(Hastings, NE) – For the second consecutive season, Hastings, seeded third, hosted Northwestern, seeded sixth, in the quarterfinals of the GPAC Tournament. Hastings set a record for most points in a quarter with (46) and a half (71), leading to a 116-88 win on Wednesday night. The 116 points tied a school record, while their 17 made threes set a new single-game school record.
For the opening quarter, Hastings shot 78 percent from the field (18-23) and 80 percent from three (8-10) to go up 46-26. The Broncos took an early 12-7 lead with senior Mariyah Avila and junior Bailey Kissinger converting a pair of three-point plays. Leading 12-9, sophomore Josilyn Miller and senior Macy Bryant each hit from deep.
Later in the first, sophomore Adyson Mlnarik came off the bench and hit two quick threes, putting Hastings up 26-13 at the 4:57 mark. Miller scored the next seven Hastings points and sophomore Ann Bose banked in a three to go up 19. Mlnarik made her third three of the quarter, as the Broncos led 46-26 following a buzzer-beating triple by Bose.
Sophomore Stella Heapy began the second quarter with a three and Hastings pushed the lead to 24 with points from sophomore McKenna Yates and Avila. After Northwestern got the lead back to 20 at the 5:11 mark, the Broncos responded with a 10-0 run, getting five points from Bryant. Miller and Bryant scored shortly after a Northwestern response to take a 71-42 halftime lead.
For the half, Hastings shot 64 percent from the field (27-42) and 61 percent from three (61.1). Northwestern shot over 60 percent from the field and from three, but Hastings forced 20 turnovers, turning them into 27 points. Individually, Miller had 14 points, Bryant had 12 points, and Avila had 10 points, as nine Broncos scored in the half.
Bryant started the third quarter with a basket and Avila scored the next four Bronco points, including a three to go up 33. Miller got the next four points from Hastings to make it 83-45, then Bose scored their next five points. A Mlnarik three and a turnaround jumper by sophomore Jentri Marx grew the lead to 41 with 3:28 left in the third. Mlnarik put Hastings over 100 points with a putback, making it 101-56 after three.
In the fourth, Miller hit a three in the first minute and later scored inside the arc, going up 44 at the 8:14 mark. Avila and Yates made six free throws over the next couple minutes and they started to bring in the reserves with just over six minutes left, leading by 42. Northwestern got back within 30 with 3:48 left, then freshman Dalia Durant drained a three. Durant tied the school record for most team points in a game with a banked-in three, as Hastings won 116-88.
For the game, Hastings shot 51 percent from the field and made 17-32 from three for 53 percent. They made 21-22 free throws for 96 percent and forced 27 turnovers, scoring 32 points off of them.
Hastings had seven players in double figures, led by Miller with 23 points on 3-4 from deep, four rebounds, and two steals. Avila had 16 points and Mlnarik came off the bench to contribute 14 points on 4-6 from three-point range, three assists, and two steals.
Bryant had 14 points, three rebounds, and two steals. Kissinger added 13 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Bose added 11 points off the bench with three triples, and Yates had 10 points, six assists, and two steals.
Up next, Hastings will play at #2-seed Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3pm.
