Darbi Gustafson scored a career-high 24 points in leading No.19 Northwestern College to a 98-53 home win over Doane in the Red Raiders GPAC opener played this afternoon at the Bultman Center. 

Northwestern improves to 1-0 in the GPAC and moves to 4-3 overall. Doane drops to 0-2 in the GPAC, 3-3 overall. 

For the fourth straight game, Gustafson poured in 20+ points, netting a career-best 24 points to lead the Red Raiders. The junior post player also pulled down 10 rebounds for her third double-double. Kassidy De Jong added 23 points, going 8-for-9 from the free throw line, to go with seven boards. Sammy Blum netted a career-high 14, draining four three-pointers, and Haley Birks added 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks.

How It Happened...

Scoring was hard to come by early for both teams but an 8-1 Northwestern run put the hosts in front 16-10 at the end of the first quarter; Northwestern shot 39% in the first quarter compared to 33% by Doane

After Doane tied the game at 16 with a three-pointer by Bailey Zarybnicky at the 8:51 mark of the second quarter, Northwestern outscored the Tigers 12-2 over a two minute stretch to take the lead for good. Blum knocked down a three-pointer moments later for a 31-18 advantage and Northwestern pushed the lead to 16 (43-27) by intermission.

The Red Raiders began the second half with a 27-4 run, limiting Doane to one field goal over six minutes, for a 70-31 lead with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

Northwestern shot 50% during the final two quarters and held Doane to under 40%

By the Numbers...

Northwestern shot 505 for the game, 10/24 (42%) from the three-point line; Doane made 38% of its field goal attempts, 20% (4/20) from the three-point line

Both teams shot well from the free throw line but Northwestern had a big edge with 22 made free throws compared to nine for Doane

Northwestern dominated the boards, 44-25, and pulled down 13 on the offensive glass.

Gustafson has now scored 20+ points in five of the seven games this season; De Jong has four 20+ games

Gustafson became the 43rd women's basketball player to pull down 400 rebounds in a career

Maneman dished out 10 assists, her third 10+ assist game of the season; the senior moved into second place all-time in career assists (560), passing Mandy Carr (2004-08)

Birks moved into seventh place all-time in career blocks (75)