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Northwest Nazarene University Athletics

Offense stalls late as No. 18 NNU women fall at St. Martin’s

| By: Mike Stetson, Sports Information Director
Box Score

LACEY, Wash. – A poor offensive night – highlighted by missed free throws – spoiled the Crusaders perfect season Saturday.

The18th-ranked Northwest Nazarene women's basketball team hit just 17-of-55 shots from the field (30.9 percent) and 19-of-31 free throws (61.3 percent) in a 61-56 loss at Saint Martin's in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

"Basically, what the game came down to is we missed our free throws," NNU coach Ryan Bragdon said. "We are an 81 percent free-throw shooting team and we shot 61.3 percent, and some of those were front ends of one-and-ones."

NNU (7-1 overall, 1-1 GNAC) entered the game with the league's best shooting percentage (48.7 percent) and best free-throw percentage (81.0 percent), but struggled against the Saints (5-3, 1-1), who clamped down over the final four minutes to erase a two-point Crusader lead.

Three straight free throws by Taylor Simmons put NNU in front, 54-52, with 4:07 left in the game, then NNU went 0-for-3 with three turnovers during a 7-0 run that won the game for the Saints.

Angela Gelhar hit a 3-pointer to snap a 54-54 tie, and then she added two more free throws to give the Saints a commanding 59-54 edge with 15 seconds to play. Gelhar finished with a game-high 27 points.

The Crusaders led 20-15 in first half after two Kayla Schumann free throws, but struggled offensively all night and found themselves in a 49-41 hole with 9:48 left in the second half.

NNU inched out in front with a 13-3 run, though, capped by Simmons' free throws before the Saints made their final victorious charge.

"I thought every other facet of the game we played well enough to win," Bragdon said, as NNU held the Saints to 30.0 percent shooting (15-of-50) and outrebounded St. Martin's 44-30, "but games are won on the free-throw line and the boards. And we did one of those two."

Megan Hingston led NNU as she finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while Kylee Schierman added 10 rebounds for the Crusaders, who now get nine days off before playing in Hawaii against Chaminade on Dec. 17.
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