Women's Basketball Drops GPAC Opener

CRETE, Neb. — Doane women's basketball battled stride-for-stride with undefeated Northwestern through three quarters, but a late surge by the Red Raiders proved decisive as the Tigers fell 82–67 in Saturday's GPAC opener at the Haddix Center. 

Northwestern (4–0) leaned on a 31-point fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Doane, meanwhile, showed balance and grit throughout the afternoon, highlighted by a pair of standout scoring efforts and stretches of strong defensive play.

Megan Chambers powered the Tigers with a game-high 25 points, shooting 12-of-21 from the field while grabbing nine rebounds. She scored eight of Doane's 16 first-quarter points and kept the Tigers within a possession multiple times during the opening half. Rylie Rice added 18 points, hitting three three-pointers and providing key energy during Doane's third-quarter push. The Tigers trailed just 51–49 with Rice and Chambers combining for nine points in the third quarter.

Doane's defensive pressure kept the game tight through three quarters. The Tigers forced 19 turnovers and collected 12 steals, including four from Mattea Kassebaum, who also added seven points off the bench. Keeleigh Knobbe contributed 10 points and three assists, while Ella Johnson added three rebounds and two steals in her 20 minutes of work.

Northwestern countered with a balanced attack featuring four players in double figures, led by Allison Piercy, Ellie Karolevitz and Ashtyn Wobig, each scoring 15 or more. The Red Raiders' ability to score in the paint—46 points inside—and control the glass with a 43–32 rebounding advantage helped fuel their fourth-quarter pull-away.

Even as Northwestern stretched its lead late, Doane continued to generate quality looks inside. The Tigers scored 42 points in the paint and shot 42.4 percent from the floor, but Northwestern's late shot-making—paired with a 12-of-16 performance from the free-throw line—made the difference down the stretch.

The loss moves Doane to 2–2 overall and 0–1 in GPAC play. The Tigers return to action next week continuing conference competition as they look to build on Saturday's strong stretches and turn their interior scoring and defensive pressure into a full-game breakthrough. Doane will face Hastings on Wednesday in Crete at 6:00 p.m.

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