NAMPA, Id. (Feb. 27) -- Ryan McCarthy scored 21 points, including a key three-pointer with 2 minutes left, and Northwest Nazarene went on to upset Seattle Pacific University 83-76 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game at Montgomery Fieldhouse Thursday night.

The loss to the struggling Crusaders (2-13, 4-19) was the first in 18 years and dealt the Falcons (10-5, 14-10) a heavy blow to their NCAA tournament hopes with three games remaining.

Northwest Nazarene, which shot 61 percent from the field and made 8-15 three-pointers, snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Jason Chivers (So., 6-8, Palmdlae, Ca.) scored all of his 17 points in the first half for SPU, which shot just 40 percent in the second half to Nazarene's 58 percent. Chivers was unable to attempt a single shot in the second period. Yusef Aziz (Sr., 6-4, Seattle, Wa./Foster) and Maurice Cato (Sr., 6-0, Fairfield, Ca.) also had 17 points.

McCarthy, who made 5-9 treys, connected on a 21-footer from the top of the key, giving NNU a 75-69 advantage and SPU got no closer than four points the rest of the way. Kevin Richard's three-point play pushed the margin to 78-71 1:36 left.

Tyler Jeans scored 16 points and Cam Wattling 14 for NNU, which had not won since Jan. 23.

The Falcons began the week ranked seventh in the West Region of Division II, with eight teams due to make the postseason cut. They stayed in close contact most of the game but never led by more than three. Jordan Lee's layup provided the last edge at 61-60 with 10 minutes to go.

SPU plays its final road game Saturday at 7 at Seattle University. The regular season concludes next week with two home games.

SEATTLE PACIFIC -- Cato 5-10 3-3 17, Harris 1-4 0-0 2, Aziz 7-12 3-5 17, Chivers 8-11 1-1 17, Sandrin 2-4 4-4 8, Lee 1-1 0-0 2, Binetti 0-1 0-0 0, Knudson 1-6, 5-6 7, Keely 0-5 2-2 2, Woodard 2-6 0-0 4. Totals 27-60 18-21 76.

NW NAZARENE -- Richard 4-4 2-3 10, Jeans 7-12 0-1 16, Graves 4-8 2-2 10, McCarthy 6-10 4-5 21, Wattling 5-7 4-7 14, Mosbacher 0-0 0-0 0, Casper 0-1 0-0 0, Lehrschall 1-3 7-10 10, Gerome 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 28-46 19-28 83.

Three-point goals--SPU 4-14 (Cato 4-8), NNU 8-15 (McCarthy 5-9, Jeans 2-4, Lehrschall 1-2). Fouled out--Aziz. Rebounds--SPU 33 (Sandrin 7), NNU 25 (Wattling 5). Assists--SPU 15 (Sandrin 4), NNU 16 (Jeans, Graves 5). Total fouls--SPU 22, NNU 17. Halftime--NNU 43, SPU 41.