Olathe, Kan. – The 10th seeded Northwestern College (18-12) fell to the 7th seeded MidAmerica Christian University (26-6) with a final score of 73-63 on Friday, in a NAIA postseason first round matchup held in Olathe, Kansas.Â
The first quarter opened with MACU taking an early lead, but the Raiders quickly responded with Allison Piercy scoring at 8:18 after a defensive rebound. The Raiders showed resilience with effective play in the paint, highlighted by Hali Anderson's scoring streak, including a three-point play at 5:17 that tied the game at 9-9. Despite the Raiders' strong defensive rebounding, the Evangels managed to maintain a slight edge, ending the quarter with a 17-13 lead.Â
In the second quarter, the Raiders came storming back, outscoring MACU 19-14. Piercy was instrumental, scoring a 3-pointer at 7:58 and later adding an and one layup where she converted the free throw at 6:21 to tie the game at 21-21. Ashtyn Wobig contributed with a pair of free throws at 5:46, giving the Raiders a lead. Jenna Kluxdal also made significant impact on both sides of the ball, helping the Raiders maintain momentum.Â
In the third quarter, the Raiders started the second half strong, keeping their lead for most of the third quarter. Anderson contributed significantly with a 3-pointer at 9:23 and another at 3:51, aiding the Raiders' efforts to keep pace. Piercy added to the scoring with a min range jumper at 8:10, while Kluxdal capped the quarter with key free throws bringing the Raiders' total to 48 by the end of the quarter, but a four-point deficit.Â
In the fourth quarter, Molly Schany and Anderson left it all out on the floor combining for 13 of the team's 15 points. Despite these efforts, the Raiders faced an impressive performance from MACU, particularly from Shy Christopher, who finished with 30 points, leading to a final score of 73-63 in favor of MACU.Â
GAME NOTESÂ
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