Box Score
Watch "Five Minutes With Coach Kahl" for postgame comments

ST. PAUL -- The Northwestern College women's basketball team was unable to begin its 2010-11 season with a victory on Tuesday night as the Pipers from Hamline University beat the Eagles on their home court, 52-42. Neither team shot well in their season debuts, but Hamline's 33 percent was better than NWC's 28 percent and 21 Eagle turnovers hampered Aaron Kahl from winning his first game as the Northwestern's head coach.

A combined 15 points scored between the two teams over the first ten minutes of play evidenced the cold shooting and tougher defense of the Eagles and Pipers. Allison Johnson (Plymouth, Minn./Heritage Christian)'s (Greenfield, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) layup with 9:42 left in the first half brought NWC within three at 10-7. Hamline immediately boosted its lead back to 10 though on jumpers from Stephanie Robinson and Brianna Blackhawk. Megan Myhre (Barnum, Minn./Barnum) (Barnum, Minn./Barnum) sparked an Eagles run that cut the lead to 18-17 with 90 seconds remaining in the period before Blackhawk's three-pointer at 1:18 gave the visitors a 21-17 lead at halftime.

Northwestern started out slow again in the second half, this time allowing the Pipers to go up by as much as 12 points in the first five minutes. While Johnson's free throws cut the advantage to single digits, Hamline kept a 10- to 14-point buffer until the final three minutes of the game, when the Eagles were within six. Free throws by Mary Wilkowski, Je'Naya Brown and Kara Poirier kept NWC at bay and Hamline left the building with a 52-42 victory.

The Eagles finished just 13 of 46 in the game, making five of their 20 attempts in the first half. Despite out-rebounding the Pipers 47-35, Northwestern's turnovers wouldn't allow the home team to find much of a rhythm. Kahl was also without last year's leading scorer in Katie DeWitt (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), who is expected to make her 2010-11 debut on Friday against North Central University.

Myhre and Johnson both finished with double-doubles. Myhre posted 16 points on 6-12 shooting to go with 14 rebounds, while Johnson, who was also 50 percent from the floor, wrapped up her day with 13 and 10, respectively. Kristin Sczublewski (Pierz, Minn./Pierz) (Pierz, Minn./Pierz), a Hamline transfer who was playing against her old team, added nine rebounds to the Eagles' total to go with four points and a pair of assists.

The Pipers were led by Wilkowski, who had 16 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds. Poirier chipped in 11 points for now 1-0 Hamline.

NWC, who slips to 0-1 early in the season, will return to the court this weekend for its annual tip-off tournament in the Ericksen Center. The Eagles will host North Central at 6 p.m. on Friday before playing again on Saturday afternoon depending on Friday's results.