SIOUX CITY, Iowa - (Box Score) For the third time in as many games, Northwestern's (Iowa) offense was nearly unstoppable, registering an 89-72 quarterfinal victory over Iowa Wesleyan Saturday at the 19th Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena.

The win earns the Northwestern a spot in the semifinals. It will be the third straight semifinal game for head coach Earl Woudstra's team and sixth in nine trips to the national championship. With Saturday's win, Northwestern improves to 29-5 on the season and is now 27-6 in national championship play. Monday's semifinal will pit the Red Raiders against the winner of the Briar Cliff (Iowa)/Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) quarterfinal matchup.

Iowa Wesleyan's trip to the quarterfinals is the Tigers best showing in four trips to the national championship. In its three previous runs, the Tigers twice exited in the first round and bowed out in the second round on one occasion. Head coach Steve Williamson's team ends its season with a record of 27-8.

The 72 points scored by Iowa Wesleyan is the most that Northwestern has allowed through three games in Sioux City. The Red Raiders held their two previous opponents to just 50 and 47 points. Through three games, Northwestern is averaging 96 ppg, while firing a blistering 51.4 from the field and is winning by an average of 47.5 points.

Northwestern drained a 3-pointer just 12 seconds into the game and did not relinquish its lead for the rest of the game. In the first half alone, the Red Raiders knocked down 19-of-34 shots (.559), including eight treys. Val Kleinjan's 3-point stroke was on fire, with five long-range shots finding the bottom of the net. Iowa Wesleyan had a 46.4 field goal percentage in the opening half, but was unable to keep up with the Red Raiders. Jessie Beachey's 12 points led the Tigers' scoring efforts.

Iowa Wesleyan did not fade away in the second half, despite facing a 25-point deficit at the 18:30 mark. A 3-pointer by Angela Brinkmeyer with 12:15 on the clock sparked a 7-0 run by the Tigers that would get them within 17. Beachey converted two shots from the free-throw line and then followed with a fast-break bucket 40 seconds later to narrow the gap to 12 points. Iowa Wesleyan would again get within a dozen, but time was not on the Tigers side as Northwestern ended up winning by 17.

Kendra De Jong and Becca Hurley guided the Northwestern offense, each logging 21 points. Hurley was perfect from the charity stripe on six attempts and knocked in three shots from downtown. Also in double figures for the Red Raiders were Kleinjan with 15 points and Randa Hulstein with 12.

Beachey was the game's leading scorer with 25 points on 11-of-17 shots. Brinkmeyer's final game saw her post a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jill Ginder chipped in 14 points. Iowa Wesleyan's play down low surpassed that of Northwestern, out-rebounding the Red Raiders 42-40 and scoring 38 points in the paint to Northwestern's 30.