NNU fends off women's basketball 59-50
January 22, 2013
Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
Megan Hingston posted a double-double and Northwest Nazarene dominated the glass as it was able to hold off ÐÓ°Épro 59-50 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball on Saturday night at the Patty Center.
Hingston recorded game-highs of 14 points, 12 rebounds and six steals to lead the Crusaders (13-2, 5-2 GNAC) to their seventh consecutive win while Chelsie Luke added 11 points and seven rebounds. Heather Adams and Veronika Skokankova each contributed eight points.
NNU shot 34 percent (21-61 FG) from the floor while holding the Nanooks (2-13, 0-7 GNAC) to 31 percent (20-64 FG). The Crusaders handedly controlled the boards 51-36 but both teams were solid from the line as ÐÓ°Épro hit 83 percent (10-12 FT) of its shots and NNU was 74 percent (14-19 FT) from the stripe.
The 'Nooks were paced by sophomore guard Benissa Bulaya (Sacramento, Calif./Business administration), who had 12 points while sophomore guard Kelly Logue (Fair Oaks, Calif./Communication) had 10 points, seven rebounds and a career-best six steals.
Senior guard Taylor Altenburg (Elko, Nev./Criminal justice) matched Logue with a career-best six steals of her own while junior center Jacqueline Bartleson (Santa Fe, N.M./Elementary education) contributed nine points and four steals. ÐÓ°Épro outscored Nazarene 38-18 in the paint and 8-2 in transition.
The Nanooks opened the game with the early lead and took a 14-7 advantage with 13:38 left in the first. The Crusaders answered with a 16-2 run over in just over six minutes to grab a 23-16 lead with 7:16 to go in the half. ÐÓ°Épro got back to within three twice but NNU took a 29-22 lead into the locker room.
The teams went bucket-for-bucket for much of the second half, which didn't help in ÐÓ°Épro's cause for a comeback. NNU led 37-28 but five in a row for the Nanooks trimmed their deficit to 37-34 with 12 minutes to play. NNU built the lead back to seven, but again, ÐÓ°Épro chipped away and used an 11-2 run over 3:25 to square the game at 45-45 with 5:15 to play.
NNU answered back with a 7-0 run to lead 52-45 with two to go and ÐÓ°Épro couldn't get closer than four down the stretch as the visitors hit timely free throws to seal the win.
ÐÓ°Épro hits the road next week for a pair of road games as it prepares for two weeks away from the Patty Center. On Thursday, the Nanooks face Saint Martin's (10-7, 3-4 GNAC), followed by a Saturday contest at Western Oregon (6-11, 1-6 GNAC). Both games are set for 6 p.m. (AKST) starts.
The Nanooks return home next Feb. 7 when they take on Montana State Billings.