HASTINGS, Neb. – The No. 16-ranked Northwestern College women’s basketball team (23-7, 15-7 GPAC) fell in their final regular season game to Hastings College (15-13, 11-11 GPAC) 73-51.
The Broncos jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead early in the first quarter. Northwestern would take their first lead (10-8) at the 3:39 mark in the first quarter after a Jada Cunningham (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington) made three. The teams would continue to trade baskets and the lead but a made Devyn Kemble (Sr., Panora, Iowa/Panorama) jumper at the end of the quarter would give the Raiders a 15-14 lead at the end of one.
The Hastings defense would give the Raider offense fits and the first made field goal for Northwestern in the second quarter would come at the 5:31 mark. Hastings would build a nine-point lead with just over four minutes to go in the half. Another made Cunningham three would cut the deficit to six but Hastings would respond and stretch their lead to 12 (36-24). Taylor VanderVelde (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington) would go one-for-two at the line and then a Maddie Jones (Jr., Twin Lakes, Iowa/South Central Calhoun) made three would cut the lead to six (36-30). The Broncos would hit a three with one minute to go and take a nine-point lead into the half.
Hastings would come out of the half and stretch the lead to 15 (46-31). The Raiders were unable to find a rhythm offensively and did not made a field goal until the 1:43 mark in the third quarter. Free-throws and multiple defensive stops were able to keep Northwestern within striking distance but the Raiders trailed 58-42 going into the final frame.
The fourth quarter would see more of the same from Northwestern. Unable to find a rhythm offensively that would allow them to comeback saw the Broncos close out the win.
Up Next: The Raiders earned the No. 4-seed in this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) conference tournament and will play host to the No. 5-seed Briar Cliff Chargers (17-12, 13-9 GPAC) on Wednesday, February 23 inside the Bultman Center.
