GARY, Ind. – Olivet Nazarene University's (ONU) women's basketball team's offensive push wasn't enough to extend its win streak Wednesday night, as the Tigers fell 98-85 on the road to Indiana University Northwest. The loss snapped ONU's eight-game win streak and marked just the team's third conference defeat of the season. 

Northwest came out firing in the first quarter, setting the tone with a 72.7% shooting clip from the field while holding ONU to just 16.7% shooting. The Tigers found themselves in an early hole as the Redhawks opened the game on an 8-0 run. ONU had no answer for the Redhawks' interior presence, as Northwest dominated the paint and crashed the boards for second-chance points. By the end of the quarter, the Tigers trailed 25-10.

The Tigers responded in the second quarter, knocking down 7-of-14 from beyond the arc to claw back into the game. Bett O'Neal and Preslee Michael combined for four three-pointers, helping ONU outscore the Redhawks 28-25 in the period. However, Northwest maintained its lead, heading into halftime up 50-38. 

ONU kept pushing in the third, shooting a game-best 52.4% from the floor. Olivia Dirkse caught fire from beyond the arc, going 3-for-4 from deep on her way to nine points in the quarter, while Hattie Hagedorn was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, adding six points inside. Despite a strong 26-point quarter from the Tigers, Northwest matched the intensity, posting 28 points of its own to maintain a double-digit advantage heading into the final frame.

The Tigers made a late push in the fourth, but Northwest held its ground to keep ONU from closing the gap. The Redhawks slowed the pace and limited ONU's transition opportunities, preventing any major run. O'Neal led the Tigers with 15 points, while Dirkse and Brooklyn Marshall each added 12 and Michael provided a spark off the bench with 14 points. The loss marks ONU's first defeat since early January, as the Tigers fell 98-85.

Looking Ahead

ONU looks to bounce back on the road against Governors State University on Feb. 8th. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CST.

--ONU—

*Contact Anyssa Hampton, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, ahampton@olivet.edu