WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – The Northwest women's basketball team started off the new year with a 90-76 win at Mid-South on Friday evening, using four scorers in double figures and contributions from eight other Lady Rangers. | Final Box

Northwest matched its best 11-game start since the 1998-99 season in improving to 9-2 overall and earned the season sweep over the Lady Greyhounds.

Trailing by a point early in the contest, 5-4, Northwest strung together a 29-9 run over the ensuing nine minutes and took control of the game. The Lady Rangers forced nine turnovers during the scoring run, including one on four consecutive possessions as they built a 19-point lead.

Eleven different Lady Rangers scored in the opening 20 minutes as the team shuffled in five new players at a time to stay fresh after a long layoff.

Monique Biggins and Nikki McChristian each had eight points at the half as Northwest shot 46 percent from the floor and held Mid-South to just 30 percent shooting on 10 of 33 field goals.

With Mid-South trailing 48-30 at the half, the Lady Greyhounds found a spark out of the intermission and quickly cut the deficit down to eight, 54-46, with 13:13 to play.

Mid-South gave Northwest a dose of its own medicine by scoring on numerous fastbreak baskets when they beat the Lady Rangers back down the floor. The Lady Greyhounds had 12 fastbreak points during the early first half run.

But Northwest quickly regained control up by just eight, using a jumper from Tiesha Tunstall and a pair of 3-pointers from Halle Knowles and Bethany Lytle to jumpstart a 14-2 run and put the game out of reach with 9:20 to play.

Despite being outscored 46-42 in the second half, Northwest scored 56 of its 90 points in the paint on the night, forced 28 turnovers and got 44 points from its bench.  

Biggins led Northwest with 14 points, followed by 13 from Leah Lytle and Shaq Isom and 11 from Bethany Lytle. McChristian added eight points, nine rebounds and four steals, while Carshava Sutton had eight points and 10 boards in 14 minutes.

Jasmine Greer led all scorers with 18 for Mid-South in addition to 17 from Laquaris Harris and 15 from Rachell Hughes.

Northwest shot 47 percent for the night compared to 41 percent shooting for Mid-South.

The Lady Rangers return to action next Thursday, Jan. 10 at Arkansas Baptist.