Kissinger's 26 Propels #24 Broncos to Massive Win over (RV) Northwestern

(Hastings, NE) – The #24 Hastings Broncos, who came in riding a six-game winning streak, knocked off the (RV) Northwestern Red Raiders, 101-92 on Senior Day. The win guarantees a top-four finish in the conference and a quarterfinal home game in the GPAC tournament.

Junior Tathis Arredondo gave Hastings the early 3-0 lead, but Northwestern came out strong as well from the start, making eight of their first nine shots to take a 18-5 lead less than four minutes into the game. The Broncos went to their bench and were able to chip away at the lead, making it 22-13 with 2:22 left in the quarter, led by four points from sophomore Bailey Kissinger. 

Senior Kiernan Paulk, who had five in the period, splashed home a spot-up three and after a forcing backcourt turnover forced by freshman Jentri Marx, fellow freshman McKenna Yates knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to three with 1:29 to go. The Red Raiders led 26-21 by shooting 60 percent going into the second quarter.

Kissinger put in two free throws and Yates scored twice to start the second to get within one, then Yates drained a deep three to go up 30-28 at the 7:30 mark. Kissinger and Marx pushed the lead to six, but the Red Raiders were able to hang around, getting back within two with 4:16 to go.

Senior Mariyah Avila drilled back-to-back treys to put Hastings up 44-36 with 3:08 left. Leading 44-43 after a 7-0 Red Raider run, Kissinger made two free throws on their last possession, but Northwestern banked in a long-range three to tie the game up at 46 going to the break.

Northwestern shot 53 percent from the field in the first half and made four threes, while Hastings shot 45 percent overall, making six of their 11 from downtown. The Broncos got 23 bench points in the half, with 12 from Kissinger to lead the team.

Sophomore Rachel Goodon started the second half with a pair of blocks, but Northwestern began the quarter with a corner three, followed closely by a Yates triple. Arredondo scored the next five Hastings points to pull the Broncos ahead, 54-53, with 6:11 remaining in the third. Freshman Ann Bose stole the inbound pass on the other end, part of with third quarter Red Raider turnovers, and senior Alyssa Baker scooped it in for two to go up three.

Bose later gave Hastings a five-point lead on a deep ball, and with a four-point lead, she drilled another three to go up 67-60 with 3:25 left. After a Northwestern score, Kissinger, who had eight points in the quarter, went coast-to-coast to convert a three-point play, then drove right down the lane to score on the next possession, stretching the lead to 10 with 2:08 left. Northwestern made two threes and scored inside for an 8-0 run, but Paulk drilled a big three to close the quarter for a 75-70 lead.

Both teams scored on their first possession of the fourth quarter and after two free throws each from Avila and Yates, Northwestern answered with two layups to get back within five. The Red Raiders inched closer with an and-one, getting to within two at the 7:03 mark, before tying it up at 81 on their next possession. Kissinger again had the response by getting back to the line, making both, then Bose scored seven points in a row to offset four points from Northwestern to go up five with 4:34 left.

After a Red Raider miss, Hastings pushed the ball up the court, leading to a layup by Paulk from Kissinger to take a seven-point lead with four to go. Kissinger later found Paulk behind the arc, who banked in a three to make it 95-85.

Goodon pushed the lead to 12 with a basket, but Northwestern was able to cut the lead to seven with 29 seconds left. Kissinger sank four more foul shots to ice the game, 101-92.

Hastings had 13 threes in the game, shooting 57 percent from deep and forced 18 turnovers that led to 27 points off of them, while having just nine turnovers themselves. The Bronco bench outscored Northwestern's bench 62-10, led by Kissinger, who had 26 points, making 14-16 from the line, along with six assists and three rebounds. 

Bose scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half and had five rebounds. Yates added 17 points, Paulk had 13 points, and Avila contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Marx also came off the bench with two points, six rebounds, four steals, and three assists.

The win keeps Hastings at fourth place in the standings up two games with two left to play, ensuring that they will be seeded no lower than fourth for the conference tournament. Up next, Hastings will play at Midland on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6pm inside the Wikert Event Center.