MORRIS, Minn. – University of Northwestern Women's Basketball traveled to the University of Minnesota Morris on Friday afternoon for a conference road game. The Eagles entered the game atop the UMAC standings with an undefeated 8-0 record against conference opponents. UNW defeated the Cougars 71-48 to maintain their perfect conference record through nine games with just five games remaining.
 
The Eagles' offense struggled out the gate while the Cougars jumped ahead to an 8-0 lead in the opening three minutes. Northwestern got on the board with a Lexi Hagen (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) layup, which sparked a dominant 23-2 run for the Eagles through the rest of the opening quarter.
 
In the second quarter, the two teams kept pace with each other as the Eagles scored 14 points to the Cougars' 13. Northwestern headed to halftime with a 14-point lead up 37-23.
 
UNW had another strong quarter after the half, outscoring UM-Morris 19-6 in the third quarter to take a 27-point lead.
 
The Cougars went on to outscore the Eagles in the fourth quarter 19-15, but the lead Northwestern built through the opening three quarters was more than enough to ensure a ninth-consecutive conference victory.
 
Northwestern shot 40.3 percent (25-for-62) from the field in the game, making 38.9 percent (14-for-36) from three-point range. Minnesota Morris made 27.1 percent (16-for-59) from the field and 27.8 percent (5-for-18) from beyond the arc.
 
Second chance points were key for the Eagles, as they had a 27-8 advantage over the Cougars in that category.
 
Megan McGeough (Greeley, Colo./Dayspring Christian Academy) led the Eagles with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, making 3-of-5 from long range. Jasmine Sondrol (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River) followed with 12 points, going 4-for-8 from the field. Hagen had an 11-point, 10-rebounds double-double for the Eagles. Livvy Grosz (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony) had nine points, six rebounds, and was tied for the team-lead in assists with four in the game.
 
Up next, Northwestern will travel to St. Bonifacius to take on the Crown College Polars in a road conference battle at 4:45 P.M. on Saturday, February 4. The Eagles will next play at home on February 10.