Kirkland, WA - The Northwest women's basketball team earns their first win in their first home game against Lewis & Clark, 75-63.
It was a back-and-forth affair that saw multiple lead changes and big momentum swings, but the Eagles were able to get it done. The first quarter was near dead even, with both teams nailing seven field goals and hitting two of their free throws. However, the Eagles were able to squeak out a 20-18 first quarter lead, thanks to being more clinical in their threes, hitting 4-8.
The second quarter was a much different story. The Pioneers took full control of the period, dominating on defense and controlling the paint in their offensive zone. The Pioneers limited the Eagles to only nine points and forced the Eagles to miss all of their three-pointers. The Pioneers were able to pick apart the Eagles' defense and take the lead going into the second half.
In the third quarter, the Eagles rebounded with haste and conviction. The Eagles imposed their will on the scoresheet by dropping 31 points on the Pioneers and limiting them to only six points in the quarter. The Eagles completely changed their defensive strategies and made effective passes that allowed them to dictate the game on their own terms.
The fourth quarter again was back-and-forth, when the Pioneers staged a late comeback, going 7-18 in field goals and 4-10 in three-pointers. By that point, the damage was already dealt. The Eagles wrapped up the fourth quarter hitting 50% of their three-pointers and 75% of their free throws to take their first win of the season.
Kaleah Medeiros and Kimberly Carrada Sanchez both accumulated 17 points on the night, while Ellie De Waard followed behind them with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
" I am really proud of our women this evening with the effort to continue to grow and improve," said Head Coach Randall Edens. "With such a young roster and so much, so new for so many of them, we are having to live and learn on the job, and that can be tough. But we had a huge 3rd quarter to turn the game, and I thought we closed it out down the stretch there in the 4th quarter quite well. We hit some free throws, executed out of a few time outs well, and then came up with some key stops when we needed to. It's nice to see the fruits of our labor come to fruition, and hopefully, we can continue to improve."
