ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of Northwestern women's basketball was dealt their first conference loss Saturday afternoon in Duluth as they fell short to the College of St. Scholastica by a final score of 60-50. With the loss, the squad drops to 7-6 on the season and 4-1 in league play.

UNW started strong, edging out a 14-13 lead over CSS in the first frame. The home Saints then went to work as they outscored the Eagles [14-7] in the second period to take a 27-21 advantage at the intermission break.

The Saints controlled the final two quarters, never losing their lead, which allowed them to secure a 60-50 win over the visiting Eagles.

On the contest, Northwestern shot just over 36 percent from the hardwood, which outshined St. Scholastica's 33.3 shooting percentage from the floor. As a team, UNW also finished off the afternoon challenge with 42 rebounds [15 OFF & 27 DEF], 16 assists, eight blocks, and six steals.

Sophomore Rio Landers (Grand Meadow, Minn./Grand Meadow) spearheaded the Eagles offense, finishing with a new career-high 14 points. Junior Taryn Tumbleson (Sherburn, Minn./Martin County West) and Senior Alex Peterson (St. Paul, Minn. /Como Park) also had strong performances on the afternoon, as they each tallied 10 points apiece.

Northwestern will return to home court on Wednesday, January 10, to battle UW-Superior. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. inside the Ericksen Center. For more information, fans should visit www.unweagles.com.