Box Score ST. PAUL – The Northwestern College women's basketball team overcame cold first-half shooting and an 11-point halftime deficit to take the lead in the second half, but Buena Vista University outlasted the home team 62-50 Friday night.

Buena Vista maintained control of the game for the entirety of the first half, jumping out to a 6-0 lead before Chanel Madson's three-pointer started the Eagles' offense. The Beavers' converted on a trio of layups to increase the lead to 10 points at the 11:04 mark, but another make from long range courtesy of Kim Campbell (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) brought the deficit down to seven. The visitors would eventually extend their advantage to 13 points just before the half, but a pair of Jessica Fife (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) free throws sent the game into intermission 15-26. NWC was plagued with low field goal percentage in the first 20 minutes, shooting just 14.7% percent from the floor and making five shots, while Buena Vista countered with a 39.3 average.

The second half saw a different Northwestern team, as just 33 seconds into the period Madson nailed another triple followed by a Mollie Sir (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood) make in the paint to cut into the Beavers' 26-20 lead. Buena Vista saw offensive success of its own before the Purple and Gold began its rally with 14:01 left in regulation. Madson started the charge, while a jumper and free throws from Fife brought the game within four. Both teams exchanged scores before a Campbell layup left the Eagles down one. A successful Ellie Werlein (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge Christian) shot provided NWC with a 44-43 upper hand, its one lead of the contest with less than eight minutes play, but the guests began to create a run of their own and stretched the deficit back out to 11 with just over a minute left in the matchup, eventually securing the game at 62-50.

After a dismal first period of offensive production, the Eagles shot 15-37 in the second half, improving their game average to 28.2 percent, in comparison to the Beavers' 38.7 rate. NWC committed two less turnovers and shot better from behind the arc than its opponent, but the visiting team posted victories in other categories, including points off turnovers and points in the paint.

Finishing as leading scorers for the Eagles were Fife and Madson, who each notched 15 points, while Sir and Campbell each added nine of their own. Fife earned herself a double-double, racking up 20 rebounds in 34 minutes of play. Fife's total was just shy of her own program record of 21 boards, set on February 4, 2012.

Northwestern (2-4 overall) will now have a week of practice before traveling southeast to Decorah, Iowa for a nonconference matchup versus Luther College next Friday, December 7. Tip-off time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.