The Northland College Lumberjills fell to the Storm of Crown College on Saturday,  66-51 in Ashland, WI. The Jills only suited up 8 healthy players for Saturday's contest and with most of those players being guards, the strong inside play from Crown wore the Jills down.

NC started a small all-guard lineup which included 4 freshman.  The Jills had a customary slow start offensively and the Storm went up 9-0 before NC got on the board.  With 4:05 left to go in the first quarter, Freshman Miranda Wagner hit a jumper.  The Jills got a stop on the next possession and fellow Freshman Sarah Dunbar scored on a put-back to bring the Jills closer at 9-4.  Crown scored on the next two possessions to bring their lead to 13-4, but NC finished the quarter strong with Dunbar layup and a 3-pointer from Freshman Ashley Lopez.  NC ended the first quarter only down 4, 13-9.

The Jills found their offensive rhythm in the second quarter and NC took its first lead on a 3-pointer from the top of the key from Freshman Bailey Wynn, 18-17.  The Storm went to post Patricia Gibson who scored 9 of her 11 points in the first half.  Behind Gibson, Crown took back the lead and extended the score to 27-24.  The Jills had another surge in them and Dunbar made a bucket and was fouled.  She hit the free throw for 3 the hard way and tied the score at 27 with 1:54 to go.  Crown came back and hit a jumper in the lane, but Wagner nabbed a steal and fed Sophomore Lindsay Bressette for a lay up.  The Jills stopped the Storm on the next possession, and a Lopez half court heave danced around the rim and out.  The teams went into the locker room tied up at 29.

To start the third quarter, a desperation 3-pointer off the backboard went in for the Storm as the shot clock was expiring but Wynn hit another triple to keep things knotted at 32.  The teams kept trading buckets and tied the score at 34 and again at 37, but that was the closest the Jills would get.  Fatigue began to set in for the out-numbered Jills and easy buckets wouldn't fall for NC.  The Storm went on a 12-0 run and the Jills couldn't chip away at the lead.  The third quarter ended with Crown up 53-42.

Bressette scored on the first NC possession of the fourth, but that was the only time in the quarter that the Crown lead wouldn't be double digits.  Crown ended up winning by 15, 66-51.  Amy Martius led the Storm with 16 points.  The starting four freshman lead the Jills offensively.  Dunbar had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.    Wagner had 12 points and 5 rebounds.  Lopez had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.  Wynn chipped in 9 points. Despite the loss, NC saw some great things from the four starting freshman.

The Jills are off on holiday break until January 3rd where they will host Great Lakes Christian College in Ashland at 5:30 pm.