Darbi Gustafson matched her career-high with 29 points in leading No.5 Northwestern to a 95-71 win over 25th-ranked Midland in a GPAC match-up played this afternoon at the Bultman Center. The Red Raiders pushed their win streak to seven games and improve to 6-1 in the GPAC, 10-1 overall.
The Warriors fall to 4-4 in the conference, 7-5 overall.
Gustafson, one of five Red Raiders to score in double figures, converted 12 of her 17 field goal attempts and all four free throws en route to 29 points, matching her career-best set earlier this season against Dakota State. Gustafson also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, earning her sixth double-double of the season.
Kassidy De Jong netted 16 points and both Bre Schuiteman and
Haley Birks scored 14 points.
Jada Cunningham chipped in a career-high 10 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
Baskets by Gustafson and two free throws by
Sammy Blum put the Red Raiders up 6-0 from the start as the hosts opened up a 27-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. Schuiteman knocked down the second of her four three-pointers to put Northwestern up 19 (38-19) midway through the second quarter and teams traded baskets for the final five minutes, ending with a 50-31 Red Raider lead at half.
Consecutive three-point plays by Makenna Sullivan made it a 15-point game at the start of the second half but Northwestern came back with a 16-6 run, extending its lead to 68-43 after a three-pointer by
Kassidy De Jong with 5:23 left in the third quarter. Schuiteman's final three-pointer put Coach Yaw's squad in front 77-50 by quarters end, matching the largest lead of the game.
Northwestern shot 44% for the game, 35% (7/20) from the three-point arc and 92% (24/26) from the free throw line. The Red Raiders held a commanding 53-40 edge on the boards and committed just 10 turnovers. Blum dished out seven assists and Cunningham totaled four assists.
Midland shot 36% for the game, 24% (5/21) from the arc. Three players, Sullivan, Amanda Hansen and Maddie Egr, all scored 14 points to lead the Warriors.
Northwestern will host Briar Cliff on Wednesday night, Dec. 12, at 6pm.
