BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball picked up a huge road win on Thursday night, using a great second-half shooting performance to down Western Washington 63-51.
With the win, the Nighthawks improved to 2-2 in GNAC play and 8-5 overall. This was the sixth time in 23 tries that NNU has been able to beat WWU on the road since joining the NCAA in 2001-02.
After just eight points in the first quarter, NNU won each of the next three periods including a 21-14 third quarter advantage. The Nighthawks shot 54% from the field and 50% from three in the second half, including 8-13 (62%) as they closed out the game in the fourth.
WWU opened the game with an 8-0 run and the Nighthawks spent the rest of the first quarter trying to claw back into the game, cutting the deficit to five at 13-8.
After the Vikings stretched the lead back to six early in the second quarter, the Nighthawks went on a 10-1 run that included a pair of threes from
Kate Clark. Her second triple in the stretch put NNU up three, 18-15, with 4:37 to go before halftime.
NNU maintained the lead over the rest of the half, going into the break ahead by one at 24-23.
WWU kept threatening to take back the lead for most of the third quarter, but a late 9-3 NNU run put the Nighthawks up eight heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
Madeline Gebers went off from deep in the third, drilling four triples on six attempts from beyond the arc.
Another Gebers three-pointer gave the Nighthawks their largest lead of the game of 12, 53-41, with 6:32 remaining in the fourth.
WWU was able to cut the margin back down to four, 55-51, with just under three minutes to play, but the Vikings did not score again. NNU closed the game with eight straight points, with six from
Kate Clark, for the 63-51 victory.
Gebers poured in a game-best 22 points, going 6-9 from deep and 8-12 overall while adding seven rebounds.
Kate Clark was also in double figures with 12 points.
Kendall Clark had an off night from the floor with six points, but countered that with a season-high 13 rebounds.
The Nighthawks will now cross the border into Canada to take on Simon Fraser on Saturday, with opening tip set for 1:00 p.m. Pacific.
