Northwestern had already proved to be a deep, versatile team through its first its first 16 games. But what the Lady Tigers accomplished Tuesday night took it to a whole new level.

Missing two starters, Northwestern plugged in a pair of young varsity players to fill the spots. It got big performances from the three starters that were healthy, as well as solid play from the players who were asked to step into larger roles against the Crusaders.

The Tigers didn't just win, they controlled most of the game, which was only close for a brief period early in the first and fourth quarters. Notre Dame made a push in the second half before the Tigers pulled out a 54-44 win.

"We said 'Next girl up,'" said Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch. "It's a total team effort, from the seniors right on down.

"In a way it was probably our best win of the year. I'm just so proud of the girls because they found a way again."

The Tigers (17-0 overall, 11-0 Colonial League) played without junior center Trista Cunningham and sophomore Sarah Segan, two players that are second-year starters. Freshman Erika Thomas and sophomore Lauren Anderson joined the starting line up in their place.

Thomas played starter minutes, scoring seven points and pulling down seven rebounds. Anderson also played well, scoring a couple points and pulling down two rebounds before leaving with an injury.

Mikaela Koenig, Megan Landrigan and Erynn Day all got some extra playing time in one of their team's biggest games of the year and helped contribute to the win.

"We knew coming into the game it was going to be rough," said senior guard/forward Sara Jones. "Different people had to step up to the pressure. Our bench did awesome. Everyone contributed on the offensive and defensive end."

Northwestern's win, combined with Southern Lehigh's victory over Bangor, gives the Lady Tigers a two-game lead for the top spot in the league playoffs with five games left.

Northwestern didn't look like a team without two key players, building an 11-point first half lead. The Crusaders (13-3, 9-2) fought back and had it down to just two points early in the fourth quarter before the Tigers went on an 11-0 run.

Senior forward Kaleen Suter hit two lay ups in a row to give her team some breathing room at 44-38 with 3:24 left. After a Sabrina Mertz three-point play, Suter and Sara Jones each sank a pair of free throws to finish off the run and push the lead up to 51-38 with :49 seconds left in the game.

"That was the best game Kaleen Suter played all year," Deutsch said. "She played possessed. She stepped up huge."

Suter, who usually plays next to Cunningham under the basket, scored 11 points while pulling down 12 rebounds and was

"Without Trista underneath and Segan for ball handling I felt a lot more pressure to fill their spots," said Suter. "It was definitely a group effort.

All the younger girls were playing their part and trying their hardest."

After battling back throughout the third quarter, the Crusaders had two chances to tie before Suter's two key buckets.

"We just weren't able to get over that hump," said Crusader head coach Josh Kopp. "I think we needed, psychologically, to get it to an even game to prove we fought all the way back and we just didn't get to that point."

After trailng early, the Tigers took a lead and held it throughout the game. They turned an early 4-0 deficit into a 9-7 lead within the game's first five minutes.

The Crusaders struggled shooting in the face of Northwestern's defense, going 5 for 20 from the field in the first half and 1 for 10 from three-point range.

When they heated up from outside in the third quarter (5 for 8), they closed the gap to just three points heading into the fourth quarter, 38-35.

"They were hitting a lot of shots," said Suter. "We got a little bit nervous, but we realized we had to step it up and play some better defense, hit some shots on our end."

Shannon Moran had three of her four three-pointers in the third quarter and led Notre Dame with 18 points.

Lexi McGivern also hit a pair of treys in the third quarter, but was limited to 10 points by Mertz's defense. The Crusaders' returning Second Team All Colonial League player went 3 for 14 from the field and 2 for 9 from beyond the arch.

"McGivern's a great player," said Jones. "But she was not on her best game because of Sabrina's defense."

Thomas, a promising freshman who has been a key player off the bench all season, said her team's senior leadership made it easy to step into a starting role in such a big game.

"Sara Jones and Kaleen Suter were a big part of keeping my head in the game," said Thomas. "They're great leaders and they really help me. They do it for everyone."

Jones, who recently became Northwestern's all-time leading scorer, poured in a team-high 18 points along with eight rebounds. Mertz had 16 points for the Tigers.

Considering what his team was up against, playing without Cunningham and Segan against one of the league's top teams, Deutsch said it was one of the most satisfying wins of his coaching career, which includes the past nine years with the girls program as well as another eight years as a boys assistant.

"This is as good as it gets," he said.

Cunningham is slated to return within a week from a high ankle sprain. Segan was scheduled to have an MRI on her knee Wednesday, Deutsch said.