Northwestern survives upset bid with 82-72 win over Concordia
Top-ranked Northwestern College held on for an 82-72 women’s basketball win over Concordia on Monday evening. The Red Raiders moved to 15-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 8-7 overall and 2-4 in conference play with the loss.
Northwestern jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead following multiple turnovers by Concordia to start the game. The Bulldogs settled in, however, and a 15-4 run gave Concordia a 17-10 lead with less than 12 minutes remaining in the half.
The host Red Raiders responded with a 14-0 run later in the first half to grab a 28-21 advantage. A bucket by Kristen Conahan (Omaha, Neb.) stopped the Northwestern run, and the Bulldogs kept it close throughout the rest of the half. Northwestern settled for a 36-33 halftime advantage. Points off turnovers were the difference, as the Red Raiders totaled 17 points off Bulldog turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Northwestern maintained a slim lead for the first several minutes of the second half. A 3-pointer by Conahan pulled the Bulldogs within one at 45-44, and a lay up by Amber Kistler (Minatare, Neb.) gave Concordia a 46-45 lead with just over 14 minutes remaining in the contest.
The Raiders quickly responded, using a 15-4 run to take a 60-50 lead. Concordia wouldn’t go away, however, and a Conahan’s fourth 3-pointer of the half tied the game at 64-64. Northwestern pulled away with a 7-0 run to take a 71-64 lead with just over three minutes remaining. Concordia got no closer than five the rest of the way.
Each team totaled 32 points in the paint. Northwestern finished with 23 points off turnovers compared to just 12 for Concordia. The Bulldog bench held a 28-16 scoring advantage in the contest. Northwestern held a slim 36-35 rebounding advantage.
For the game, Northwestern was 28-of-59 from the field for 47.5 percent. The Raiders were 7-of-19 (36.8 percent) from deep and 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) from the foul line in the win. Becca Hurley scored a game-high 27 points for the Raiders. Hurley was 9-of-16 from the field, 3-of-7 from long range and 6-of-7 at the charity stripe. She also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out seven assists. Kendra De Jong added a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds for Northwestern College.
Concordia was 26-of-60 (43.3 percent) from the field, including just 5-of-17 from deep. The Bulldogs were 15-of-21 from the foul line for 71.4 percent. Conahan led four players in double figures with 16 points. The freshman was 6-of-11 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the three point line. Kat Ommen (Jefferson City, Mo.) had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Katie Rich (Tilden, Neb.) and Kristin Miller (Jefferson City, Mo.) also added 12 points apiece for the Bulldogs.
Concordia hosts York College on Wednesday evening. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center. No admission will be charged.