Box Score Final Stats

WAYNE, NEB. – The Northern State Wolves (1-0, 0-0 NSIC) women's basketball team opened their season on a high note with a 53-45 victory over Colorado Christian University Cougars in a neutral site game in Wayne, Nebraska.

The Wolves held the lead twice in the first half, the last, a one point lead coming with 6:15 to go in the half. The Wolves would take the lead in the second half on a Mikayla Barondeau three point shot, to take a 45-44 lead with 2:50 remaining. The Wolves would grab the lead for the final time with 1:34 to go when senior Emily Becken hit a scooping layup where she also was fouled for the “and one” play, to give the Wolves a 48-45 lead.

At the intermission, both teams had poor shooting percentages. The Cougars were 9-27, good for 33.3 percent, from the field in the first half. Ironically, they were also 33.3 percent at the free throw line. The Wolves shot 7-24, good for 29.4 percent in the first half. The low scoring affair stood with a Cougar lead at 20-19.

In the second half, the Cougars lead by as many as six, three different times. The Wolves would chip away each time, in a game that featured nine ties.

As the Wolves began to chip away at the six point cougar lead with 5:01 to go, senior Jenna Higgins was able to hit a shot in the paint to bring the score to 42-38.

Sophomore Alison Kusler grabbed the defensive rebound and was fouled, where she went to the free throw line and sank both free throws to cut the Cougar lead to just two.

After a made layup by Cougar Jessica Murdoch, junior Sarah Hintz grabbed an offensive rebound on the Wolves end of the floor, where she was fouled. Hintz would sink one of two free throws to cut the lead to 3.

The Wolves were aided with a Cougar bench technical foul with 3:05 remaining. Becken would sink one of two free throws for the Wolves. Off the technical foul, the Wolves also awarded possession of the ball where Barondeau hit her first basket of the game. Barondeau, playing in her first game in over nine months due to injury, was 0-8 before burying the 3-pointer in the corner. This gave the Wolves a 45-44 lead with 2:50 remaining in the game.

After CCU would make one free throw on their next possession, Becken saw an open lane on the left side of the floor where she was able to scoop in a layup and get fouled. After the old fashioned three point play, the Wolves lead 48-45 with 1:34 remaining.

The Wolves would build upon this lead as the Cougars would fail to score again the rest of the way. The savvy senior Barondeau would calmly make two free throws, Kusler would add another, and Becken would make two more to give the Wolves the 53-48 edge in the game.

The Wolves defense took over in the final minutes as the last field goal for CCU was a layup with 4:03 remaining in the game.

CCU would end the game shooting 30.2 percent on 16-53 shooting. The Wolves shot 43 percent in the second half, bringing their shooting percentage up to 35.6 percent. The Wolves were also aided in 25 free throws, making 17, while the Cougars shot 16, while making 11.

The Wolves were had three players score in double figures, as Kusler lead all scores with 15 points, while Higgins had 13 with Becken chipping in 11. The Cougars has one player in double figures as BJ Moyes had 11 points.

Barondeau grabbed eight rebounds for the Wolves, as NSU outrebounded CCU 40-36.

The Wolves return to the hardwood Saturday evening as they continue in the Wayne State Tip Off Classic against former Northern State player Paula Krueger and her Colorado School of Mines take on the Wolves at 6 p.m.