ST. PAUL, Minn. – Both the University of Northwestern and University of Minnesota Morris Women's Basketball teams had already locked up spots in the 2024 UMAC Women's Basketball Tournament, but that didn't make Friday's game between the two squads any less meaningful. The shaping of the postseason bracket depended largely upon who would come away victorious in the Ericksen Center on a bitterly cold evening. The Eagles and Cougars went back and forth for all 60 minutes, but it was the visitors from Morris that were able to eek out a 67-64 win to earn a season sweep of Northwestern and clinch the two seed in next week's conference tournament.
Morris jumped out to a 4-0 lead before
Jasmine Sondrol (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River) got the Eagles on the board with a layup.
Lexi Hagen (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) buried a three-pointer that barely touched the net on its way through to cut the lead to one, and
Rylie Hirschey (Pine River, Minn./Pine River Backus) made a contested, baseline floater to give UNW its first lead at 7-6. Hirschey then found Sondrol open in the soft spot of Morris's zone to stretch the Eagles' lead to three, and later drilled a three to put Northwestern back in front, 12-11. The Cougars scored the final basket of the quarter to inch ahead, 13-12.
The second quarter can be summed up in one word: runs.
Livvy Grosz (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony) canned a three to tie the game at 15 in the early stages of the second quarter, but Morris responded with a 9-0 run to take a commanding, 24-15 lead.
Ella Falk (Jamestown, N.D./Jamestown) ended the run with a short corner jumper, which ignited a surge by the UNW offense. Hirschey knocked down a three, then Hagen ran down an offensive rebound, which led to a Sondrol three. The Eagles then forced a 10-second violation which produced a Falk layup, and capped off the offensive avalanche with back-to-back threes from Hagen and Hirschey, which sent the crowd into a frenzy as Northwestern led, 31-27, thanks to the 14-0 spurt. The Cougars; however, did not flinch. They answered with an 8-0 run to close the half and take a 35-31 lead into the locker room.
After a Morris three-pointer to open the second half, the Eagles caught fire once more. Grosz and Hagen hit threes on consecutive possessions to cut the Cougars' lead to one, then Hagen used her left hand and the glass to put UNW in front by one, one possession later. Hagen continued playing like the reigning UMAC Player of the Year, nailing another triple a few minutes later to reclaim the lead, 43-41. Hirschey stayed hot from behind the arc on UNW's next trip to break a 43-43 tie, then Falk ripped down an offensive board and finished the put-back to make it 48-45 in favor of the home team. With 46 seconds left, the freshman found Sondrol cutting to the basket for a layup plus a foul. Sondrol made the free throw to give Northwestern a 51-47 lead entering the game's final period.
The Cougars seized control as the fourth quarter began, rattling off a 9-0 run before
Grace Landvik (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) steadied the ship with a huge three-pointer. Falk knocked down a mid-range jump shot to keep things close at 58-56, then Sondrol and Landvik scored on consecutive possessions to tie the game at 60. Morris went up four with 32 seconds left and appeared to be in the driver's seat, but Hirschey had other ideas, burying her fifth and biggest three of the night to trim the deficit to one. Unfortunately, Northwestern was not able to convert on its final shot attempt and Morris made the necessary free throws to escape with a 67-64 victory. The win allowed the Cougars to clinch the two seed and a semifinal home game in the UMAC Tournament next week.
Hirschey led all scorers in the game, finishing with 17 points and four assists. Hagen produced her sixth double-double of the season, tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sondrol added 12 points, four assists and three boards, while Falk contributed eight points and six rebounds.
Taylor Schuck (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) led the Eagles with five assists on the night.
Northwestern will be back at home Saturday to celebrate Senior Day as well as 50 years of Northwestern basketball as they take on the Crown College Polars. The Eagles can lock up the three seed in the UMAC Tournament with a win. Tip-off is slated for 3:00 PM at the Ericksen Center, following the pre-game festivities.
