Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – The University of Northwestern ended its trip to the Centennial State with a double-win double-day performance, topping host Colorado College in the second day of the Holiday Ball on Wednesday. The Tigers held close to UNW for the majority of the contest, but a strong finish allowed the Eagles to head into conference play with an 8-3 overall record.

It was two shots, two makes from beyond the arc early, as Mollie Sir (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood) and Chanel Madson (Westbrook, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) kicked off the battle on the hardwood. Northwestern withstood a low shooting performance to maintain possession, eventually increasing its upper hand by a 22-8 margin with 8:35 left to play in the initial 20 minutes.

Colorado College would finish the period with an 18-4 run to leave the score at 26-22 in favor of the Minnesota team at the half. While UNW faced a rough first period around the basket, the visitors still bested the hosts in the field goal percentage battle.

The game was within a bucket as the second half got underway at a 30-28 margin in favor of the Eagles as Colorado College refused to roll over on its home court. 14:55 marked the start of a consistent scoring front from Northwestern with Tiffany Stubb's successful trey increased her team's upper hand to a double possession situation.

A 10-0 run ensued from the Snelling Avenue North crew, providing some security for the final minutes. Consistent with their performance on the afternoon, the Tigers rattled off a mini-run to leave the board reading 63-57 with 19 seconds on the clock.

A quartet of charity stripe makes would ensue the final outcome and allow the Eagles to head back to their home state with a pair of wins in Colorado Springs.

After first-half struggles around the hoop, UNW finished the 40 minute-contest with an overall mark of 33.3 percent. Leading their team in scoring were Sir and Madson who notched 19 and 18 points respectively. Also reaching the double-digit tally were Jessica Fife (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) and Stubbs with 10 a piece.

After a month-and-a-half stretch of non-conference matchups, Northwestern (8-3) will now shift its focus to its opening Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) game versus North Central University on January 11.