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Local Sports

Nov. 9, 2024Game | Basketball

Northwest 85, Minnesota State 67

(Photo courtesy Clifton Grooms III, Cliff Notes Podcast)

Northwest Missouri State women's basketball conquered the top-ranked team in the country for the first time in program history on Saturday afternoon.

The Bearcats (3-1) knocked off No. 1 Minnesota State 85-67 in the Central Region Showcase at the Civic Arena hosted by the St. Joseph Sports Commission.

Northwest weathered the storm in the first quarter and found success at the free throw line hitting eight of 10 attempts in the first 10 minutes to stick within one point of Minnesota State entering the second quarter.

Then the defense locked in. The Bearcats limited the Mavericks to just 11 points in the frame and took a 39-33 lead into halftime. Minnesota State, a team the returned the majority of its contributors from a national championship last season, put up 99 points in a season-opening victory against Emporia State and averaged 82.9 points per game throughout the 2023-24 campaign. They weren't able to get on track against Northwest, though. The Mavericks shot 36-percent for the game and went just 2-12 from three.

The Bearcats took it to the Mavs in the second half, outscoring them 46-34, with the largest lead of the night reaching 19 points.

Caely Kesten posted a career-high 27 points for Northwest in the win, including 5-8 from beyond the arc.

Kelsey Fields put up 18 points and eight rebounds. The senior now owns 700 rebounds in her Northwest career. She finished the weekend averaging 16 points and 11.5 rebounds per game against MSU Moorhead and Minnesota State.

Molly Hartnett added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Lindsey Kelderman tacked on 13 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.

Northwest plays again Thursday at 3pm against Rockhurst at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.