Northwest Falls 106-103 to Providence
Northwest University erased a 14-point halftime deficit before falling 106-103 to Providence on Saturday at the Taco Bell Shootout. The Eagles dropped to an 0-2 record with the narrow loss.
Providence opened the contest with eight straight points and pushed its lead to 27-19 in the first half. James Laurence and Troy Nickel hit back-to-back 3-pointers to draw Northwest within two points, but the Argos responded to build a 59-45 halftime advantage.
Second-Half Comeback Bid
Christian Watkins sparked the second-half surge with two early 3-pointers for the Eagles. Isaiah White later gave Northwest its first lead at 75-73 with 14:25 remaining in the game.
Providence answered with an eight-point run to reclaim control. Gilbert Brown later added a steal and a layup to tie the game at 84-84, and Dejuan Sims knotted the score again at 86-86 with just over eight minutes left on the clock.
Watkins Leads Northwest Scoring in Narrow Loss
The Argos reclaimed an eight-point cushion with 4:17 to play. Narrowing the gap to three points at the 1:36 mark, Hudson Yarbrough converted his own missed shot, following which Watkins sank a jumper with 21 seconds remaining to bring the score to 103-100.
Following a pair of Providence free throws, White secured an offensive board and drained a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining to bring the Eagles within 105-103. Providence made one of two free throws and secured the rebound on the miss to seal the victory.
Watkins led seven Northwest players in double figures with 20 points, scoring 14 of them after halftime. White and Brown each finished with 15 points, while Sims added 14. Laurence, Darek Usitalo, and Yarbrough contributed 10 points apiece, and Yarbrough pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
Whitworth University Matchup
Northwest travels to Spokane, Washington, to face Whitworth University on Friday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. at Whitworth Fieldhouse.
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