handed throw down. The Eagles' next points came from Hussayn Ford, who threw down an aggressive fast-break dunk. This energy persisted throughout the game for the Eagles, who jumped out to a 17-2 lead in the first five minutes.
 
After a bit of a lull, the Eagles got some momentum back in the final seconds of the first half when Art Palacios stole the ball from an inbound pass and quickly got off a half court buzzer-beater. The shot banked in, bringing the crowd to their feet and putting the Eagles up 45-26.
 
It got a bit scary for the Eagles near the end of the game, when the Mountaineers continued to chip away at the lead, coming to within four points with a minute and a half to go. Northwest went on an 8-2 run to finish the game, however, which included two fast-break dunks from Hussayn Ford. This closed the game out for them, and they won 86-76.
 
Alex Smith had 21 points and nine rebounds. Hussayn Ford tallied 19 points and eight rebounds. Josh Meyer also tallied six assists in the game.
 
Northwest head coach Jeff Drinkwine remarked, "This was by far our best team effort this season. Alex and Daniel really stepped up defensively and set the tone for the rest of us. When it got close, we were able to maintain our composure and found a way to win. That is a sign of growth for this young team, and tomorrow will be another challenge."