Darbi Gustafson and Kassidy De Jong scored 16 points each in leading No.15 Northwestern College to a 75-61 road win over College of Saint Mary in a GPAC match-up played today in Omaha, Neb. The Red Raiders won their third straight game, matching their longest win streak of the season, and improve to 5-1 in conference play, 8-4 overall. 

De Jong, who also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds, made 8-of-11 free throw attempts en route to a 16-point effort. Gustafson went 4-for-7 from the field and converted 8-of-10 free throws against the Flames. Both players scored in double figures for the 12th time this season. Anna Kiel added 13 points, three boards and two assists coming off the Red Raider bench.

Down by one (27-26) in the second quarter, Kiel scored six consecutive points to put the Red Raiders in front for good (32-27) with 4:47 left in the first half. Northwestern held a one-point lead at halftime, 39-35.

A four point game (45-41) midway in the third, Northwestern put the Flames away with a 10-2 run, capped by a couple of free throws by De Jong to put her team up 55-43. The Red Raiders extended their lead to 13 early in the fourth after a basket by Haley Birks and went up by as much as 16 (72-56) on a jumper by Kiel with three minutes left. 

Northwestern shot 48% for the game and 71% (22/31) from the free throw line but struggled from beyond the arc, making 3-of-17 attempts. The Red Raiders had a big advantage on the boards (33-18), led by De Jong (9) and Gustafson (8). Both Birks and Renee Maneman dished out four assists. 

Gustafson (759) and Birks (751) became the 42nd and 43rd players in program history to reach the 750-point milestone, joining teammates De Jong (1,269) and Maneman (759).

College of Saint Mary was led by Miranda Acuna with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Corryne Millett was also in double figures with 10.

Northwestern will host Concordia (Neb.) on Friday, Dec. 15 at 5pm in the final game prior to the Christmas break.