Justice Martion finished with 27 points
Eagles Down Pesky VIU Team
KIRKLAND, Wash. - It may have not been one of the prettiest games to watch, but the NU Eagle men were tough down the stretch to pull out a 77-69 victory over Vancouver Island University tonight in the second game of the Taylor Cliett Invitational.
In a game with 43 fouls and 33 combined turnovers, NU got clutch baskets from Justice Martion and Josh Meyer to put the game away.
The Eagles let a 12 point lead slip away in the final 5:25 of the game. VIU would pull to within two, 66-64 with 2:39 on the clock, but Justice Martion would come through with a left hand hook shot in the lane to give NU a 4 point lead with 2:18 remaining. He would then come up with a big block on Usama Zaid's shot at 1:59. VIU would make it a one point game with 1:27 to go after Jerod Dorby would sink a free throw, but Martion would tip in Tanner Davis' miss to make it 70-67. Zaid would score making a one point game again, but freshman Josh Meyer would hit a clutch 3-pointer with 24 seconds to go in the game and add two free throws with 17 seconds on the clock after a strong rebound to clinch the win for NU.
Martion finished with 27 points to lead NU (4-0). Josh Meyer added 16 and freshman Jasdeep Singh scored 10 along with 10 rebounds. Freshman Tanner Davis grabbed 13 rebounds. NU lost starting guard, Kaelan Hicks, to an injury early in the first half and he did not return to play in the second period.
Usama Zaid, the lone American on VIU's team, scored 24 points with 7 rebounds. Bryson Cox added 15 points and 8 rebounds while the Mariners out rebounded NU 50-49, pulling down 17 offensive rebounds.
"We did it the hard way tonight," said NU interim coach, Jeff Drinkwine. Losing Kaelan Hicks to an injury really hurt, but it gave our young guys some time in pressure situations and they came through for us. Our freshman grew a lot tonight from the experience."