With a huge CBC contest scheduled for tonight, the Northwestern girls’ basketball team didn’t want to look past their non-conference game last week at Newton, one of the top Division Four teams in the area.

Abby Zerkle didn’t let that happen. The junior scored a game high 17 points to pace three players in double figures, leading the Warriors to an impressive 51-43 win at Newton, setting up tonight’s showdown.

Northwestern, now 9-2 overall, hosts 10-2 Benjamin Logan tonight in a game that will set the tone in the CBC. Both are 4-0 and want to gain the momentum down the stretch in the conference.

In a game that started nearly 45 minutes late due to a three-overtime JV game, the teams came out even in the opening period. Katelyn Partlow opened the game with a three, which turned out to be the biggest lead of the first period. There were three ties and the quarter ended 8-8.

Newton started to gain the momentum to start the second period, as two layups from Aliya Stine and a three from Tatum McBride put the Indians up 17-10. That’s when the Warriors went to work.

Ten consecutive points from the Warriors, led by Partlow and Jenna Robbins each with four, turned a seven-point deficit into a 20-17 lead in a span of two and a half minutes.

Northwestern kept the pressure on in the final minute, as Robbins scored again, and with 30 seconds left in the half, Abby Zerkle hit a pair of free throws to take a 24-20 lead into the intermission.

Robbins opened the second half with a quick bucket, and when Zerkle buried a three, they took their largest lead of the night to that point 29-20 with 5:09 left in the third period. Following baskets from Korynne Berner and Zerkle, the Warriors held a comfortable 11-point lead with 2:48 left in the third period.

Newton then took over the remainder of the quarter, as Brittany Oburn scored the next five points, and McBride scored on a three-point play in the final seconds, and at the end of their 8-0 run, the Indians only trailed the Warriors 35-32 heading to the fourth.

Northwestern regained control in the fourth, outscoring the Indians 16-11 over the final eight minutes to earn the eight-point win.

Zerkle led the Warriors with a game high 17 points, Parlow added 13, Robbins scored 10 and Berner added seven. McBride led Newton with 14 points.

Northwestern’s game tonight with Ben Logan is for the lead in the Mad River Division, then the Warriors hosts Greenon on Saturday night.