PORTLAND – Northwest women's basketball closed the books on 2020 with a 93-54 exhibition loss at the University of Portland on Friday.
 
"The score might not indicate it, but we saw good improvement from last night," said NU Head Coach Ken Crawford. "The game is moving awfully fast for us right now. We need it to slow down both on offense and defense. We had some good individual effort."
 
Northwest pulled to within a point, 11-10, using a lay-up by Kim Weden and a three-pointer by Grace Meza at the 5:47 mark.
 
The Pilot press forced 13 first-quarter turnovers and helped Portland close the quarter on a 20-2 run.
 
Northwest was more competitive in the second quarter, getting five second-quarter points by Weden, but UP led 57-30 at intermission.
 
Meza had a stellar game with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four steals, leading the team in each of those categories. Sam VanLoo added 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Maya DuChesne added three assists.
 
The Eagles scored 29 points off the bench, led by Meza and Weden, who finished with nine points.
 
"We're looking forward to getting back on the practice court whenever it is safe to do so," said Crawford. "We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas."