Box Score




NAMPA, Idaho — The wait proved to be worth it.

A month and a half into the season, the Crusaders finally played their home opener Monday night, rolling past long-time rival The College of Idaho, 78-65 in nonconference action at the Johnson Sports Center, much to the delight of 200-plus fans on hand.
 

"It's always good to get a win, it doesn't matter who it's against," Northwest Nazarene head women's basketball coach Ryan Bragdon said. "But it's fun to get it against The C of I, I know it's a big rivalry.

"They played well tonight and we did a lot of things we've been working on," NNU's coach added.

After focusing all last week on defense in practice, that facet of the game set the tone on the night as the Coyotes shot just 38.9 percent from the floor and committed 29 turnovers.

That allowed the Crusaders to erase recent setbacks away from home during a seven-game, season-opening road trip, and it sends NNU into the Christmas break on a high note as the Crusaders next play on New Year's Eve, hosting Saint Martin's at 5:15 p.m. that evening.

"Just focusing on our defense and stuff we need to get better at," NNU guard Ellie Logan noted as a key to the team's success. "We worked all week on that, so we're trying to key in on that."

Both teams took their time getting keyed in, but a Danielle Jardine free throw gave NNU a 17-16 edge after the opening quarter and sent the Crusaders on their way.

A 12-0 run early in the second quarter, capped by a Taylor Simmons fast-break layup following a Logan steal, put NNU in command, up 31-20.
 

Up 40-30 in the opening seconds of the second half, the Crusaders (2-6 overall, 0-2 GNAC) tried to blow the game open with a 8-0 run fueled by six straight points from Kate Cryderman, but the Coyotes (2-6, 1-1 Cascade) managed to hang around.

Two Madison Pilster free throws trimmed the lead down to 55-48, but the Crusaders answered getting a half dozen points from McKenna Walker and four more from Logan during a 12-0 charge that ensured there would be no chance of a Coyote comeback.

Logan finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds for NNU, which also got 13 points from Walker, 12 points from Cryderman, and 11 points and five assist from Simmons.