KIRKLAND – Northwest recognized its two men's basketball seniors prior to the final regular-season home game and those two seniors helped ensure one more game this season the Kristi Brodin Pavilion, knocking off Evergreen State, 73-68.
 
Christian Hakilimali and Hussayn Ford finished with double-doubles to lead the Eagles. Hakilimali had 24 points and 10 rebounds to go with eight assists. Ford had his 23^rd double-double of the season, getting 19 points and a dozen rebounds.
 
"I was really proud of those two seniors and the way they played on Senior Night," said NU Head Coach Jeff Drinkwine. "They've been playing like that all season."
 
Evergreen State used 11 NU first-half turnovers and led by as many as six before settling for a 37-33 halftime lead.
 
The Geoducks were up 41-35 before the Eagles put together a 22-3 run to take a 57-44 advantage with 12:17 remaining. Ryan Ricks, Dejwan Walker and Ford had six points each in that run with Ricks also snagging three rebounds.
 
NU bulked the lead up to 14 points before ESC started chipping away. The Geoducks made it a three-point game with 52 seconds left but Hakilimali scored to give the Eagles some space and that would be all Northwest needed.
 
"The first half we were sloppy," Drinkwine said. "We gave up 37 points, but a lot of that can be attributed to our turnovers. We played better defense in the second half and got back into the way we like to play."
 
Joining Hakilimali and Ford in double-figure scoring were Walker with 13 points and Ricks with 10.
 
The Eagles travel to Walla Walla for a 3 p.m. game Friday and a 9:30 p.m. contest Saturday to close out the regular season. Northwest will host a first-round playoff game Wednesday, Feb. 26.