NAMPA, Idaho - Lindsay Brady knocked home the first of two free throws with 6:28 to play in the first half to become the 20th women's player all-time to score 1,000 points as the Northwest Nazarene University women's basketball team defeated Montana State University Billings 78-60 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa.

 

Brady, a senior from Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, scored a game-high 16 as the Crusaders improved to 13-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play.  Kristin Hein shared game-high honors with Brady, also scoring 16 and grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with her third double-double of the year. 

 

Brady entered the game with 995 career points and now has 1,011 points in 99 career games played.  She is also the 38th-player in GNAC history to reach the 1,000 point mark.

 

Montana State Billings (9-7, 2-3 GNAC) led by five early at 12-7 with 13:14 to go, but the Crusaders took control with a 20-6 run capped by a Julianne Bazzi triple to lead 38-24 with 2:00 minutes to play in the half.  The run included four points each from Brady, Hein, and Beth Johnson, a lay-in from Katharina Schulte to Buhne, and a three-pointer by Heather Adams.

 

After the break the Yellowjackets would cut the lead to 10 at 43-33 on a Kayla Ryan jumper with 16:20 to play, but the Crusader offense responded with a 10-3 burst and would lead by as many as 24 to improve to 9-1 at home this season.

 

"I was really pleased that we focused on the effort part of the game," commented NNU head coach Kelli Lindley.  "To out-rebound them 53-32 just shows how important the effort part of the game is.  When two of our guards (Lindsay and Janee) were having a competition between themselves to see how many rebounds they could get...you just can't ask for more than that."

 

Olds matched Hein with 10 rebounds to share game-high honors on the glass and Brady pulled down eight.  Jennifer Williams was the third Crusader to reach double-figures, scoring 10 and grabbing five rebounds.  Johnson finished with seven points and five rebounds, while Schulte to Buhne had five points and seven boards.

 

Ryan led the 'Jackets with 12 points and Sarah McNamee scored 10.

 

The Crusaders held MSUB to 31.4-percent (16-51) shooting from the field and forced 20 turnovers.  NNU finished with 19 assists against 15 turnovers, the third lowest turnover mark of the season for the Crusaders.

 

Next weekend the Crusaders will host Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday as part of doubleheader action with the men's team.  Tip-off will be at 5:15 p.m. both nights.