GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Senior Scout Nelson stepped up in a big way on Tuesday night as the Panthers improved to 3-2 overall and snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Timberwolves with a 71-70 win in non-conference action.

Nelson scored the last three points at the free throw line for the Panthers and blocked the potential game-winning three-pointer as time expired. Davenport trailed 70-68 with 49 seconds left after Makenzie Todd nailed a three-pointer for Northwood forcing Davenport's final timeout. Nelson was fouled and split at the line as the Timberwolves called timeout to advance the ball to mid-court. DU elected to foul as there was four seconds separating the game and shot clock.

Adele Kemp was sent to the line which seemed like a good thing for Northwood as she was 16-of-17 heading into the game. Kemp missed both free throws, her first two attempts of the night, and the Panthers secured the rebound. Nelson turned the corner with the dribble and headed down the paint for a layup with 6.3 seconds left and was fouled by Ava Dimilia. Nelson knocked both down and then Kemp tried to win it with a three-pointer with two seconds left but it was blocked by Nelson and time ran out.

Northwood got off to a great start with 27 points in the first quarter to take a 27-19 lead. The Davenport defense tightened up over the next two quarters as the Timberwolves scored 26 points in the second and third quarters combined. The game featured 11 lead changes and six ties but early it was Northwood who lead 27-17 at one point late in the quarter and Davenport had just one lead coming at the 5:15 mark (10-9).

The Timberwolves led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter (34-22) at the 4:57 mark after a Dimilia layup on the fast break. Northwood led 41-32 at halftime but the Panthers came out strong in the second half and scored the first eight points to make it 41-40. Ellie Toney had back-to-back triples in the short run. DU took their first lead since the first quarter at the 5:09 mark on a Toney layup on the fast break.

From that point. NU led by four points once and the game went back-and-forth in the final 10 minutes. Toney made two more three-pointers in the quarter with the latter coming at 7:39 to give DU a 61-57 lead. DU held that lead for four minutes until Dimilia made a layup with 3:55 left to put the Timberwolves back on top 64-63.

Dimilia and DU's Jaci Walker traded baskets to put the score at 68-67 in favor of the Panthers with 2:14 to go. That then set up the final sequence with under a minute to play as previously mentioned. Toney scored a career-high 21 points and made five three's. She is the first player to make at least five in a game since Ajai Simmons at Findlay on Nov. 19, 2021. Toney finished 8-of-13 from the floor and also had seven rebounds. Lillee Gustafson had her third double-double of the season and fifth of her career with 19 points and 12 rebounds (six offensive). She was 8-of-12 from the field and also had two assists, one block, and one steal. Nelson finished with 11 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and two assists. 

Davenport shot 45 percent from the floor as a team (27-of-60) but will need to solve their free throw woes going just 8-of-14 for the game. DU shot 60 percent (6-of-10) including 3-of-4 in the fourth quarter. 

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