MORRIS, Minn. – The 2023-24 University of Northwestern Women's Basketball team's season ended in the UMAC Semifinals in Morris, Minnesota at the hands of the University of Minnesota Morris. That fact did not seem to be lost on the returning members of the team for the 2024-25 season, as Northwestern returned to Morris on Saturday and got Herculean efforts from three seniors on its way to a 77-68 win over the Cougars.
Lexi Hagen (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) put up a career-high 31 points, while
Grace Landvik (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) and
Taylor Christenson (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) each had five steals and scored in double figures in the win.
Thanks to four turnovers in the opening 2:25, UNW found itself in an 8-0 hole before Hagen made back-to-back three-pointers. One minute later,
Allison Terry (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) made a pair of free throws to tie it up at eight apiece. Morris then rattled off another 8-0 run before Terry swiped the ball from the Cougars and laid it in on the other end. Northwestern would go on to score on its next five possessions; Christenson and Landvik each made threes, layups by
Lexi Garcia (Colorado Springs, Colo./Vanguard) and Landvik tied the score, and a Landvik steal led to a free throw in the final seconds to give UNW a 21-20 edge after the first period.
Much like she did in the first quarter, Hagen opened the second with back-to-back triples, extending the Eagles' lead to 27-20. UMM fought back to pull within one, but a
Jasmine Sondrol (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River) and-one, followed by another Hagen three, gave Northwestern some breathing room at 33-28. Hagen's sixth three-pointer of the half made it 36-30, and another Christenson trey with a minute to go kept the lead at six. Minnesota Morris was able to close the half on a 5-0 run to trim the deficit to 39-38 heading into the intermission, despite Hagen's 18 points.
The third quarter turned out to be the difference in the game. Hagen kicked off the scoring with two free throws, then Landvik buried a three-pointer on UNW's next trip to extend the lead to 44-38. Sondrol scored the Eagles' next three points and Hagen added a layup after a Landvik steal to make it a 10-3 Northwestern run to open the half, as well as five straight scoring trips. A 6-0 run that consisted of four Hagen points and two Terry free throws gave the Eagles their largest lead of the day at 55-43, but Morris was able to get within single digits (57-48) heading into the fourth quarter.
A quick steal and layup by Landvik to open the fourth got the lead back to double digits, but the Cougars scored seven straight to pull within four. Christenson knocked down a timely three to stop the bleeding, and Landvik followed with another steal and layup just seconds later to push the lead to 64-55. Morris wasn't ready to quit, as the home team put together an 8-0 surge to trim the deficit to one with 4:50 remaining. Garcia made a tough, scooping layup off a rim cut to go up three, but UMM answered right back with a three-pointer to tie.
The teams went scoreless for nearly three minutes before Sondrol broke the tie with a free throw with 1:17 left. She missed the second one, but Hagen flew in for the offensive rebound, and Landvik drilled a massive three to make it a four-point possession and a four-point lead with 1:02 on the clock. Landvik as well may have been Joe Nathan the way she closed out the game, as the senior guard then picked up her fifth steal of the game and found Hagen for an and-one to put the game on ice. After two more free throws each from Landvik and Hagen, the Eagles came away with a 77-68 win in the same gym their season ended 11 months ago. Northwestern is now 9-6 on the season and 3-1 in the UMAC. After the four early turnovers, UNW finished with only 13 against Morris's frenetic press, and turned the Cougars over 24 times.
Hagen's 31 points were a career-high, and she finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine. The senior made all seven of her free throw attempts and six three-pointers. Landvik finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals, dominating on both ends of the floor. Christenson had 11 points and five steals, while Terry added four steals. Falk was elite at the little things, snagging nine boards and dishing out six assists. The Eagles shot 42.9% from three (12-28) and 85% from the free throw line (17-20).
Northwestern will be back in action Wednesday, hosting UW-Superior in a big matchup between teams near the top of the UMAC standings. Tip-off, which will occur after the conclusion of the men's game, is scheduled for 7:15 PM.
