After a 3-point basket by Alan Williams deadlocked the score at 63-all with 9:08 remaining, the Vikings (5-1 overall) took the lead for good on an inside basket by Javier Sanchez at the 8:35 mark. A Chris Edquist 3-point shot and a foul shot by Jimmy Mack made the score 69-63 in NPU’s favor with 6:39 left in the game and the Vikings made it stand up by hitting eight of their nine free throw attempts in the final 5:24.
Sanchez added 14 points for NPU while Irving Richardson had 12 points. Four other Vikings scored at least nine points, which helped the home team overcome a 20-point performance by Matt Hopf.
On Monday, NPU beat visiting Carroll College 93-70 with Townsend scoring 20 points as he made 7-of-10 field goal tries. Sneed Deaderick produced 19 points on 7-of-11 field goals. The Vikings shot 59 percent from the field in the game (33-of-56).
NPU had split two games last weekend and finished second in the Ripon College tournament in Wisconsin, losing to the host school 92-66 in the championship game last Saturday. NPU defeated Wisconsin Lutheran 107-94 at the Ripon tourney opener an evening earlier with its highest offensive output since beating Judson College 109-78 three years ago.
NPU plays Wisconsin Lutheran again at 6 p.m. Friday in the first round of the Carthage College Classic in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Vikings and The Apprentice School of Virginia will play a 2 p.m. contest at Carthage Saturday.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
