BETHANY, Okla. — Deshon Portley scored a game-high 16 points for Southern Nazarene in a 67-64 loss at home to Northwestern Oklahoma State.
 
The Crimson Storm (12-10, 9-7 GAC) trailed by as much as 18 in the second half and cut it to one in the final seconds, but couldn't complete the comeback. It is just the third loss at home this year for SNU and breaks four-game home winning streak.
 
C.J. White was the only other player to score in double figures for SNU as he scored 11 points and added 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year. Noah Starkey and Micah Speight each added eight points as well.
 
SNU was held to just 3-of-15 shooting from 3-point range, its lowest of the season at home, and went 24-for-60 from the field. The Storm were also 13-for-18 at the line. Southern Nazarene held Northwestern to just 21-for-59 from the field, but the Rangers (11-11, 7-10 GAC) buried nine 3-pointers and went 16-for-20 at the line. It was just the second time this year that SNU turned it over less than 14 times and shot 70 percent or better from the line and lost.
 
Northwestern jumped out to a 9-2 lead and led 18-11 when SNU scored six straight to cut it to 18-17 with 7:39 left in the first. The Rangers though went on a 21-8 run to end the half and took a 39-25 lead into the break. Northwestern pushed it to 43-25 early in the second half and were up 55-37 when C.J. White sparked a 14-3 run to cut it to 58-51 with 5:57 to play.
 
The Rangers pushed it back to nine at 61-52 with 4:40 remaining, but SNU answered in the final minutes with a 12-4 run, capped by a White layup, to close it to 65-64 with nine seconds left. The Storm fouled on the inbounds pass and the Rangers hit both free throws to go up three with seven seconds left. Speight then had a shot to take the game into overtime, but couldn't hit the final shot.