With relentlessness and determination for the second half, Raider defense led the women’s basketball team to a home win of 66-46 versus Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 13. Giving Northwestern a solid Great Plains Athletic Conference win. On Saturday, Jan. 16, NW women’s basketball traveled to Crete, Nebraska for another conference game against the Doane Tigers, where they blew out the competition 73-39. Devyn Kemble, a junior guard, matched her career high with 26 points and tailed three steals as well. Freshman Molly Schany, with an incredible game, accounted for her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. After Saturday’s game, the Raiders are now 9-5 in GPAC and 9-8 overall, they continue to strive for more wins as they have a four-game winning streak under their belts.
Jan. 13, at home against DWU, NW was trailing by four (35-31) in the early third quarter of the match, but seized control of the game with a 16-0 run, holding DWU scoreless for nearly seven minutes, taking the lead of 47-35. As the score kept going up the Raiders forced DWU into six turnovers and seven consecutive missed shots.
To kick off the final quarter, sophomore Emilee Danner scored a three-pointer to set the tone on the NW first possession, which put them in front with double digits, while a pair of free throws by junior Jada Cunningham finished their run of 14-3, which gave NW a 20-point lead at 61-41. With the team’s hard work and perseverance, they did not stop there. With only six minutes left of the game, the Raiders continued to play spectacular defense to hold DWU to only two field goals during the final quarter.
With a great win, Danner led the NW offense with 12-points, followed by Schany with 11 points and four rebounds. Cunningham and Kemble added nine and eight points while Taylor VanderVelde contributed six points and six assists. As the season progresses the Raider women are showing much talent, Schany has scored double figures in 11 games, being second on the team for points. Danner has scored in double figures in five games this season, Maddi Jones, who currently leads the GPAC in assist/turnover ratio, has missed just two free throws all season giving her a 93-shooting percentage.
The raiders look forward to thier game at Hastings Saturday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m.
