ST. PAUL, Minn. – As has been the case for the past couple of weeks for the University of Northwestern Women's Basketball team, the Eagles gave one of the top teams in the UMAC everything it could handle Wednesday night, but couldn't quite finish. This time it was, quite literally, the top team in the league, as Bethany Lutheran College entered the Ericksen Center with a perfect 8-0 conference record and a 67-48 win over UNW already in hand from January 7
th. Round two was tight until the bitter end, thanks in large part to a phenomenal performance from freshman guard
Ella Frazier (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi), but the Vikings ultimately prevailed, 63-56.
Bethany got off to a hot start, taking an 8-2 lead early, but a 7-2 run, capped off by a Frazier and-one, brought Northwestern within a point. Four free throws from
Marin Blom (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) and an
Emma Korinek (New Brighton, Minn./Concordia Academy) layup evened the score at 15, but a BLC layup in the closing seconds put the visitors in front, 17-15, at the quarter break.
Baskets by Frazier and
Carli Elrod (Lindstrom, Minn./Spectrum) gave the Eagles a two-point lead, and it became four when Frazier knocked down a three-pointer. Bethany Lutheran was able to tie it back up for a moment, but layups from Frazier, Korinek and
Karley Loven (Swanville, Minn./Swanville) gave UNW a 28-25 edge. The Vikings made a three just before the horn to knot it up at 28 at halftime.
A 7-0 BLC run made the score 38-32 and gave the feeling that the conference leaders may start to run away with another win, but Frazier calmed the seas with three-point plays of both varieties in the final five minutes. Those, combined with a nifty reverse layup from
Brenna Vogel (New Prague, Minn./South Metro), kept Northwestern within reach at 45-40 entering the final period.
The Eagles did most of their early-fourth quarter damage at the free throw line, but layups from Blom and Elrod, plus a Frazier three, made it a four-point game with 3:29 remaining. Four
Katelyn Lindberg (Clearwater, Minn./Monticello) points kept the deficit at four with 1:01 left, but Northwestern's offense went quiet in the final minute, despite Bethany going 1-2 at the free throw line on three separate occasions. The Vikings escaped with a 63-56 win over the upset-minded Eagles.
Frazier matched her career-high of 21 points, making all three of UNW's three-pointers. Blom contributed 10 points and five rebounds, while Korinek finished with eight and seven, respectively. Elrod pulled down five boards and tallied two steals. The Eagles held their own on the boards, keeping the rebounding margin within five against the much bigger Vikings, and were nearly perfect at the stripe, going 11-12.
Northwestern will be back at home for the final time this season on Saturday, February 14
th against North Central. Tip-off for the Senior Day contest is slated for 1:00 PM.
