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YOUTHFUL RAIDERS CAP BANNER YEAR                                                                     08/14/09
IN FINAL FOUR

After winning the national championship in 2008 with a veteran team featuring five senior starters, the Northwestern women’s basketball team had a definite new look at the start of the 2008-09 season. With six players back and just two of the top nine, head coach Earl Woudstra and his staff had to rely on a young but talented class of newcomers to contribute immediately. ”Our young players really grew up quick and blended well with our returning players,” commented Woudstra. Facing a difficult schedule, both non-conference and within the GPAC, the Raiders needed to gel quickly with one another to be competitive during the season.2008-09 Team

Early on, the inexperienced Raiders managed a 4-4 record through the month of November with wins over Mayville State (N.D.), Waldorf (Iowa) and Valley City State (N.D.). Northwestern then opened conference play with an 86-73 win over Dordt, which started an impressive eight-game win streak, capped by a last-second 70-68 road win against a ranked Hastings (Neb.) squad. “We were able to enjoy just enough success to believe we could be competitive. We played USD well in a loss and had a big win at home against Mount Marty just before Christmas. We benefitted from some early home games in the conference.”

Northwestern had its win streak snapped with a close loss on the road to a ranked Doane team (80-75).The resilient Raiders, however, battled back to win their next seven games, including four on the road, to improve to 13-1 in the GPAC, 19-5 overall, and just one game in back of conference-leading Morningside. Randa Hulstein (Sioux Center, Iowa) earned both conference and national player of the week honors after leading her team to wins over USF and Concordia. With a potential conference championship showdown against the Mustangs looming, Coach Woudstra’s squad was upended on the road (75-66) by Dakota Wesleyan in front of a raucous crowd in the Corn Palace. Once again, Northwestern came back and responded with a 75-63 win against Doane, avenging an earlier loss. The Raiders split their final two games of the regular season, falling to Morningside and defeating Briar Cliff behind a career-high 35 points by junior Becca Hurley (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) to clinch the second seed in the upcoming GPAC tournament.

The Raiders opened postseason with a home win against Doane (80-68), their second win over the Tigers in 14 days. A semifinal showdown awaited against eighth-ranked Concordia, a team Northwestern defeated 78-66 earlier in the month. Coach Woudstra’s squad rallied in the second half to send the game into overtime where the host Raiders edged the Bulldogs, 80-78, to advance to the GPAC championship game against Morningside. In front of a packed house, Northwestern stayed close but eventually lost to the Mustangs, 64-56.

Seeded second in the 32-team national tournament, Northwestern cruised to wins over Covenant College (Tenn.) and Sterling (Kan.) in the first two rounds. The Raiders then defeated top-seeded Davenport (Mich.) 76-66 to advance to the Final Four for the third time in four years. “Playing in the GPAC obviously prepares you well for the national tournament. Our defensive improvement was a real key to our success,” commented Woudstra. Facing a familiar opponent in Morningside, the two teams did not disappoint the thousands of fans in attendance at the Tyson Events Center. In the end, Northwestern fell 63-58 to end the season with a 26-9 record.

Three players, Becca Hurley, Randa Hulstein (Sioux Center, Iowa) and Kami Kuhlmann (Charter Oak, Iowa) received all-Hurleyconference honors. Hurley and Hulstein were named to the first team while Kuhlmann earned honorable mention honors. Hurley earned first team NAIA All-American honors after leading the Raiders in scoring, averaging nearly 20 points per game. Hulstein was named honorable mention All-American, scoring over 14 points and pulling down over 11 boards per game. Both players were named to the all-tournament team. Hurley and Anna Anderson (Chariton, Iowa) received NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades while the entire team received Scholar Team honors.