Saturday, November 14, 2026
Friday night gave NAIA basketball a little bit of everything: a game-winning four-point play, a Top 25 showdown decided from beyond the arc, a historic triple-double and another offensive explosion from unbeaten Georgia Gwinnett.
Let’s dive in.
Grimes delivers in the clutch for Georgetown
No. 5 Georgetown 82, WVU Tech 81
Georgetown needed one play. Dantwan Grimes gave the Tigers four points in a single trip.
Grimes converted the game-winning four-point play to lift No. 5 Georgetown past WVU Tech 82–81 in a Friday night thriller. He finished with a team-high 21 points, while Khore Furlow pulled down 13 rebounds as the Tigers escaped with a one-point victory.
It was the kind of finish that can turn an ordinary November game into one people remember when March arrives.
Nelson shoots its way past Freed-Hardeman
No. 7 Nelson 97, No. 11 Freed-Hardeman 80
Nelson took a seven-point lead into halftime of Friday’s Top 25 showdown. Then the Lions found another gear from the perimeter.
Henry Sanchez scored 16 of his 19 points after the break, knocking down all four of his second-half three-point attempts as Nelson pulled away for a 97–80 win over Freed-Hardeman. Nelson hit eight of its 11 attempts from deep in the second half and finished 13-for-24 for the game.
Jared Harris matched Sanchez with 19 points and added nine rebounds. Zion Hunter scored 16, while Trelin Green contributed 11 points and eight assists as Nelson improved to 5–0.
Rico Yarbrough led Freed-Hardeman with 16 points and six rebounds, and Caleb Thomas added 14. FHU was within striking distance at the break, trailing 44–37, but Nelson’s shooting made the gap grow in a hurry.
Georgia Gwinnett puts up 113
No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett 113, Cumberland (Tenn.) 84
Georgia Gwinnett didn’t need to lean on one hot hand. The Grizzlies brought the whole bench along for the ride.
All 13 players who appeared scored, five reached double figures, and Georgia Gwinnett handed out 23 assists on 41 made field goals. The result was a 113–84 win over Cumberland and, according to the school, the first 7–0 start in program history.
Devontre Chaney led the Grizzlies with 17 points and eight assists. Ray Rolley added 16, Josh Ray scored 14 on 7-of-8 shooting, and Patrick Johnson grabbed 12 rebounds. Jaren Davis led Cumberland with 19 points.
Now comes a measuring-stick opportunity: Keiser visits Georgia Gwinnett for today’s Top Game of the Day.
Pierre-Louis delivers a historic triple-double
Benedictine Mesa 119, Justice 106
Taevon Pierre-Louis did a little bit of everything Friday night, and by the time he was finished, his name was in the Benedictine Mesa record book.
Pierre-Louis piled up 22 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists for the second triple-double in program history as the Redhawks outscored Justice 119–106. His all-around performance powered another big offensive night for a BenU Mesa team that has won three straight and improved to 3–1.
More from Friday
Hope International 82, Bethesda 63
Hope International climbed back to .500 with its second straight win. After beating Stanton earlier in the week, the Royals followed it with a 19-point victory over Bethesda to move to 3–3.
Azusa Pacific 79, Life Pacific 68
Life Pacific got productive nights from Austin Johnson and Kesean Bazile, but Azusa Pacific’s outside shooting proved too much. Johnson scored 18, Bazile added 17 on 6-of-9 shooting, and Tylon Williams finished with 11. Azusa Pacific made 14 three-pointers, including nine before halftime, on the way to the 11-point win.
Top 25 scoreboard: Friday’s verified finals
Rankings are from the November 11 NAIA coaches’ poll. This is a partial scoreboard, not a complete list of ranked teams in action.
- No. 5 Georgetown 82, WVU Tech 81
- No. 7 Nelson 97, No. 11 Freed-Hardeman 80
- No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett 113, Cumberland (Tenn.) 84
- No. 14 Montana Tech 98, Stanton 53
- No. 22 Keiser 84, Carolina (N.C.) 67
Top performers
- Taevon Pierre-Louis, Benedictine Mesa: 22 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists for a historic triple-double.
- Dantwan Grimes, Georgetown: 21 points and the game-winning four-point play.
- Henry Sanchez, Nelson: 19 points, including 16 in the second half, and five made three-pointers.
- Jared Harris, Nelson: 19 points and nine rebounds in the ranked win.
- Devontre Chaney, Georgia Gwinnett: 17 points and eight assists.
- Patrick Johnson, Georgia Gwinnett: Eight points and 12 rebounds.
- Austin Johnson, Life Pacific: 18 points, including 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
- Kesean Bazile, Life Pacific: 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and three steals.
