LINCOLN, Neb. — Freshman Halsey Thomalla delivered 25 points as NWU women's basketball defeated College of Saint Mary 104-55 on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Snyder Arena. Sophomore Mattea Kassebaum added 19 points as the Prairie Wolves improved to 3-0 with their third consecutive 80-plus-point outing.
For the first time since the start of the 1991-92 season, the Prairie Wolves have opened a season with three consecutive victories while scoring at least 80 points in each game.
Thomalla posted career highs of 25 points and six assists in 27 minutes, shooting 10-of-12 from the floor while adding five rebounds and three steals. Kassebaum's season-high 19 points came on 7-of-12 shooting, including five free throws, alongside four rebounds, one assist and four steals. Mia Hansen finished with 17 points in just 20 minutes, adding four rebounds, two steals and one assist.
Junior Ashlin Jacobsen rounded out NWU's double-figure scorers with 12 points and two steals. Overall, the Prairie Wolves shot 58.2 percent from the field, connecting on 39-of-67 attempts, and recorded 25 assists against 16 turnovers.
NWU's defense held St. Mary's to 30.0 percent shooting and forced 24 turnovers, converting those miscues into 34 points. The Prairie Wolves collected 16 steals, a season high, while building advantages in rebounds (47-29), points in the paint (60-22), fast-break points (30-5) and bench scoring (49-29).
The Flames got out to a quick 5-0 start before the Prairie Wolves found their rhythm. Freshman Halsey Thomalla got NWU on the board with a jumper off a Jessica Black assist a little over a minute into the contest. That bucket sparked a 16-6 Prairie Wolves run, giving NWU a 16-11 lead with 3:59 remaining in the opening quarter. Thomalla scored 12 points in the frame as NWU forced six turnovers and carried a 23-14 advantage into the second.
The Prairie Wolves added another 23 points before halftime, with Thomalla reaching 15 points, four assists and three steals by the break. Kassebaum had 12 points and Jacobsen added seven as NWU entered the locker room ahead 46-28. Kassebaum pulled down four first-half rebounds to help NWU establish a 21-18 edge on the glass, while the Prairie Wolves outscored St. Mary's 13-3 in fast-break points.
Thomalla opened the second half with a layup and took over offensively with eight third-quarter points on 4-of-5 shooting. NWU shot 64.7 percent in the period and used a 13-0 run to open the second half, stretching its lead to 59-28 with 7:24 remaining. The Prairie Wolves led 76-42 entering the fourth.
Jacobsen opened NWU's fourth-quarter scoring with a fast-break layup off her own steal. The Prairie Wolves later strung together 12 unanswered points to extend their advantage, eventually building a game-high 51-point lead at 101-50 with 2:13 remaining before closing out the victory.
Black finished with a team-high seven rebounds and led the team in plus-minus at +42. Maddie Demke went a perfect 2-of-2 from the floor for four points and four assists, while junior Sharon Greek contributed two points, a season-high six rebounds and two assists.
Next up, the Prairie Wolves travel to Mount Vernon, Iowa, to face Cornell College on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Small Athletic and Wellness Center. The matchup tips at 5 p.m. and will be streamed on the Midwest Sports Network.
