LA GRANDE, Ore. – No. 10 Northwest Christian (NCU) stole one from the Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team for a second time this season.

After Javonte Byrd's three-pointer tied the affair at 76 apiece with three ticks on the clock, the Beacons forced a turnover, and Byrd netted the game-winning free throw with 0.8 seconds remaining to doom the Mountaineers, 77-76. 

KEY PERFORMANCES
EOU (11-11, 6-6 CCC) saw several strong performances on the night, as four players tallied double figures. Senior guard Case Rada posted 22 points on a blistering 9-for-13 effort from the field, while junior guard Kentrell Washington added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Senior center Kalvin Johanson recorded 11 points and six blocks, and junior wing Travis Meeker chipped in 10 points and four assists.

Byrd tallied a team-high 20 points for NCU, while Omar Richards hit a pair of three's en route to a 13-point effort.

THE STORYLINE
EOU knocked down four of its first six shots and raced to a 10-0 lead after back-to-back three's by sophomore forward Brandon Hoston and Rada. The Beacons responded with an 18-8 run to tie the contest with 9:02 left in the opening frame, but Washington, senior center Christian Parrott, and freshman guard Caulin Bakalarski notched buckets to put EOU back up by five (25-20).

EOU took a 35-31 advantage into the locker room. The Mountaineers tossed in a 48.4 percent (15-for-31) clip in the opening 20 minutes and logged 18 points in the paint. Both teams committed only one turnover in the first half.

After Meeker's layup tied the game at 47 apiece with 13:36 left, NCU (17-4, 10-1 CCC) racked up 12 unanswered points in a three-minute stretch to snag a 59-47 advantage. The Mountaineers fired back quickly with free throws by Washington and seven-straight points by Rada to get back into the contest, and with 7:59 left, sophomore wing Austin Strock scored on the fast break to knot the intense battle.

Six-straight points by Johanson handed the Navy and Gold a 74-73 advantage with 48 seconds left, and then Washington netted a pair at the charity stripe to make it a three-point ball game. However, on NCU's next possession, the Beacons pulled down two offensive rebounds before finally connecting on the game-tying triple with three seconds left.

Following a timeout, the Mountaineers turned it over after their inbounds pass hit the ceiling, and then Byrd drew the foul on his mid-range jumper to earn his game-winning free throw with 0.8 seconds left.

STAT OF THE GAME
4 – NCU scored four points in a span of two seconds to steal the game. On Dec. 19 in Eugene, Ore., the Beacons took down the Mountaineers on a buzzer beater, 68-67.

UP NEXT
EOU will conclude its five-game home stand tomorrow against Corban. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.