Orange City, Iowa. – Northwestern fell to Briar Cliff with a final score of 66-60 on Wednesday at the Bultman Center. 

In the first quarter, the Red Raiders exhibited strong offensive play, particularly in the paint where they scored 14 points. Allison Piercy played a pivotal role, contributing with a steal and a layup at 7:32, followed by another layup assisted by Hali Anderson at 5:01, helping the team to take a lead after trailing at the start. Lexie Van Kekerix also aided the offense with a 3-pointer and two assists. Maren Nerem was active on the boards and scored consecutive layups, extending the Raiders' lead to 17-11 by 2:31. The home team managed to maintain this momentum to end the quarter with a 19-13 lead over the Chargers. 

In the second quarter, the Raiders extended their lead over the Chargers with a strong performance, highlighted by consecutive scoring from Molly Schany, who contributed key free throws at 3:13 to maintain the lead. Piercy played a crucial role, assisting on multiple plays and scoring a layup and a 3-pointer, helping the Raiders to a 10-point advantage at one point. Anderson also contributed significantly, with a layup at 2:00 and a defensive rebound, leading to an eventual 16-12 quarter score in favor of the Raiders. 

The third quarter saw the Raiders extend their lead over the Chargers, highlighted by a strong defensive performance and effective scoring in the paint. Anderson contributed significantly with a key layup and an assist, while Van Kekerix added a 3-pointer at a crucial moment, helping the Raiders to a 15-point lead at 37 seconds left in the quarter. Ashtyn Wobig's successful free throws and Schany's defensive rebounds also played a pivotal role in maintaining the team's momentum, securing a 13-8 scoring advantage in the quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, the Raiders held a strong lead early with a 16-point advantage at the 9:10 mark. Van Kekerix and Schany contributed crucial points in the paint, while Wobig added a layup to maintain the team's scoring momentum. Despite the Raiders' efforts, the Chargers' Mallie McNair led a comeback with 19 fourth quarter points, culminating in a close finish with the Chargers securing a 66-60 victory. 

GAME NOTES 

• Molly Schany led the team in scoring with 11 points 

• Lexie Van Kekerix was cleaning off the glass with 13 rebounds 

• Hali Anderson worked the box score with 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal 

• Allison Piercy played a pivotal role with 10 points and 4 assists 

• The Raiders outrebounded the Chargers 46-27 

Up Next: The Raiders will travel to Crete, Neb. to take on Doane at 2 PM on February 1st. 

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