CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Northwest Lady Vikings traveled to Rossview High School for a matchup with the Lady Hawks on Monday. The two teams went back and forth throughout the contest, until a 16-0 run for Northwest spanning the third and fourth quarters allowed the Vikings to pull away, earning a 43-36 road win against an in-city opponent.
The teams were stride for stride in the first quarter, tying at 11 after the first eight minutes, highlighted by nine points from Vikings Guard Leighani Santiago. The Vikings went on a 7-0 run to start the second quarter, but Rossview responded with a 7-0 run immediately. The game became a dogfight at halftime, with Northwest holding a slim lead, 21-19.
The third quarter began close, with Hawks guard Siduri Carstens hitting two early back-to-back threes to pace the offense, but midway through the third quarter, the Hawks’ offense went cold, and turnover problems reared their head. The Vikings took advantage, turning those turnovers into points and going on a 16-0 run from 4:00 left in the third quarter to 5:00 left in the fourth.
“Despite all of our bumps and bruises, we’re improving,” said Vikings head coach Ben Wallace. “We had a great Christmas from the standpoint of growth, despite not even having everyone. Slowly, we are learning how to win these kinds of games, and learning how to defend when it matters down the stretch.”
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Rossview clawed back to make it close late, but Northwest was able to control the ball and their free throws late, including 10 second-half points from guard Shayla Vaughn, to secure a win in the nest. Despite a 17-point performance for Hawks forward Ellie Hankemeier, Rossview is still searching for answers on the offensive side of the floor.
“It’s frustrating because we self-inflicted a lot of mistakes,” said Hawks head coach Drew Smith. “Northwest didn’t do anything we didn’t prepare for, but we just couldn’t execute. They had a stretch where they played confidently, and honestly, we didn’t. No matter what the result is, we have to continue to play better.”
Big in-city win for Northwest High
As for Northwest, it’s a big in-city win, their first over Rossview since 2022. The scoring was divided fairly evenly, with four players scoring eight or more points, led by 12 points from guard Ivy Downs. As Wallace puts it, this win is a “confidence builder” and one that he and his squad hope to continue to build on as the year moves forward.
“Balanced scoring is what we are; we have a group of girls that have bought into what their role is and play it well,” said Wallace. “I think that just about anybody in the city can play with anybody else, and this kind of game can set us up to continue to compete with everyone we hit the floor against.”
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