BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Nia Allen scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Ava Kingery handed out 13 assists as IU Northwest built a 21-point first-half lead and held off Grace 81-73 on Friday night on the first day of the ONU Tiger Classic.
The RedHawks (1-2) won for the first time this season. They shot 38.5 percent, hit eight 3-pointers and forced 19 turnovers, holding off a Grace team that grabbed 22 offensive rebounds but shot 9-of-44 from 3-point range.
Allen got IU Northwest started 14 seconds in, stealing the ball and finishing a layup off a Kingery pass. Grace's Emma Sperry answered with a 3-pointer for a 3-2 lead, Grace's only one of the night. Jordan Steele's 3-pointer put the RedHawks back in front 5-3 ten seconds later, and they never trailed again.
Sperry's second 3-pointer tied it at 11 with 6:08 left in the first quarter. IU Northwest answered with an 18-6 run to close the period. Kingery scored back-to-back jumpers, Ciara Bonner hit a 3-pointer, Allen added a layup and two free throws, and Steele and Bonner each scored in the final minute to make it 29-17.
The RedHawks opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run. Allen and Steele scored on back-to-back tip-ins, Steele added a layup after a steal, and Kingery hit a 3-pointer to make it 38-17 with 8:19 left in the half, the biggest lead of the night. Grace outscored IU Northwest 22-10 the rest of the half, closing on a Brookelynn Buzzard 3-pointer with 7 seconds left, and the RedHawks led 48-39 at the break.
IU Northwest stretched the lead to 56-42 early in the third, but Grace kept chipping. Cam Conley and Ellia Foster hit 3-pointers, and a second Conley 3 with 4:13 left cut it to 62-57. Aaliyah Keil answered with a layup, and Bonner hit a 3-pointer off a Kingery assist at 3:35 to make it 67-57. Steele added a layup and a free throw in the final minute, and the RedHawks led 72-63 after three.
Sperry scored Grace's first four points of the fourth to cut it to 73-67. Allen scored on two straight possessions, a layup off a Kingery pass and a layup with a free throw, to push it to 78-67 with 7:22 left. That was IU Northwest's last field goal of the game. The RedHawks missed their final 10 attempts, but Grace couldn't close the gap. Sperry's layup at 2:33 made it 79-73, and Grace missed its last five shots. Steele hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to seal it.
Allen shot 11-of-14 and went 6-of-10 at the line in 24 minutes. Steele added 18 points and Bonner 14, including four 3-pointers. Kingery scored 11 and had 13 assists in 39 minutes. Gracie Little had two points, seven assists and seven rebounds, five of them offensive.
Sperry led Grace with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Maddy Poynter added 12 points, Foster scored 10 off the bench, and Braylin Terrell had 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks without scoring.
IU Northwest continues play in the ONU Tiger Classic against Bethel (Ind.) on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Bourbonnais, Ill. Tipoff is at noon CST.
