Winona Lake, In. -- The University of Northwestern women's basketball team competed in the NCCAA Dl National Championship Quarterfinal round on Wednesday. The Eagles had an explosive start and defeated Columbia International University, while making history, 65-30.
 
UNW started the game off with a bucket from Brooklyn DeKam (Edgerton, Minn./Southwest MN Christian). UNW worked hard as they kept the Rams to zero points for the first three minutes of the game until CIU finally made a free throw, the Eagles up three. Northwestern held the Rams to a mere three points in quarter one, all from the free throw line.
 
UNW's first points of the second quarter came from Brooklyn DeKam (Edgerton, Minn./Southwest MN Christian) behind the arc, assisted by Kelsea Lund (Madison, Minn./La qui Parle Valley). DeKam immediately followed her bucket netting another in the paint.

From this point on the Eagles were on fire. Columbia International did not score a field goal till a few minutes into the second quarter. A three pointer from Jordan Sauve (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) and another from Brooklyn DeKam (Edgerton, Minn./Southwest MN Christian) advanced UNW by 19 points, their largest lead of the half. Jordan Sauve (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) ended the second quarter with a make to put Northwestern up 31-12.
 
The Eagles came into the third ready to finish the game. Brooklyn DeKam (Edgerton, Minn./Southwest MN Christian) started the scoring for the third quarter with a bucket in the paint after an aggressive rebound. Courtney Schmidt (Spring Valley, Minn./Kingsland) neted a three assisted by Kelsea Lund (Madison, Minn./La qui Parle Valley), and Megan Roberts (Greeley, Colo./Dayspring Christian Academy) followed with her own bucket from behind the arc. UNW ended the third quarter up, 50-19 and were on their way to allow the fewest points scored in an NCCAA National Tournament game.
 
Northwestern had shown show stopping defense up until this point and was not done showing their aggressiveness.
 
The Eagles started the fourth with a three from Allison Eide (Farmington, Minn./Christian Life Academy). The Rams tried to push back against Northwestern until Kelsea Lund (Madison, Minn./La qui Parle Valley) drained a three pointer. UNW continued to fight hard as they kept CIU to only thirty points.
 
Northwestern broke the NCCAA record for the fewest points allowed in a tournament game. The last record, 33, from 1994 was broken as the Eagles kept the Rams to only 30 points total.
 
UNW ended the game 100 percent from the free throw line and 50 percent for both threes and field goals. The biggest highlight of the night was their dominating defensive efforts.

Megan Roberts (Greeley, Colo./Dayspring Christian Academy) led the charge for the Eagles with a double-double scoring 18 and bringing down 12 rebounds. Brooklyn DeKam (Edgerton, Minn./Southwest MN Christian) wasn't far behind scoring 17 and Jordan Sauve (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) added 11 points for Northwestern. UNW recorded 15 assists to the Rams 3.
 
Northwestern secures the win, 65-30 and advances in the NCCAA Tournament to the semi-final round playing tomorrow at 12:45 pm CST against Concordia University Ann Arbor.
 
For all things UNW women's basketball fans can follow along at www.unweagles.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @unwwbb.