NAMPA, Idaho - The Saint Martin's University men's basketball team came out on fire on Saturday night knocking down 11 three pointers in the first half to jump out to a 14-point lead at the half. But Northwest Nazarene turned the tables on SMU with a big second half behind the long ball to edge the Saints, 80-76.

The two teams traded baskets for most of the first half but it was Isaac Bianchini's shooting the helped spark a 17-6 run with 6:36 on the clock. Over a three-minute stretch Bianchini knocked down three-straight three pointers while Ryan Rogers added another to put the Saints ahead 35-26 with 3:10 to go in the half.

Bianchini would add a fifth three for good measure at the 2:04 mark and a Riley Carel three followed by a Rogers finish inside with less than a minute to go put the Saints in control at the break. SMU connected on 55 percent of its three pointers as 33 of the Saints 43 points came from behind the arc.

SMU's lead quickly disappeared however as NNU opened the second half on a 19-5 run tying the game at 48 nearly five minutes in. NNU hit 3 three pointers during that time and a fourth less than a minute later gave the Crusaders the lead.

Northwest Nazarene's lead increased to nine points, 64-55, but the Saints battled back using a 13-4 run to tie the game at 68 on Evan Coulter's jumper with 3:13 remaining in the game.

SMU would tie the game for a sixth time at 73 all with less than two minutes to go but Grayson Moore's three pointer with 44 seconds left in the game put NNU ahead by three after a missed jumper by the Saints on the previous trip down the floor.

The Saints would foul to stop the clock but the Crusaders sealed the win making free throws in the final seconds as they were 18-of-20 from the charity stripe in the second half.

After a red-hot first half the SMU cooled off hitting on just 3-of-12 attempts from the three-point line in the second while the Crusaders caught fire as they knocked down 8-of-13 three pointers. SMU shot only 40 percent from the field in the second half while NNU hit on 62.5 percent of its field goal attempts.

Bianchini finished the game with a career-high 18 points as he was 6-of-12 from the three-point line. Rogers scored a game-high 22 points adding seven rebounds while he was perfect at the line (8-of-8). Carel and Coulter each finished with 13 points. Coulter added eight boards and four assists while Carel fnished with five assists and four steals.

SMU (5-9, 2-4 GNAC) will remain on the road returning to action next Saturday, Jan. 18th at Western Oregon.