GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The outcome might not have been what the women's basketball team wanted on Thursday night, but it was a step in the right direction in a 68-59 loss to visiting Northwood. The start certainly is not what the doctor ordered as the Timberwolves raced out to a 22-5 lead with 2:39 left in the first quarter. Leighten Koepke hit her first three-pointer of the game and Taylor Opolka followed with another off the glass to cut the lead to 24-11. Opolka then hit another jumper with 11 seconds left in the quarter as DU trailed 24-13 after the first quarter.

Courtney McInerney came off the bench to hit a three-pointer to start the second quarter and then nailed another with 6:45 left until halftime to make it 26-22. NU built their lead back to 35-27 after a pair of free throws by Grace German. Davenport kept grinding and went into the locker room down 36-33.

The Panthers took a 38-36 lead early in the third quarter as Koepke made another three-pointer at the 8:02 mark. Ellie Taylor responded with a three of her own and the Timberwolves would not trail again. NU went on an 11-2 run started by Taylor's three-pointer to regain a 47-40 lead at the 3:05 mark of the quarter. Northwood led 52-46 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Timberwolves got a three-pointer by Taylor on their first possession of the fourth and then built a 63-51 lead with 5:28 remaining that Davenport could not overcome. The Panthers got the lead down to 63-58 with 4:47 left to play and German scored the next three points for a 66-58 lead with 2:48 remaining. Jenna Falkenberg split at the free throw line with 1:43 left and that was the final points for DU.

Davenport got big contributions off the bench scoring 31 points. Koepke set a career-high with four triples and finished with 12 points and three assists. McInerney scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in 13 minutes. Falkenberg recorded a double-double with a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds. German also had a double-double for Northwood with 16 points and 10 boards. NU shot 41.8 percent from the floor overall while DU shot 45.8 percent. DU went 8-of-16 from behind the arc.