ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Men's Basketball Team stepped into one of the toughest atmospheres in the UMAC on Saturday night, traveling to Crown College on the Polars' Senior Night. Trailing early in the first half proved too much to overcome as the Eagles fell 66-85 to finish out the season.
The Eagles faced an early uphill battle, falling behind by 11 in the opening five minutes. Japheth Nyamari (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) stopped the initial surge at the free throw line, knocking down a pair to settle things in. From there, Nyamari attacked with a jumper, and AJ Greene (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) followed with a three and a mid-range bucket to trim the deficit to six; the duo combined for Northwestern's first 11 points. As the half progressed, Noah Frazell (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) and Will Foster (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) found their rhythm, combining for the final 11 points of the opening 20 minutes. Northwestern cut the margin to as little as five with 1:38 remaining before halftime, but Crown closed strong to take a 13-point lead into the break.
The second half followed a similar script. Each time Northwestern looked to make a push, Crown responded, keeping the cushion at 15 or more for much of the final frame. With 14 minutes remaining in his last collegiate game, Foster refused to go down without a fight and kick-started UNW's offense. He accounted for 12 of the Eagles' next 18 points down the final stretch, putting the offense on his shoulders. Frazell followed Foster's lead as he added nine second-half points from beyond the arc, while Jacob Hoefs (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) scored all eight of his points in a six-minute burst late in the game. Cade Crutcher (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian School) and Ty Roehm (Luck, Wis./Luck) recorded Northwestern's final buckets of the night as the Eagles fell 85-66.
Foster led the team with 19 points on an efficient 8-12 shooting, including a perfect 3-3 from the free throw line. Frazell finished with 17 points on 6-9 shooting, going 3-5 from three, and grabbed seven rebounds. Greene contributed 11 points and two steals. Nyamari and Hoefs each added eight points, with Hoefs pulling down six rebounds and Nyamari dishing out two assists.
The Eagles conclude the season at 6-19 overall, bringing to an end a remarkable 25-year conference tournament streak under head coach Tim Grosz. Northwestern will enter the 2026–27 season determined to begin building the next chapter of postseason success.
