ST. PAUL – On what proved to be a historic night for head coach Aaron Kahl, the University of Northwestern women's basketball team used a second-half surge to defeat visiting Bethany Lutheran College (14-12) 66-53 in the semifinal round of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament. The victory marks career win No. 100 at Northwestern for Kahl, who is in his sixth season at the helm. With the triumph, the Eagles better their season mark to 21-5 and advance to Saturday's conference tournament title game.

The Eagles came out of the gates blazing, jumping out to a 17-7 lead through the first 10 minutes of play. The tides changed in the second quarter, as the Vikings managed to outscore UNW 22-11 in the second frame to take a 39-38 lead into the locker room.

Northwestern then started the second half much like they started the game – on fire. The Eagles used a 24-point third quarter to build a nine-point advantage (52-43) heading into the final quarter. UNW's defense continue to shine in the fourth, holding BLC to just 10 points, as Northwestern locked up its 21st win of the season.

What a return it was for Tiffany Stubbs (Ames, Iowa/Des Moines Christian), as the junior drained three triples en route to scoring a team-high 13 points in 14 minutes of action. Regan Cooper (Pella, Iowa/Pella) dominated down low, securing a double-double with her 10 points and 13 boards. Taryn Tumbleson (Sherburn, Minn./Martin County West) (12) and Jessica Cole (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) (11) also hit double figures.

Possibly the craziest stat from Wednesday night was that the Eagle reserves outscored the Vikings 34-0.

UNW will travel to Superior on Saturday for a UMAC Tournament Championship showdown with UW-Superior. The third meeting between the new foes will tip-off at 7 p.m. Fans can find more information at www.unweagles.com.