Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS – Starting Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play after a successful 8-3 run in nonconference action, the University of Northwestern women's basketball team used a second half burst to beat North Central University 81-69. With the score tied at halftime, the Eagles jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first six minutes of the second period to gain control the rest of the way.

The game's initial 20 minutes was not the best for Northwestern, who trailed throughout most of the entire first half until Kim Campbell (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy)'s made layup knotted the score at 31-31 with 2:20 to play in the period. Following the game's first made basket from UNW's Hannah Holm (Charlotte, N.C./GRACE School), the Eagles were on the wrong side of a 16-8 run as North Central led 16-10 on back-to-back layups from Jamie High. Northwestern came within striking range on several occasions down the stretch, but found itself having to keep up with the Rams' 53 percent shooting rate from outside the three-point line.

Chanel Madson (Westbrook, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove)'s layup at the 19:13 mark of the second half gave UNW its first lead of the game, and the Eagles never looked back as they started the period on a 6-0 run. With Northwestern, who was wearing its road-purple uniforms, owning a slight 42-40 advantage, Jessica Fife (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) went on her own personal run of five points, helping the Eagles eventually reach a double-digit lead on a pair of made free throws from Courtney Cunard (Missouri Valley, Iowa/Missouri Valley). After a couple of made threes by Tiffany Stubbs (Ames, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) and Mollie Sir (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood), UNW found itself clearly in the driver's seat with a consistent 17 point buffer that improved to 18 on one occasion before the final margin had Northwestern winning their 2013-2014 UMAC-opener by 12.

Northwestern finished with 45 points in the second half thanks in part to a shooting margin that improved by nearly 17 percent along with a three-point rate that went from 27 percent to 42. All five UNW starters scored in double figures, led by 16 from Sir, who earned 12 of her points from downtown. Cunard recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. In addition to the starting lineup's offensive success, the Eagles bench also contributed heavily to the win, outscoring North Central's (4-5, 0-1 UMAC) bench 16-0.

Now 9-3 overall and 1-0 in UMAC play, UNW has won four straight and will continue to take its winning ways on the road when the Eagles travel southwest to face Martin Luther College and Bethany Lutheran College next Friday and Saturday. Northwestern will tip off against the Knights of Martin Luther at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 before wrapping up the two-day road trip with a 3 p.m. game against Bethany Lutheran in Mankato, Minn.