Friday, March 15, 2019

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Stars often shine brightest in the postseason and that was certainly the case in Friday's second quarterfinal at the NCAA Division II West Regional.

Northwest Nazarene's top scorer did what she does best as guard Avery Albrecht her team with 20 points in its 85-75 victory over Humboldt State at RIMAC Arena.

Albrecht connected on 5 of 6 from the charity stripe and made all three shots from three-point range as the Nighthawks (29-2) shot 49.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. A trio of her teammates also finished in double figures as seniors Raquel Jardine, Danielle Jardine and Ellie Logan all finished with 10 points a piece.  

Forward Alexia Thrower led the Lumberjacks (19-8) with 22 points as she went 9 of 13 from the field.

Fresh off its GNAC Championships title run last week in Bellingham, Northwest Nazarene got off to a hot start on Friday. A pair of Danielle Jardine free throws grew its lead to double digits at 17-7 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, and the team would ultimately lead 22-15 at the end of the opening stanza.

The second 10 minutes belonged to Humboldt State, however, as the No. 7 seed outscored the Nighthawks by 11 points en route to a 38-34 halftime advantage.

Not ones to be rattled easily, head coach Steve Steele's club emerged from the locker rooms refreshed and poised to start the second half. A Maya Rodgers triple put the team ahead 46-44 midway through the third quarter, and the team grabbed the lead for good when senior McKenna Walker buried one of her own to make the score 55-52. 

Northwest Nazarene got its stops when it counted most down the stretch, allowing just one field goal in the final minute. Albrecht and Danielle Jardine then took care of business on the other end, knocking down a trio of free throws to put the game on ice and preserve the 10-point win. 

An emphasis in hustle stats helped NNU to the first-round victory as the team finished with a 20-6 advantage on the offensive glass. Albrecht and Logan also impressed defensively as the two each picked up a pair of blocks.

With the win, the region's No. 2 seed will face fellow GNAC representative and No. 3 seed Alaska Anchorage in Saturday's semifinal matchup. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. in La Jolla, Calif.