SENATOBIA - Tied at 33 apiece at the end of the first half, Northwest stormed out to a 52-point second half performance to earn an 85-72 victory against a solid and previously unbeaten SAU Tech squad on Monday evening.

Northwest had four players score in double figures, as the Rangers remained unbeaten at 3-0 on the season. The Rockets fell to 2-1 overall.

Isaiah Gaines set the tone early for the Rangers, scoring the game's first basket on a thunderous dunk less than two minutes into the contest. T.J. Hannah then followed with a jumper to make it a quick 4-0 lead for the home team.

SAU Tech wasn't going to make it easy on the Rangers however, and the Rockets quickly caught fire, rallying from a 7-2 deficit to take a 9-7 lead on a layup from Allen Taylor with 14:49 on the clock.

After Kon Chol's three-pointer made it a 12-10 lead for the Rockets at the 13:15 mark of the first half, both teams went on a scoring drought that lasted four minutes. James Richards III finally broke the ice with a three-pointer, giving Northwest a slim 13-12 advantage, only for SAU Tech to regain the lead on a three from Neil Rice.

SAU Tech led for most of the final 10 minutes of the first half, as the Rockets stretched their advantage to six points three different times. The final six-point lead of the half came on a Deron Canada three-pointer with 2:30 left to go, sparking a mini-run from the Rangers that included a pair of three-pointers from London Taylor and Kavonte Tunstall.

Northwest aimed to take a slim 33-31 lead into the halftime break, but a quick turnover and a layup from Donovan Vickers at the buzzer sent both teams to the locker rooms knotted at 33 apiece.

Momentum shifted in the Rangers' direction to begin the second half, as back-to-back three-pointers from Taylor helped Northwest to a quick 10-point lead. The Rangers would later stretch the lead to 15 on a fast-break layup from Pickett, only for the Rockets to regain a 55-54 lead, thanks to an 18-2 run.

Northwest would then move back ahead by seven, 62-55, with made free throws by Pickett and Cooper, along with a pair of fast-break layups from Taylor and Hannah. After SAU Tech pulled back within three at the 8:35 mark of the second half, Northwest went ahead by double-digits and never looked back, leading by as many as 18 late in the contest.

Taylor led all scorers with 18 points and five rebounds, followed closely by a 16-point effort from Pickett, which was accompanied by five rebounds and four assists. Hannah also totaled 14 points, along with 12 points, eight assists and seven boards from Cooper.

Gaines led the Rangers with 12 rebounds to go with his eight points, while Richards and Tunstall compiled seven points apiece off the bench.

Northwest shot 43 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three-point range, while also completing 14 of 18 free throw attempts. The Rockets finished 39 percent from the floor and 33 percent from beyond the arc.

Taylor led SAU Tech with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Vickers finished with 13 points, four assists and four rebounds. Rice also compiled 12 points to lead the Rockets off the bench.

Northwest will turn its attention to Thursday evening, November 11, as the Rangers welcome Faith Prep to Howard Coliseum. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Rangers earned a 106-72 victory on Nov. 20, 2019.

Thursday's contest is tentatively set to be carried on Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch) and Facebook Live, but coverage details will be finalized the day of the game.