GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - In one of the more energetic games of the season on Monday, the Davenport women's basketball team playing in their home finale just simply ran into a persistent Northwood squad in a 71-64 loss to the Timberwolves. In the final conference game between the teams before Northwood moves into the G-MAC next season, Davenport managed to build a nine-point lead with 1:31 left in the third quarter. The story shifted in the fourth quarter as NU scored 30 points and did so by getting numerous second-chance points. The T-Wolves outscored the Panthers, 19-7, in that category and pulled down 18 offensive rebounds. The extra chances just seemed to drain the Panthers energy in the final 10 minutes.
Northwood got a three-pointer by Makenzie Todd with 45 seconds left in the third quarter and NU trailed 47-41 heading into the fourth. It was the only three-pointer made in the third (1-for-6) by the visitors. DU had one of their best offensive quarters of the season shooting 57.1 percent (8-of-14) including 2-of-3 behind the arc. Northwood kept plugging away and would tie the game at 54 with 5:07 remaining and take the lead for good on a pair of Ellie Taylor free throws with 4:27 to play. The Timberwolves went on a 16-7 run in six minutes at the end of the third and into the fourth quarter.
After the tie at 54, NU scored six straight points to lead 60-54 with 3:36 remaining. Davenport got within three points on three different occasions including down 67-64 with 27 seconds left after a triple by
Kendal Swartout. Todd made two free throws and after a missed shot by Davenport, Adele Kemp made two more freebies to seal the win. Swartout had a career-high 11 points in just 11 minutes off the bench and hit 3-of-5 from the arc with three rebounds.
Scout Nelson led the team with 15 points and also had four assists and one block.
Toni Grace scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Ajai Simmons scored 11 points hitting double figures for the first time in the last eight games. Simmons hit two triples and had two rebounds. Davenport shot 41 percent for the game hitting over 40 percent as a team for the first time in the last six games. They did a great job with just nine turnovers and held an 18-7 edge in points off turnovers.
