SALEM, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University women’s basketball team once again used their defensive ball pressure to their advantage, forcing the Warriors of Corban College into 24 turnovers to earn a 63-53 victory over their conference rivals. The win moves the Beacons to 6-3 (1-0 conference), showing marked signs of improvement after winning just seven games a year ago.
“We were able to finish both halves tonight and force a lot of turnovers,” said Head Coach Liz Turner-Bolton. “Martha Taylor and Katie Collins played great defense on their point guard and on Katie Steigleman, forcing the two of them into 13 of their turnovers. We mixed it up quite a bit defensively and did a good job shutting them down. We wanted them to settle for jump shots and that’s what they did.”
Corban got off to a fast start, grabbing a seven point lead over the first ten minutes. But after a timeout, the Beacons took their game to another level, going on a 16-0 run and taking control of the game. At halftime, NCU lead 33-25.
Clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch kept the Beacons ahead, as they knocked down 9-of-10 free throws over the final two minutes after Corban battled back to cut the lead to one. NCU used their depth to their advantage, with the reserves outscoring Corban’s bench 21-0. The Beacon defense held the Warrior reserves to a combined 0-for-14 shooting performance on the night.
“It’s always tough to play at Corban,” said Bolton. “We’ve only beaten them once at their place before tonight. We really appreciate all the fans who came up to support us tonight. They made a difference for us.”
Freshman Aly Bruns led the Beacons with a career-high 15 points, including a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line. Lori Renner scored 10 points, including two three-pointers at critical moments. She also added eight rebounds. Randi Keyser added eight points and eight rebounds, and Kelsey Atkins provided instant offense off the bench, scoring eight points in just nine minutes of action. Seniors Kelsey Bolander and Jenneca Crocker each added six points, with Bolander pulling down five rebounds.
Steigleman, who earned conference player of the week honors on Monday, lead Corban with 18 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7-of-17 from the floor. Emily Tsugawa scored 14 points, but made just 5-of-19 shots. Tess Bennett contributed 12 points and six rebounds, while Jennesa Miller grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Beacons, who have now defeated Corban on the Warriors home court for the second straight season, return home tonight for a non-conference battle against NCAA Division III Linfield College. The Wildcats are 2-3 this season and coming off a 91-54 loss to Lewis-Clark State College. Tip-off is set for 5:30 pm.