PORTLAND, Ore. — The Crusaders look to be peaking at the perfect time.

The Northwest Nazarene women's basketball team moved within a game of clinching a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday night by completing a weekend road sweep, charging out of an early hole to sink host Concordia, 76-61.

"I think we are starting to believe in ourselves finally," NNU head coach Steve Steele said.

The Crusaders (11-13 overall, 9-9 GNAC) have reason to believe as they need either one win in their next two games, or a loss by Central Washington and Concordia in their next two games, to clinch a playoff spot.

NNU inched closer to the playoffs by surging with a 17-6 run the final two minutes of the first quarter through the mid-point of the second quarter, a run that staved off some early Cavalier momentum.

Kate Cryderman — who earlier in the day competed in the GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships in Nampa, Idaho, then flew to Portland for Saturday night's game — started the charge out a 16-8 hole with a bucket.

McKenna Walker added seven points, including a run-capping jumper that put the Crusaders on top 25-22, and they never trailed again.

A Cryderman 3-points made it 33-26 at halftime, Lexi Tubbs — who like Cryderman competed in the GNAC Championships in Nampa and won the 60-meter hurdles title on Saturday — hit a 3-ball for a 49-35 lead midway through the third quarter, and two Marina Vallés free throws stretched the margin to 56-37 late in the third as NNU cruised to the win.

"I'm proud of our team effort," Steele said, "I'm proud we didn't panic when they started out hot and then again when they went on a run in the fourth quarter.

"When we defend we can play with anybody."

Walker led the way in the win for NNU by matching her career high with 22 points and setting a career-best with 13 rebounds.
 

Cryderman, doing two-sport duty, had 15 points and six boards, Raquel Jardine added 10 points and seven rebounds, and GNAC 60-meter hurdles champion, Tubbs, had seven points and three rebounds in the win.

The Crusaders are now set up perfectly to punch their playoff ticket on Tuesday night as they play at Central Washington. NNU then closes out the regular season at Montana State Billings on Saturday.