Box Score
Game Reaction: Head Coach Aaron Kahl

ST. PAUL -- A sluggish first half made things difficult for the Northwestern College women's basketball team, who fell to Bethany Lutheran College 63-51. The loss ends the Eagles' chances at making next week's UMAC Tournament, and Northwestern will conclude its season on Saturday afternoon at home against Martin Luther College.

NWC limped out of the gate, with Bethany Lutheran racing out to a 15-5 lead before seven minutes had ticked off the clock. The Eagles struggled to defend the 6'1” Jessica Englund and her teammates under the hoop while struggling on their own end of the court as well. “We came out tight,” said Eagles head coach Aaron Kahl. “We probably tried to do too much and we didn't pass well.”

Facing an uphill climb, Northwestern came back to get the score within two points on a Mollie Sir (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood) three-pointer at 19-17. Five minutes later, Bethany increased its lead back to double digits courtesy of an 11-0 run before Jacki Smith (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) stopped the bleeding with a layup to send the Eagles into halftime with a 30-19 deficit.

The Vikings' advantage increased to 15 on Jade Pelzl's three-pointer, but Northwestern continued to work. Looking up at a 41-25 score, Kristin Sczublewski (Pierz, Minn./Pierz) took advantage of a three-point and-one play before Smith and Jessica Fife (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) did damage under the hoop. Sir hit jumpers that cut the margin to seven on two occasions within the span of a minute but the Eagles couldn't sustain the run before Bethany finished with a 12-point victory.

Despite committing just 11 turnovers, four better than their opponents, NWC was out-rebounded 53-33 while the Vikings collected 23 offensive rebounds that translated into 28 second-chance points. Fife posted a double-double, her ninth of the season, with a 16-point, 12-rebound performance on 8-12 shooting. Sir finished her night with 13 points, going 3-5 from behind the three-point line.

Englund led all scorers with 22 points while Anna Cepek had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Vikings (7-17, 6-7 UMAC).

Northwestern, now 8-16 on the season (5-8 UMAC), will look to its final game of the 2011-2012 campaign on Saturday when the Knights of Martin Luther come to town. Game time is set for 3 p.m. in the Ericksen Center.