A Historic Sweep for Northwood’s Women’s Basketball Team

Northwood’s women’s basketball team made history on Saturday by sweeping Ashland in a season series for the first time. This victory marked a significant milestone, as the Timberwolves had never previously managed to achieve a sweep against the Eagles, who are considered one of the most dominant Division II programs over the past 15 years.

The game started with Ashland taking an early lead, but Northwood quickly responded. The Timberwolves took control early and maintained their dominance throughout the game, ultimately securing a 73-58 win. This victory not only completed the season sweep but also highlighted the team’s growth and determination.

A Locker Room Fueled by Determination

Before the game, the idea of sweeping Ashland was a topic of discussion among the players. Coach Autumn Hunter noted that the team had always managed to beat Ashland once in a season, but never twice. “It was definitely talked about in our locker room, being a part of something we’ve never done,” she said.

The Timberwolves’ senior point guard, Maeve St. John, played a pivotal role in the game. She was electric in the first half, scoring 20 points by driving into the lane and drawing fouls while hitting multiple 3-pointers from NBA range. “Whenever we play Ashland, she has that type of game,” Hunter said. “Their defense kind of allows her to penetrate and get inside the paint, because there’s not a ton of help or gap support defensively, so she gets to be Maeve.”

A Dominant Performance

From the start, Northwood showed their strength. After Ashland scored the first two points, the Timberwolves responded with seven straight points, starting a 9-1 run. Lea Holmes contributed with a baseline jumper, while St. John hit a 3-pointer and two free throws. This set the tone for the rest of the game.

Ashland tried to keep up, with Jenna Badali and Katelyn Harabedian hitting 3-pointers to trim the deficit. However, Northwood continued to build their lead. Holmes started a 13-0 run with a post bucket, and St. John added two triples in quick succession. Holmes then sank another baseline jumper, and St. John hit a 3-pointer from about 26 feet to cap the run and give Northwood a 30-14 lead.

St. John ended the half with two more treys, the second one coming from about 30 feet, to give the Timberwolves their biggest lead of the half, 42-21.

Maintaining the Lead

In the third quarter, Northwood maintained a lead around 20 points and eventually extended it to 53-30 on a 3-pointer by Taryn Jackson and a post bucket by Holmes. The Timberwolves later built their biggest lead thus far, 61-35, on a triple by Alexa Kolnitys in the final minute of the quarter.

Northwood opened the fourth quarter with a driving layup by Karie Keefer and a long jumper by Ella Miller to extend the lead to 65-37 before Ashland countered with a 9-0 run to pull to within 65-46. Jackson answered right back with another 3-pointer to make it 68-46, and the Eagles got no closer than 14 down the stretch.

Key Players and Statistics

St. John finished with 24 points, five steals, and three assists, shooting 6 of 7 from long range, including 6 of 6 in the first half. Holmes added 17 points, while Keefer contributed eight.

For Ashland (11-8 overall, 7-6 GMAC), Jenna Slates had 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Harabedian and Ashley Mullet each added 11 points.

Looking Ahead

Northwood (16-5 overall, 12-1 GMAC) will head to Malone on Thursday, then to Walsh next Saturday before playing four of their final five games at home. “We’re down to seven conference games, including four more home games, which is exciting,” said Hunter. “We get to defend Riepma (Arena) some more, and we’ve done a pretty good job of that this year.”

Northwood, which led second-place Thomas More (10-2 GMAC) by a game and a half in the conference standings as of this writing, is seeking its first-ever outright conference championship. “It’s been a goal since August,” Hunter said of winning the GMAC title. “We knew coming into the season that we had a chance. It’s going to take a lot of effort, a lot of work inside and outside of practice, and our girls are definitely going to do that.”