02/20/07

In what seemed like a low-scoring affair when looking at the box score, Northland College was able to hang on to a three point halftime lead in defeating the Saints 61-53 in the regular season finale for both teams on Tuesday night in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Only one player on the floor scored in double-figures as the LumberJills’ Dylan Ring registered 20 points in the win. Ten different players scored for the Saints, led by senior Kim Huschle’s nine points in her final collegiate game.

St. Scholastica finished their season in sixth place in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings with a 6-8 conference mark and 10-15 record overall. Northland (14-11, 10-4 UMAC) qualified for the UMAC postseason tournament with a fourth place conference finish.

The LumberJills led by as many as eight in the opening nine minutes of the contest but St. Scholastica would take over the lead after junior Whitney Latham completed a three-point play when she sank a free throw after being fouled on a short jumper that had put the Saints up by one.

The lead changed three more times in the first half before Northland would take a three point lead into the locker room at the intermission.

The Saints opened the second half by scoring the first four points to regain the lead but the ’Jills would capture the lead for good a little more than a minute later.

Northland would stretch their lead to as many as 13 with 2:10 remaining before the Saints would score the final five points of the game to trim the margin to eight at the buzzer.

Besides Huschle, fellow seniors Jessie Stenberg (8 points, five rebounds), Heather Saralampi (7 pts., 7 reb.), and Amanda Johnson (5 pts., 4 reb.) also donned their Saints jerseys for the last time.