Sanz guides Hawks past Northeastern

STERLING, Colo. – Sophomore Irene Sanz (Vilassar de Mar, Spain) was the go-to scoring threat for the Northeast Community College women's basketball team on Monday.

Backed by a 25-point performance that included nine rebounds, Sanz helped the Hawks (6-3) score 24 points in the final quarter to defeat Northeastern Junior College 79-71 at the Bank of Colorado Event Center in Sterling, Colo.

Earlier in the month, Northeastern topped the Hawks in Norfolk by the final of 71-60. The second time around, it was the Hawks that came out on top, but it wasn't easy after scoring just seven points in the third quarter.

"This was a good win on the road," head coach Matt Svehla said. "We had a great second quarter and had a double-digit lead at the half. Our third quarter was rough as NJC got going. I was proud of our ability to weather through their runs and not cave in. We played a solid fourth quarter on both ends of the court."

Lauren Hunstad (Parker, S.D.) picked right up where she left off, scoring 15 points, while grabbing five boards. Freshman Kyla Moore (Norfolk, Neb.) pitched in 10 points, while Eriana Brown (Des Moines, Iowa) and Jade Blackburn (Surrey, England) each had nine points.

The Hawks shot 46 percent from the field, 46 percent from three-point land and 65 percent from the charity stripe.

Northeast hits the road to compete in the Great Western Classic, taking on North Iowa Area Community College at 1 p.m., Friday in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

For all news related to Northeast Community College athletics, visit northeasthawks.com for complete coverage. Fans can also follow the Hawks on Twitter @NortheastHawks for game-day coverage.