Box Score

ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern women's basketball team finds itself in a three-way tie for second place in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) standings after defeating Martin Luther College 82-66 on Saturday afternoon. The win avenges a loss the Eagles suffered against the Knights on January 17.



Northwestern used a strong start to put itself in the driver's seat early. Courtney Cunard (Missouri Valley, Iowa/Missouri Valley) and Chanel Madson (Westbrook, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) each made three-pointers as the Eagles scored the first 12 points of the game. Martin Luther fired back though, turning that 12-point edge into a 21-17 lead of its own over the course of six minutes. The Eagles answered with their own spree as Mollie Sir (Cresco, Iowa/Crestwood) responded with a pair of free throws before both Madson and Sir made back-to-back threes to give the advantage back to UNW, 25-21. Northwestern didn't let go this time, finishing out the half with a 34-25 buffer at the break.

Martin Luther pressured Northwestern early in the second period with solid rebounding that turned into second chance points, cutting the Purple and Gold's lead to a point on Faith Schroeder's consecutive makes at the charity stripe. But the long ball continued to work well for the Eagles, who received another downtown bucket from Sir.

With just under nine minutes left in the game, Northwestern extended its advantage into double digits before hovering around a 14- to 18-point lead for the remainder of the game, wrapping up a successful weekend with an 82-66 win.

After being out-rebounded in their mid-January bout, the Eagles grabbed six more boards than Martin Luther on Saturday, 39-33, while shooting an even 50 percent for the game. 16 of Northwestern's 33 three-point attempts found the bottom of the net, with Sir, Madson and Hannah Holm (Charlotte, N.C./GRACE School) all hitting four shots apiece from behind the three-point arc.

Sir finished with a game-high 23 points, with Madson close behind at 22. For Martin Luther (12-11, 9-3 UMAC), Hannah Hackbarth came off the bench to score a team-best 19 points.

Now 17-6 overall (9-3 UMAC), Northwestern will rest on Sunday before resuming its weekly schedule on Monday as the Eagles prepare for their final UMAC regular season games of the 2013-2014 next Friday and Saturday. UNW will welcome Northland College to the Ericksen Center for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff on Friday before the College of St. Scholastica comes to town on Saturday afternoon.