Box Score Box Score

ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. -- Despite holding a double-digit lead early in the second half of Tuesday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) debut, the Northwestern College men's basketball team had to battle to maintain their advantage over Crown College before earning a 76-64 victory. Four Eagles scored in double figures while NWC was on the top side of a 39-28 rebounding tally.

It was the Eagles that found themselves in an early hole as Crown led 22-15 after seven minutes had ticked off the clock. Northwestern started to chip away at the home team's lead, as four free throws and a big three-point jumpers by Wade Chitwood (Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) and Ellis Libby (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) turned the tables and the NWC led by three at 31-28. The run continued for the Eagles as Northwestern owned a 38-28 advantage to cap off a 17-0 spree before going into the locker room with a 44-36 lead.

Northwestern stretched its margin to 15 to start the second half before Crown made a run. The Storm's David Glover did some damage on his own, scoring seven straight points before his three-pointer put the home team within two at 56-54 with 10:07 to go. Then the Eagles took flight again, with Ethan Benton (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Linn-Mar) and Chitwood trading buckets that allowed NWC to lead by 11. A lay-up by Gabe Jefferson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) and a trey from Chitwood put the game out of reach for Crown, and the Eagles left with a 12-point win.

Chitwood's 8-16 performance helped Northwestern shoot 44 percent as a team while going eight of 19 from long range. The team's leading scorer on the season, Chitwood finished with 18 points and six rebounds, followed by a 14-point, eight-rebound performance from Libby, both of which were career highs for the junior. The Eagles claimed an 11-rebound advantage, which included a 13-8 edge in offensive boards.

Glover finished with 18 points to lead Crown, while Anthijuan Beeks, Jr. posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Northwestern, now 8-8 on the season and 1-0 in UMAC play, returns home to prepare for back-to-back games this weekend when the Eagles face the University of Minnesota Morris and Presentation College. NWC will welcome the Cougars from Minnesota Morris at 7:30 on Friday night, followed by a Hoops Hysteria tipoff of 5 p.m. on Saturday versus Presentation.