ARCATA, Calif. – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball took advantage of a big third quarter to defeat Cal Poly Humboldt 82-75 in the season opener on Friday night.
NNU outscored CPH 21-8 in the third frame, erasing a six-point halftime deficit and taking a lead they would never relinquish.
The teams exchanged the lead multiple times in the first quarter, before the Lumberjacks closed the period on a 7-0 run to take a 21-15 advantage. The margin grew to 10 early in the second quarter, but the Nighthawks rallied back to go into halftime down just six after a
Rylie Edlefsen three in the final minute.
Trinidie Nichols then started the third with a triple, followed by two free throws from
Beaux Bruegman and a layup from
Chloe Deharo that put NNU on top 43-42 just two minutes into the quarter. A three by
Hadley Craig at the 5:46 mark made it 48-44 and capped a 12-2 Nighthawks run to start the second half.
NNU led by as much as nine in the third, but Humboldt fought back to cut the deficit to three, 66-63, with 4:12 remaining in the contest. A free throw and a trey from
Kelly Garrity quickly put the Nighthawks back up by seven, and NNU converted free throws from there to hold on for the seven-point win.
Deharo led all players with 22 points, going 5-6 from the field and 10-13 from the free throw line. Nichols was next for NNU with 18 points, and also added six rebounds and five assists. Craig was also in double figures with 14 points, while
Allie Hueckman led the team with seven rebounds.
With their first win in hand, NNU will now remain in Arcata and take on Cal State East Bay tomorrow, Saturday the 15
th, at 5:30 p.m. Pacific.
