Four Red Raiders scored in double figures in leading No.15 Northwestern College to a 78-57 win over Briar Cliff this afternoon at the Bultman Center.

The win improves Northwestern to 3-1 in the GPAC, 6-4 overall. Briar Cliff drops to 2-2 in the GPAC, 5-7 overall.

Darbi Gustafson and Kassidy De Jong scored 14 points each and pulled down seven and eight rebounds, respectively. Paige Danner drained three three-pointers en route to a 13-point effort and Anna Kiel netted 11 points in her season debut. 

How It Happened...

A Danner three-pointer opened the game's scoring and began a 9-3 Northwestern run; Briar Cliff made it a one-point game (12-11) after a jumper by Logan Ehlers but Northwestern closed with a 9-3 surge to take a 21-14 first quarter lead.

A basket by Kiel gave Northwestern its first double digit lead at the 4-minute mark and the hosts led by 10 (39-29) at the half. 

Two free throws by Ehlers put Briar Cliff down by just four (44-40) but Northwestern outscored the Chargers 18-4, led by both De Jong and Renee Maneman, over the final five minutes to take a 62-44 lead by the end of the third. The Red Raiders limited BCU to 27% from the field in the the third quarter.

Baskets by De Jong and Gustafson followed by a three-pointer and lay-up from Danner capped a 9-0 Northwestern run to push the lead to 71-44 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter.

By the Numbers...

Northwestern shot 46% for the game, 41% (7-for-17) from the three-point line; Briar Cliff shot 36% from the field, 4-for-18 (22%) from the three-point line.

Both teams shot well from the free-throw line; Northwestern 11/14 for 79%, Briar Cliff 13/16 for 81%

The Red Raiders held a 37-36 edge on the boards; Northwestern committed 15 turnovers compared to 24 by Briar Cliff

Haley Birks scored six points, pulled down seven boards and totaled two blocked shots

Renee Maneman dished out a game-high nine assists and totaled three steals

Taylor Wagner and Johanna Vaske both scored 17 points for the Chargers; Vaske pulled down 10 rebounds