ASHLAND, Ore. – Northwest came back from 16 points down but came up short against No. 23 Southern Oregon on Saturday, 71-65.
 
The Eagles got off to a slow start and trailed 29-13 after the first quarter. Northwest shot 61 percent in the second quarter and closed out the half trailing 39-35.
 
Northwest got a 9-0 run early in the third quarter to take its largest lead, 46-41, with 5:59 left in that frame. Kyrin Baklund ignited that run with a three-pointer, and Katie Fleming, Grace Harder, and Maria Arroyo Sanchez added baskets.
 
SOU retook the lead and held a six-point lead going into the final quarter. The Raiders had a 10-point lead midway through the period before NU mounted its final charge.
 
Two baskets by Harder and a three-pointer by Fleming cut the Southern lead to 65-62. NU would later come up empty on a pair of game-tying three-pointer attempts with under a minute left. SOU finished well at the free-throw line to keep the Eagles at bay.
 
"Great game tonight," said NU Head Coach Ken Crawford. "Fun to play and fun to coach! So proud of our effort! Excited about giving the ladies a little bit of a break, but also very excited about getting back on the court and taking it to the next level."
 
Fleming led the Eagles with 15 points and seven assists, while Harder scored 12 to go with 11 rebounds for a double-double. Maya DuChesne added a dozen points and three steals. Baklund added 11 points.
 
Now 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, the Eagles step into their Christmas break and return with a non-conference home game at 5 p.m. on Dec. 28 opposite Linfield.