STORM LAKE, Iowa – If only the even-numbered quarters counted, the University of Northwestern Women's Basketball team would be compared to the 1996 Bulls after one game in the 2024-25 season. Nevertheless, the Eagles were able to overcome a slow start and come from behind to snag a late win in their season-opening contest at Buena Vista University on Saturday. Despite trailing by 13 after the opening quarter, Northwestern prevailed, 62-59.
UNW found itself in a 9-0 hole early before
Jasmine Sondrol (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River) scored the first points of her team's season via a three-pointer.
Ella Falk (Jamestown, N.D./Jamestown) followed her with a three of her own to trim the deficit to three, but Buena Vista would seize control, opening up a 23-7 lead before Falk ended the field goal drought with a layup. Sondrol buried another trey to close out the first-quarter scoring, with Northwestern trailing 25-12.
Once the nerves wore off, the Eagles locked in, in the second quarter.
Taylor Christenson (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) and Sondrol made back-to-back buckets to get within single digits. Four consecutive
Lexi Hagen (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) points capped off a 9-0 run before the Beavers were able to convert two free throws—which ended up being their only points of the period. When the horn sounded, UNW led 29-27 after out-scoring their hosts 17-2 in the second quarter. Sondrol went into the locker room with 12 points at the break.
Hagen really got going in the third quarter, scoring Northwestern's first five points. Falk and Sondrol each made field goals as well, but BVU was able to out-score the Eagles 15-10 in the quarter to regain the lead, 42-39, heading into the final stanza.
As mentioned previously, the even-numbered quarters were UNW's friends, but it may not have appeared that way for much of the fourth. Buena Vista was able to overcome five points each from Hagen and Falk to extend its lead to eight points at 57-49 with 4:53 left. From that point on, the Eagles soared. A Falk layup, two
Grace Landvik (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) free throws and a three from Hagen got Northwestern within a point with 1:43 on the clock. The Beavers pushed their lead back to three, but Hagen drained a pair of free throws to get it back to one with just over a minute left.
Reese Sellers (Yuma, Ariz./Yuma Catholic) scored her only three points of the game on an and-one that put UNW in front, 61-59, with 46 seconds remaining. Northwestern forced a turnover and Landvik knocked down a free throw to extend the lead to three, requiring one final stop to secure the win. The Eagles did just that, rebounding a missed three-pointer as time expired to bring a 62-59 win back to Minnesota.
Hagen led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds, making three triples and all six of her free throws. Sondrol was terrific as well, making four of eight threes en route to 17 points and two blocks. Falk shot 60% from the field and put up 14 points, in addition to seven boards.
Ryann Eddy (Northfield, Minn./Northfield) contributed eight rebounds and Landvik five, to go along with four assists. Christenson dished out six assists while Sellers had a game-high five steals.
UNW will be back in action Wednesday night at Hamline University. Tip-off from Hutton Arena is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
