Box Score
Game Reaction: Kristin Sczublewski

ST. PAUL -- Down by 10 points in the final seven minutes of the game, the Northwestern College nearly came back to tie the College of St. Scholastica before falling to the Saints 64-60 in the Ericksen Center. St. Scholastica was a perfect 5-5 from behind the three-point line in the first half, but the Eagles countered with a standout performance from Kristin Sczublewski (Pierz, Minn./Pierz), who finished the game one rebound shy of a triple-double.

Northwestern took an early lead, but neither team came out of the gate hot as evidenced by the 5-4 score with four minutes having ticked off the clock. The two teams jostled for an advantage in the next five minutes with each taking two- and four-point advantages before St. Scholastica went on a 14-2 run to lead 23-13 with 8:18 to play in the first half. Three different Saints hit three-pointers in that stretch to give the visitors a double-digit advantage. NWC started to climb back, cutting the lead to eight and then six on shots from Jessica Fife (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) and Sczublewski. A Fife jumper brought the Eagles within four at 25-21 before a Mollie Sir (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood) three-pointer put the Eagles in range to take the lead. Chanel Madson (Westbrook, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) tied the game on a shot at the one-minute mark and the home team went into the locker room at halftime with the scoreboard reading 28-28.

The second half was nearly a mirror image of the first, with Northwestern jumping back into the lead early before a back-and-forth battle followed. Again, St. Scholastica went from leading by one to owning a 10-point edge at 51-41 on a Mariah Hovick three-pointer. Fife again led the charge for the Eagles, making consecutive baskets to cut the lead to six. Sczublewski hit a big trey with 3:56 to go before a Madson lay-up brought the Purple and Gold within two. A Caitlin McKernon jumper and a big three-pointer from Kayla Heisler stung Northwestern, and the Eagles couldn't find their way back before time expired at 64-60.

Northwestern shot 46 percent for the game but struggled from long distance, finishing the night 5 of 16 from behind the three-point line. St. Scholastica made exactly half of their 48 shots while finishing 7-10 from downtown. While the Eagles owned a 28-20 advantage in the paint, St. Scholastica scored 14 points off of 16 NWC turnovers while finding success from the outside.

Madson led all scorers with 17 points and was one of five Eagles to score in double figures. Jacki Smith (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) scored 11 points on 5-6 shooting, while Sczublewski's stat line finished with 10 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and five steals.

Hovick and Heisler each had 15 points to lead St. Scholastica (8-12, 6-3 UMAC).

Now 6-14 overall and 3-6 in conference play, the Eagles must quickly adjust to Northland College, who will come to the Ericksen Center on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game. NWC lost to the LumberJills 52-40 on Jan. 20, so the Eagles will be looking for revenge on their home court.