Box Score
Watch "Five Minutes With Coach Grosz" for postgame reaction

ST. PAUL -- The Northwestern College men's basketball team eked out a one-point victory to start its season on Tuesday night as the Eagles defeated Hamline University 62-61 in the Ericksen Center. NWC, who lost to the Pipers by a point in last year's debut, committed just 10 turnovers in the game, a statistic that would prove to be vital down the stretch.

Hamline led early as Christian Taber's three-pointer put the Pipers up 17-9. Northwestern went on a big run though, catching up to their opponents and then some to lead 30-23 after Wade Chitwood (Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell)'s (Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) shot from outside the arc went in with 4:13 to play in the first half. Carl Hipp, Hamline's 6-8, 215-pound post player, had two of his eight first-half points with 36 seconds left in the period to cut NWC's lead to 36-32 going into the halftime break.

The Pipers fed off of Hipp's initiative to start the second half as the visitors led by four points on a pair of free throws by Noah Aguirre seven minutes into the period. Northwestern battled back, courtesy of made baskets from Chitwood and Tom Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) to tie the game for the fifth time before jumpers by Nate Thompson (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) gave the Eagles an eight-point advantage with under four minutes to play. Within just over two minutes, Northwestern's lead was minimized to one after a layup by Jordan Schmidt and everyone in the building was on edge. Both teams had an opportunity to claim the game -- Ethan Benton (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Linn-Mar) (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Lin-Mar) went 0-2 at the free throw line and Aguirre's 10-foot shot took a hard bounce off the rim -- but neither the Eagles nor the Pipers scored again, and NWC clung to a 62-61 victory.

Northwestern finished 24 of 67 (35.8 percent) in the game, while Hamline was 22-57 (38.6 percent). Hipp's 20 rebounds were nearly half of the Pipers' 48 as a team. In addition to several mismatches, the senior added 19 points under the hoop, but it was Hamline's 18 turnovers that hurt.

On the other side of the court, the Eagles posted 20 assists to 10 turnovers while tallying 10 steals. NWC head coach Tim Grosz and his assistants received a 19-point performance from Chitwood, who finished six of 18 and a perfect 6-6 at the charity stripe. Thompson added 13 points, making five of his eight attempts and going 2-4 from behind the three-point line. Gabe Jefferson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) battled hard for a team-best seven rebounds.

Northwestern begins its 2010 campaign at 1-0 leading into its 15th annual tip-off tournament this coming weekend. As has been the case for the last several years, the Eagles will open the tournament against North Central University while also welcoming UW-River Falls and Simpson College to the Ericksen Center. Game time NWC on Friday is set for 8 p.m., with Saturday's tip-off time awaiting the previous day's results.