KIRKLAND – Northwest used a diverse attack and played a solid defensive game to take an 86-70 win over Eastern Oregon on Friday.
 
The Eagles got things going in the right direction early and built a 15-7 lead over the first six minutes. The first-half lead peaked at 18 points, 42-24, on a Tanner Davis free throw with 1:43 left. NU had a 42-30 lead at the half.
 
Connor Drinkwine put down a pair of three-pointers to give the Eagles a 59-39 lead with 14:37 remaining. The Mountaineers were able to cut the NU lead to 10 points with 7:01 to go, but CaCoa Chatman scored five points in a 7-0 Northwest run for a comfortable 76-59 lead with 3:08 showing.
 
"That was the most complete game we have played this season, and it was fun to see," said NU Head Coach Jeff Drinkwine. "It was nice to see because the scoring came from everywhere. When you're able to score inside as Carson Sparks did, it opens up everything else. We shared the ball well. Defensively, we have a goal of limiting the opponent to 35 points each half, and we pretty much did that. Now it's on to the next."
 
Connor Drinkwine led the Eagles with 16 points, followed by Chatman with 15, Tanner Davis and Sparks with 14 apiece, and Trevan Newman with 13. Sparks and Rayvaughn Bolton hauled down eight rebounds each, with Bolton also getting eight assists. 
 
Cooper Lumsden led the Mountaineers with 22 points.
 
NU, now 7-8 overall and 4-6 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, hosts the College of Idaho in a 5 p.m. contest on Saturday.