LIBERTY, Mo. – The No. 18-ranked Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (6-1) extended its winning streak to five games with a dominant 80-55 victory over the William Jewell Cardinals on Saturday afternoon.
 
Four Bearcats recorded double-digit scoring performances. Molly Hartnett tallied a team-high 12 points, followed by Caely Kesten, who added 11 points and four rebounds. Kelsey Fields and Lindsey Kelderman each contributed 10 points.
 
Northwest posted season-best shooting percentages, hitting 51% from the field (31-of-60) and 52.9% from three-point range (9-of-15).
 
Northwest set the tone early, with former WJC player Emree Zars and Hartnett leading the way, each scoring six points in the first quarter. The Bearcats limited the Cardinals to just 4-of-14 shooting, taking a 17-9 lead into the second period.
 
Kesten knocked in her first pair of threes to begin the second quarter on back-to-back possessions to put the 'Cats up 27-13, sparking a 17-4 scoring spurt in just over four minutes of game time put the Bearcats ahead 43-24 at the break. Northwest equaled its first quarter total of 17 points, within just four minutes into the second quarter. Northwest exploded for 26 points in the second quarter alone, with Kesten leading the charge with 11 first-half points, while Hartnett and Kelsey Fields added eight each. The Bearcats shot an impressive 54.8% (17-of-31) from the field and converted 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.
 
Northwest gained its largest lead of the afternoon of 28 points after Brooklyn Stanley converted on a free throw, leading 58-30 with 2:45 to spare in the third. At the end of three complete, the Bearcats held a heavy 60-39 lead. 
 
The Cardinals showed life in the final quarter, but the offensive attack remained strong for the Bearcats. Northwest outscored William Jewell 20-16 in the final period, coming out with an 80-55 victory at the Mabee Center. 
 
WJC went 20-of-50 from the floor and converted just two of its nine attempts from the three-point line. WJC's Ayden Shannon recorded a game-high 23 points. 
 
Up Next: 
Northwest will take on Mission University (4-2) for its home opener at 2 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 30, inside Bearcat Arena.