NAMPA, Idaho - The NNU women's basketball team competed against the Vanguard Lions on Saturday the 22nd. Facing a tough mid day match up the Nighthawks fell to the Lions 52-83.
The Nighthawks came out ready to play as the first quarter got underway, bringing an early offensive spark. They brought the heat from beyond the arc, knocking down five of their first six three-point attempts. In the opening five minutes, Hadley Craig drained a pair of threes, supported by makes from Claire Fischer, Chloe Deharo, and Beaux Bruegman. Their hot shooting pushed NNU to a comfortable 17–9 lead. The Lions slowly chipped away at the margin, looking to disrupt NNU's momentum. After sinking a few threes of their own and forcing key turnovers, Vanguard closed the gap to five as the quarter ended.
Quarter two opened with a surge from the Lions, sparked by back-to-back threes from Emma Schaaf and Halle Si'i. Fischer answered with another deep bucket to keep NNU out of reach, but Vanguard's defensive intensity made scoring tough. The Nighthawks were held scoreless for nearly six minutes, and as the buzzer sounded, they headed to the locker room trailing 42–30.
Allie Hueckman jump-started the Nighthawks' offense to begin the third, burying a three just 15 seconds into the period. Vanguard immediately responded with a triple of their own to maintain control. The Lions' defensive pressure continued to cause problems for NNU, and after three late threes by Vanguard, the quarter closed with the Nighthawks down 57–41.
The Lions carried their momentum into the fourth, hitting 12-of-16 shots and turning up the pressure with 7 steals. The Nighthawks fought hard to the end but couldn't overcome the surge, closing the night with an 87–56 final.
Trinidie Nichols led her team offensively scoring 12 points followed by Claire Fischer and Hadley Craig who each recorded 8. Craig and Beaux Bruegman helped keep the Nighthawks momentum running with 7 rebounds a piece.
The Nighthawks will hit the road next week to compete in the Sea Lions Thanksgiving Classic. Hosted in San Diego, California the Nighthawks will face off against Cal State San Marcos in their first game. Tip off is scheduled for 12 pm Pacific Time in the Golden Gymnasium.
