EUGENE, Ore. – Senior Ayden Krupke scored 25 points and the Bushnell women's basketball team made it two in a row on Saturday, winning in similar fashion as they knocked off Northwest University, 67-57, in Cascade Collegiate Conference action at the Morse Center.   
 
For the second straight game, the Beacons (4-10, 2-4 CCC) relied on strong second and fourth quarters to clinch the victory. Trailing 19-14 after the first ten minutes, the Beacons rallied to score the first nine points of the second quarter, holding the Eagles without a field goal for a five-minute stretch. The result was a 31-29 halftime advantage.
 
An even fight in the third gave Bushnell a slim 46-45 margin going into the fourth, where they out-scored NU 21-12 to pull away.
 
The Beacons were led by Krupke's 25, hitting three three-pointers while adding eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals, all team highs. Maddie Gerhart stepped into the starting lineup and had another strong performance as well with 16, shooting 6-for-10 for the field and adding seven boards. Bushnell out-rebounded the Eagles 49-39 in the game and pulled down 17 offensive boards, leading to a 19-6 advantage in second-chance points.
 
"Two in a row feels good," said Head Coach Chad Meadors. "Our kids competed, players stepped up and it was really cool to see. Ayden was our rock, of course. Things were hard and she stepped up in the second quarter, making the right plays and it is certainly nice to count on her. Maddie is tough to stop down on the block and an asset at the free throw line. She keeps getting better all the time. Karlee VonMoos did a great job defensively tonight, stepping up and creating some of the energy plays that we needed."
 
Junior transfer Jaycee Stiegeler had her best game as a Beacon by far, rallying the troops as she scored ten of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to lift Bushnell to the win. She finished shooting 5-for-8 from the field with a pair of three-pointers, along with two steals.
 
Meadors said, "My goodness Jaycee was a spark for our entire team tonight. She has been biding her time and staying positive and when she got the opportunity tonight she capitalized in a big way. I am really proud of her and looking forward to seeing how she continues to contribute."
 
Northwest (4-10, 0-6 CCC) was led by Jersey McGehee who hit four treys on her way to 19 points. Ellie Bost added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
 
UP NEXT: The Beacons remain at home next weekend and are set to take on No. 15 Lewis-Clark State College (10-4, 4-2) on Friday at 12:00 pm.