Northwestern College came up short in a match-up of top-ranked teams, losing to No.1 Concordia 80-67 this afternoon in Seward, Neb. The 10th-ranked Red Raiders had their 10-game win streak snapped and lost for the first time in the new year. They drop to 13-3 in conference play, 18-6 overall. 

Renee Maneman led all players with a career-best 23 points and Kassidy De Jong netted 16 for the visitors. Maneman drained a career-high three three-pointers, going 3-for-6 from the arc, and also dished out six assists. Haley Birks and Darbi Gustafson both scored eight and Anna Kiel pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds, despite all three front court players battling foul issues all game long. 

Trailing by nine (42-33) at the half, Northwestern outscored the top-ranked Bulldogs 14-3 at the start of the third quarter to take its first lead, 47-45, after two free throws by Maneman, who contributed seven points during the run. Concordia came back to tie it both at 47 and 51, and then took control with a decisive 9-1 surge, holding the Red Raiders without a field goal for over three minutes, for a 60-52 lead at the end of the third quarter. Dani Hoppes scored eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers, to spark the Bulldogs run.

A three-pointer by Paige Danner brought the lead down to five (60-55) in the opening moments of the fourth quarter and was still just a five-point lead with eight minutes left. Concordia, however, scored the next five points and built up a double digit lead for the remaining three-plus minutes.

Offensively, Northwestern was held in check by the aggressive Bulldogs' defense, shooting 36% from the field, its second lowest percentage of the season. The Red Raiders went 5-for-24 (21%) from the three-point line but were very effective from the free line, making 22-of-25 attempts. For just the fourth time this season and the first in 14 games, Northwestern was outrebounded (42-33). Both teams committed 16 turnovers. 

Concordia shot 46% for the game and 26% (7/27) from the arc. Hoppes, one of five Bulldogs' players to score in double figures, poured in 17 points, making five three-pointers. Philomena Lammers came off the bench to score 15 and Colby Duvel netted 13 to go with nine rebounds. 

The Bulldogs took command with a 10-2 run over the final minutes of the first quarter for a 20-11 lead. The teams played even in the second quarter as Northwestern shot 50% in the second frame and had success getting to the free throw line.