KIRKLAND – Multnomah's Tyrese Taylor backed his way into the paint and scored the game-winning basket with three seconds left in overtime to give Multnomah a 97-95 win over Northwest on Friday.
 
The Eagles had trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and were down 51-42 at intermission.
 
Still down 12 points with 6:57 left in regulation, Northwest launched a 16-1 run to take its first lead, 83-80, with 3:25 to go in the second half. CaCoa Chatman had nine points in that spree.
 
NU trailed 87-86 with 2:00 left in the second period when Chatman found Rayvaughn Bolton in the lane, and Bolton made an athletic layup for an 88-87 lead with 57 seconds left in the second half.
 
Taylor hit one of two free throws with 43 seconds left to tie the game, and both teams missed two-point attempts on their final possessions of regulation.
 
The overtime held two ties and two lead changes, with Bolton scoring with an assist from Chatman to knot the game at 95-95 with 32 seconds left. Taylor got the game winner with the clock winding down. 
 
"That's what a college basketball game should be like," said NU Head Coach Jeff Drinkwine. "The fans certainly got their money's worth tonight. I'm happy with the effort, and the guys played hard. It just came down to one possession, and I think Taylor is the most efficient big man in the league. We have to forget about this one and come back ready for Warner Pacific tomorrow."
 
Multnomah's inside duo of Taylor and Terin Johnson had 32 points each, with Taylor also getting 13 rebounds.
 
Bolton led NU with 31 points to go with nine assists and six rebounds. Chatman added 26 points and eight assists. Daniel Sharpe scored 13 points, and Carson Sparks added 12. Tanner Davis paced the Eagles with 11 rebounds to go with his nine points.
 
NU returns to action Saturday with a 5 p.m. game opposite Warner Pacific.