LACEY, Wash. – What looked like to be a clash between two heavy weight offenses inside Marcus Pavilion, the Saints and the Nighthawks did not disappoint. The two teams combined for 119 points in the second half, with Chandler Redix and BJ Standley's 45 points leading the way for a narrow 88-86 victory to put SMU atop the GNAC standings.
 
Defense and athleticism proved to be the key in the first half, with neither side gaining a serious advantage. The Saints led by one at the break, 28-27, before the offensive floodgates opened in the second half. Redix and Standley went 19-for-22 at the free throw line down the stretch as the Saints fought off the Nighthawks persistent offensive charge to close out the victory.
 
"This was a great win," said head coach Alex Pribble. "Northwest Nazarene is a very talented and well coached team, and they're playing with a lot of confidence right now. We told the players that this game could come down to one rebound or possession, and they played the game with a sense of urgency tonight."
 
NNU opened the game on an 8-3 run over the first seven and half minutes. Rhett Baerlocher knocked down a long range basket to help jumpstart the offense. However, the Nighthawks; lead continued to hold until the until the 4:05 mark.
 
The Saints, after trailing by as many as seven, SMU took their first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Standley. Two layups in the paint by Tavian Henderson to follow, pushed the Saints into the break with a one point lead at 28-27.
 
The Nighthawks stormed out of the gates in the second half, reclaiming the lead on a 3-pointer at 34-32, only 3:33 minutes into the action. Henderson and Redix attacked the paint on the following possessions, to once again put the Saints back out front.
 
Northwest Nazarene on multiple occasions pulled with one points in the next minutes; however, each time the Saints had a responded dialed up. Baskets by Redix, Henderson, and Standley kept the lead with the Saints. The Nighthawks' final lead of the game came at the 9:28 mark on a 3-pointer to put NNU up 53-52. SMU once again answered back with a Redix bucket and a 3-pointer by EJ Boyce.
 
The Saints have not been the amongst the top GNAC in free throw percentage the last few seasons; however, Redix and Standley sealed the fate of the game at the line. The final 17 points by the Saints came from way of the charity stripe, with 15 by the hands of Redix and Standley.
 
Northwest Nazarene did everything in their power in the final possessions, knocking down just about every 3-points, and trimming an 11 point lead to only two. However, the Saints were able to drain out the clock, and hold on for what looks to be a critical win in the GNAC landscape.
 
"Our guys did a great job defending in the first half," said Pribble. "Our shots weren't falling, but our defense really kept us in the game. Jordan (Kitchen) and Tavian (Henderson) did a great job defending Arms, who is absolutely one of the more talented players in the league."
 
After Redix's leading 25 points, and Standley's 20, the Saints had three players in the double-digits. Henderson added 12 points, while Boyce and Chavez ended with 10 points apiece. Not only did Redix lead the way scoring, but also on the glass with nine rebounds.
 
The Saints shot 27-for-62 (43.5 percent) from the field, 10-for-29 (34..5 percent) from beyond the arc, and 24-for-29 (82.8 percent) at the free throw line. SMU scored 34 points off the bench, 32 in the paint, and 16 off turnovers. The Saints grabbed 35 rebounds, dished out 13 assists on nine turnovers and managed seven steals.
 
"Chandler was terrific tonight," Pribble said. "We were struggling to shoot the ball, and he did a great job setting us down. He also made some huge plays on the defensive end down the stretch."
 
The Saints remain at home, hosting in town rival The Evergreen State College on Decemeber 7 at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available on smusaints.com.