Notre Dame was able to survive one extended Northwestern run Friday night.

It couldn’t fend off a second.

The Tigers scored the game’s first 10 points, only to see the Crusaders battle back to within one early in the second. But a 10-0 spurt to close the first half gave Northwestern a sizable lead at the break and it held a double-digit advantage the rest of the way to gain a 55-35 victory in what was a matchup of undefeated Colonial League teams.

“One thing we harp on is the first four minutes of a game, and the last couple minutes of a half ... ,” said Tiger head coach Chris Deutsch. “That (second-quarter run) was big, because we were up 10-0 to start the game but the next thing you know it’s back and forth. But we got it back up to 15 at halftime. I was really pleased with the effort against a really good, well-coached team.

“I thought our defense was the difference tonight. With Notre Dame, we were trying to take away their three-point shooting ... I would think going into a game, we should have more threes because that’s more of our game. We do shoot a lot of threes, and they’re more of a pound it inside, dribbling off the bounce team.”

The Crusaders couldn’t get into their halfcourt offense early as Northwestern’s 1-2-2 press forced eight turnovers in their first 10 possessions. That allowed the host team to score 10 unanswered points, including five from Cara Thomas.

But Notre Dame battled back, pulling within 11-10 on an Emily Lessig drive 1:21 into the second frame.

The Tiger perimeter game, however, came up big later in the period as Natalie Conner hit from deep while Emma Freeman canned two shots from distance during a late 10-0 flurry that closed the half with Northwestern on top 29-14.

“I think coming out in our 1-2-2 press was a really good way to set the tone of the game,” said Thomas, who ended with a game-high 17 points. “They really didn’t press us, but we were pressing them. I think putting that pressure on them, we were able to get some early turnovers and I think that really helped to move the momentum in our direction.

“(When they cut into the lead) we figured if we stayed focused on what we’re doing and work together moving the ball, and we stayed in our press, we knew that we’d be able to keep the momentum.”

Notre Dame did manage back-to-back threes in the third to get as close as 11, but five points from Conner helped the Tigers push the margin back to 15 and stay in control.

“I had hoped that we would have played with a bit more composure in that first quarter,” said Crusader mentor Josh Kopp. “That pressure, we knew it was coming ... I thought we looked tentative and at times unnerved. I think that was evident when they jumped out to that early lead.

“We cut the lead, but then our undoing was in that second quarter ... Even when we started to get a flow in that third quarter and made some shots, Northwestern always seemed to have an answer every time. We just couldn’t sustain a run and get multiple stops in a row.”

After a season-opening loss, this was Northwestern’s 11th win in a row and clinched a district playoff berth — the first girls team in District 11 to accomplish that.

“I think that first game really helped us,” said Deutsch. “It made us come back to earth a little bit, and made us realize we have to work for what we want ... It was eye-opening, and we can’t just show up. We need to come ready to play every night. To qualify for districts halfway through the season is quite an accomplishment.”

PERIMETER GAME ... In the first half, Northwestern was 5-of-6 from three-point range while Notre Dame was 0-of-6.

ROLE PLAYERS ... Thomas and Conner (15 points) combined for 32 of the Tigers’ 55 points, but Freeman’s threes came at a crucial time, Brook Balliet did a solid job handling the floor game, Hannah Gober battled inside and collected six rebounds while hitting four big free throws, and Olivia Reinhart chipped in with six points and five boards.

DIFFERENCE MAKER? ... Kopp feels the addition of Conner makes Northwestern that much tougher. “She obviously makes them a real complete team with her addition. You pair her with Cara Thomas, and they’re a fantastic duo ... They’re a good team. They were picked to be a favorite for a reason this season.”

NOTRE DAME

Shonk 2-2-2-6, Schweitzer 1-1-4-3, Hammerstone 2-0-0-6, Boyle 0-0-0-0, Zambo 0-1-2-1, Hobbie 2-0-0-4, Lessig 5-4-7-15, A. Ryan 0-0-2-0. TOTALS: 12-8-17-35.

NORTHWESTERN

Balliet 1-0-2-3, Bissell 0-0-2-0, Freeman 2-0-0-6, Thomas 5-6-9-17, Gober 1-4-4-6, N. Conner 5-3-3-15, M. Conner 1-0-2-2, Reinhart 3-0-0-6. TOTALS: 18-13-22-55.

Notre Dame 8 6 15 6 - 35

Northwestern 11 18 14 12 - 55

Three-pointers: Notre Dame - Hammerstone 2, Lessig 1; Northwestern - Freeman 2, N. Conner 2, Balliet 1, Thomas 1.

Records: Notre Dame (8-3; 7-1 CL); Northwestern (11-1; 8-0).