Hawks shake off Lakers on Wednesday night

NORFOLK, Neb. – Despite a slow start in the first quarter, the Northeast Community College women's basketball team had enough firepower to top Iowa Lakes Community College, 72-66 on Wednesday night at the Cox Activities Center in Norfolk.

Both teams went neck-to-neck in the first quarter and the Hawks (14-7, 13-7 ICCAC) managed to come out on top after the first half, leading by four points. The Lakers took a small lead in the third quarter, but Breanna Stouffer (David City, Neb.) hit a much-needed 3-pointer that gave the Hawks momentum heading into the fourth quarter.

With 6:33 to play, Ashley Hassett (Hershey, Neb.) nailed a 3-pointer to give the Hawks a 62-56 lead, but the Lakers wouldn't go down without a fight. Back-to-back layups by Taylor Peter (Chambers, Neb.) and Hassett sealed the victory for Northeast in the final two minutes.

Hassett, the reigning ICCAC DI Women's Basketball Player of the Week, tallied 20 points and seven rebounds. Stouffer chipped in 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. Peter added 13 points and four boards, while Patricija Peric (Zagreb, Croatia) had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Hawks shot 45 percent from the field, 41 percent from beyond the arc and 82 percent from the charity stripe.

The Hawks battle Marshalltown Community College in the Region XI Tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday in Norfolk.

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Northeast Athletic website: www.northeasthawks.com