A Strong Comeback from Northwood Women’s Basketball

Northwood women’s basketball coach Autumn Haggadone had a strong belief in her team’s ability to overcome a slow start. Her confidence was well-placed as the Timberwolves turned their game around, leading to a decisive 79-53 victory over visiting Lake Erie.

This win improved Northwood’s overall record to 13-5 and placed them at the top of the GMAC conference with a 9-1 record. On the other hand, Lake Erie dropped to 3-13 and 2-8 in the conference standings.

The first half was not promising for the Timberwolves, as they struggled with their shooting, hitting only 31% of their shots (13 of 42) and going 0 of 11 from beyond the arc. However, the second half was a different story entirely. The team shot an impressive 62% (19 of 31) from the field and 50% (7 of 14) from three-point range, showcasing a significant improvement.

“This team has all the confidence in the world, so that’s not something I worry about. I knew the shots were going to fall in the second half,” said Haggadone. “We had high-percentage shots. On offense, we focused on just slowing down, shot-faking, figuring out what was the best shot, because their pressure did a good job of speeding us up (in the first half).”

Defensive Dominance and Turnover Advantage

Northwood also excelled defensively, forcing Lake Erie into 24 turnovers. This led to a massive 34-5 advantage in points off turnovers, along with 14 steals. Haggadone credited her guards—Maeve St. John, Alexa Kolnitys, and Karie Keefer—for creating defensive havoc.

“They press a lot, and they’ve done that all year,” she said of Lake Erie. “The old saying is, ‘Press the presser.’ We did that, and Maeve and Koly (Kolnitys) were super aggressive up top, and Karie got some steals. Our length this year helps us a ton with our press.”

Game Breakdown and Leadership

The first quarter saw both teams trading points, with Lake Erie holding a 14-12 lead at the end of the period. Northwood took control in the second quarter, starting with two inside baskets by Lea Holmes and a free throw by Ella Miller to take a 17-14 lead. The Timberwolves maintained a narrow lead before extending it to 30-23 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Northwood forced three quick turnovers, leading to a 7-0 run that gave them a 37-23 lead. Haggadone praised the leadership of her players, particularly Maeve St. John and Alexa Kolnitys, who provided a calming presence.

“No panic at halftime. (That comes) from leadership,” Haggadone said. “Maeve and Koly have been super leaders for us, just a strong calming presence. Maeve knows the things we need to clean up before I even say them.”

Lake Erie managed to cut the lead to 43-34, but Northwood quickly regained control, ending the third quarter with a 19-6 run to take a 62-40 lead. Key contributors during this stretch included St. John, Lexie Bowers, and Maelyn McNealy, among others.

Haggadone emptied her bench in the fourth quarter, and the Timberwolves continued their dominance, outscoring Lake Erie 17-13 in the final period. They led by as much as 30 points.

Star Performers and Records

Lea Holmes led the way for Northwood with 18 points and eight rebounds. Maeve St. John added 13 points, seven steals, and four assists. Alexa Kolnitys contributed eight points and eight rebounds, while Ella Miller scored seven points and dished out three assists. Savannah Fellenbaum also chipped in with seven points.

St. John made history during the game by setting a program record for career steals, finishing the day with 246, surpassing Beth Mueller’s previous record of 241 set in 1985.

Gracie Lyon was the top scorer for Lake Erie with 16 points, and Sophie Chipps added 12.

Looking Ahead

Northwood will head on the road for games against Cedarville on Thursday and Ohio Dominican on Saturday. Haggadone emphasized the importance of staying focused despite facing lower-ranked teams.

“These games we had this week, you can’t overlook anyone,” she said. “They’re the bottom teams in our conference, but we came and did what we needed to do to win and still be playing in March, which is the goal.”