A stifling effort on the defensive end helped propel No.2 Northwestern to a 76-41 road win over Briar Cliff in a GPAC match-up played tonight at the Newman Flanagan Center. The Red Raiders completed the season sweep against BCU and improve to 16-3 in the GPAC, 22-3 overall. 

Northwestern forced 28 turnovers and limited the host Chargers to 29% shooting for the game, 21% (3/14) from the three-point line. The Red Raiders held Briar Cliff to just six field goals in a first half that ended with a 36-15 NWC lead. 

Both Darbi Gustafson and Kassidy De Jong scored a game-high 13 points with Gustafson pulling down 10 boards for her 10th double-double of the season. Haley Birks scored 12 and Jada Cunningham netted 10 points and dished out three assists. 

Scoring for both teams was slow early as a jumper by Anna Kiel put Northwestern up 7-2 with nearly five minutes gone by. Following a basket by Chargers forward Logan Ehlers, Northwestern went on a 10-0 run, beginning with put-backs by Alexis Toering and ending with four straight points by Gustafson. Coach Yaw's squad led 16-6 at the first break.

Northwestern outscored BCU 20-9 in the second quarter and went into halftime up by 21 (36-15) following a three-pointer by Birks. 

The Chargers cut the NW lead to 18 on three-pointer by Jadyn Bussinger with 6:22 left in the third. A 10-0 Northwestern run quickly put the Red Raiders back in front by 28 with baskets by Sammy Blum and Taylor VanderVelde. The lead was 28 by quarters end (59-31) and two three-pointers by De Jong and another by Cunningham put Northwestern in front by 35 (71-36) midway into the final period. 

Northwestern shot 47% for the game, 36% (10/28) from the three-point arc and was outrebounded by one, 40-39. De Jong dished out five assists and Blum added three assists.

Briar Cliff shot 29% for the game and Taylor Wagner, Logan Ehlers and Mya Hendry all had seven points to lead the Chargers.