MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — The Northwest University women's basketball team continued its early-season schedule on Saturday with a hard-fought road match at Linfield, ultimately falling 81–63 but showing strong performances and promising stretches of play throughout the night.
Linfield opened the scoring, but Northwest responded quickly and took a 4–1 lead. The Eagles remained competitive through the first quarter, trailing just 17–11 after 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, NU's defensive effort kept the Wildcats in check, limiting them to 33 first-half points. While the Eagles generated quality looks, a few scoring droughts kept them from closing the gap, sending Northwest into halftime down, 33–22.
The Eagles found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter as both teams traded threes early. NU continued to push the pace and matched Linfield possession-for-possession through much of the period.
Northwest opened the fourth quarter with its strongest surge of the night, scoring eight points in the first 94 seconds to cut the deficit to single digits and shift momentum. NU continued to battle before Linfield's late offensive run stretched the final margin.
The Eagles were led by
Ellie Bost, who delivered a standout performance with 17 points and 2 assists.
Kaleah Medeiros added 14 points and 3 rebounds, providing consistent scoring.
Ella Whitaker and
Hailey Monte each chipped in 9 points, helping round out a balanced offensive night for NU.
Defensively, Northwest forced turnovers, competed on the glass, and showed growth in transition defense and half-court communication. Several players logged key minutes that will pay dividends as the season progresses.
Though the Eagles couldn't complete the comeback, their effort, energy, and continued improvement highlight the team's upward trajectory as NU moves deeper into its non-conference schedule.
Coach Eden had this to say about the game: "Was looking for an opportunity to grow, improve, and get better, and we did so while playing a squad expected to win their league. Linfield was slightly better than we were each quarter and got up to a 20-point lead in the 2nd half before being able to get it to single digits a couple of times but could get no closer. Hoping for a spirited effort tomorrow versus Lewis and Clark."
