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Liewen, Hodell pace NMU women to win

By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE – Anna Liewen and Taylor Hodell each posted a double-double to lead the Northern Michigan women’s basketball team to a 61-59 victory over Malone.

Liewen posted team highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds while Hodell was just one behind in both categories with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

They helped lead NMU (2-4 overall, 1-1 GLIAC) to a huge 51-30 edge in rebounding, more than making up for the team’s poor 3-point and free throw shooting. The Wildcats sank just 1 of 12 triples (8 percent) and 14 of 30 free throws (47 percent).

And they also survived a fourth-quarter charge by Malone (2-4, 0-2). Northern led 44-31 entering the fourth quarter before the Pioneers opened the period with a 13-5 run, powered by four 3-pointers, to cut it to 49-44 with 6:26 remaining.

NMU then held Malone at bay and still led 58-51 with 20 seconds to go following an Alyson Matkovich free throw. But the Pioneers’ Rachel Goddard scored eight points in the final 14 seconds, including the last two of her three 3-pointers with her final one coming at the buzzer.

It could’ve been enough to win the game except that the Wildcats’ Chloe Tompkins made 3 of 4 free throws in that same short time span. Tompkins was joined by teammate Bre Gaspervich in scoring eight points Saturday.

Northern built leads of 19-15 and 31-26 after each of the first two quarters before extending it during the third.

Malone’s Naomi Grandison led all scorers with 18 points and added a team-high nine rebounds, while Goddard had 17 points and five assists and Tara Schaffter 12 points. Teammate Chrissie Vaughan only scored two points, but made four steals, more than all the other players on both teams combined.

Northern gets back to action at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Wayne State.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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