Box Score



NAMPA, Idaho — It was a near-perfect tune-up in preparation to play the No. 2-ranked team in the nation.

Not overlooking Alaska for one second, the Northwest Nazarene women came out on fire and blew the game open quickly, rolling to a 74-57 win in Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball Thursday night at the Johnson Sports Center.

Next up: No. 2-ranked Alaska Anchorage.

"It was very good for three quarters," NNU head women's basketball coach Ryan Bragdon said of his team's play as the Crusaders led by as many as 29 points.
 

"When we played good defense it translated into good offense, that's kind of what we've been talking about," added Bragdon, admitting the only blemish on the evening might have been a brief let-down in the fourth quarter.

That's when the Nanooks whittled a 65-36 NNU advantage down to a mere 13-point difference before a 3-pointer from McKenna Walker ignited a Crusaders finishing flourish.

"We'll be talking about that you've got to finish it out and play four quarters," Bragdon said, "every game in conference is a 4-quarter game."

Certainly expect as much come Saturday night at 7 when NNU battles first-place UAA, the defending league champs and No. 2 ranked team in the land. The Seawolves are coached by former NNU player and assistant women's coach Ryan McCarthy.

The Crusaders (5-8 overall, 3-4 GNAC) had total focus on the other Alaska school Thursday night, despite the big game looming on the horizon, as NNU held the Nanooks to a lone 3 in the final 7 minutes of the opening quarter.

That defensive effort fueled a 17-3 charge, then NNU never let the margin dip into single digits the rest of the night.

Up 21-9 at the end of one quarter after a Walker free throw, the Crusaders took a 34-16 lead on a Taylor Simmons freebie just before halftime, and led 50-26 after an Elayna Rice charity toss in the third quarter.
 

A Kelli Christenson 3-ball to open the final stanza pushed the Crusaders advantage to its largest of the night, up 65-36, before the Nanooks made their late surge.

Walker's 3 silenced Alaska's comeback and the Crusaders closed on a small run to ice the win.

Walker led a balanced Crusader attack with 12 points in the win, going 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc.

"I want to give credit to my teammates, they saw me in the corner," Walker said. "They just kind of put the ball in my hands and I was ready to shoot, and luckily I was on tonight and it worked out."

Ellie Logan added 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while Christenson tossed in nine points, and Simmons added seven points, seven steals and five assists for the Crusaders.