Box Score Darbi Gustafson put in a lay-up with under five seconds left to give Northwestern College a 98-97 win over No.4 Morningside in a GPAC match-up played tonight in Sioux City, Iowa. Northwestern improves to 1-3 in conference play, 7-3 overall, while Morningside lost for the first time this season and drops to 2-1 in the GPAC, 5-1 overall.
Kassidy De Jong poured in a career-high 36 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Gustafson also netted a career-best with 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Paige Danner added 13 points and Renee Maneman scored 12 and dished out 10 assists for her second double-double. Chanda Zomermaand put in 11 points off the bench, giving the Red Raiders five players in double figures.
How It Happened...
A three-pointer by Lexi Ackerman put the Mustangs in front early, 16-6, with four minutes left in the first quarter.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Chanda Zomermaand followed by a lay-up by Kassidy De Jong brought Northwestern within two (16-14). The Red Raiders were down four (23-19) by the first break.
Morningside pushed the lead to 10 once again (31-21), going on an 8-2 run at the start of the 2nd quarter. Northwestern, however, slowly came back and after consecutive baskets by De Jong to cap an 11-2 run, the Red Raiders led 45-43 just before the half. Two free throws and a three-pointer by Lex Ackerman gave the hosts the lead into halftime, 48-47.
Northwestern shot 70%, outscoring Morningside 23-13 in the third quarter, to open up a 70-61 lead. De Jong scored 10, Gustafson six and Paige Danner added five in the quarter.
The Red Raiders still led by nine (80-71) after a three-point play by Gustafson but Morningside outscored NWC 15-5 over a five-minute span to take its first lead since early in the third quarter, 86-85. The teams traded baskets over the next minute until baskets by Danner, Maneman and a free throw from De Jong put Northwestern back in front, 94-90, with 33 seconds left.
Lauren Lehmkuhl drained a long three-pointer to put the score at 94-93 and both De Jong and Lexi Ackerman converted two free throws for their respective teams to keep it a one-point game. Morningside then forced a turnover and a lay-up by Madison Braun gave the Mustangs a one point edge with 10 seconds left but Maneman found Gustafson open down the court for the game-winning lay-up.
By the Numbers...
Northwestern shot 52% for the game, 47% (8-for-17) from the three-point arc; Morningside shot 47% from the field, 44% (14/32) from the three-point line.
Morningside held the edge in rebounding (36-35) but Northwestern committed less turnovers (15-13)
Northwestern was very good from the charity stripe, making 30/34 (88%); Morningside was 15/22 (68%)
De Jong has scored in double figures in every game this season; has back-to-back 30-point games; tonight was the 8th double-double of her career
Maneman has dished out 10+ assists in three straight games and has seven for her career
Haley Birks totaled three blocks and leads the GPAC with 18 for the season
Lexi Ackerman led Morningside with 33 points; Madison Braun added 22 and Lauren Lemkuhl chipped in 15.
