Feb. 24, 2009 -Needing a win and an Elmhurst College loss to qualify for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament, the North Central College women's basketball team got just that; rolling past Millikin University, 72-43, while Illinois Wesleyan University rallied past Elmhurst, 81-75, securing the Cardinals the fourth and final spot in the tournament that begins on Friday.

The Cardinals led wire-to-wire, taking a 17-point 39-22 lead into the break at half after shooting a red-hot 63.6 percent (seven-for-11) from beyond the arc.

The second half saw the Cardinals continue to pile on the points, building a game-high 30-point lead with 11:10 to go before settling on the final 29-point margin.

Playing in the final home game of her career, Amber Cibrario  went out in style; piling on a career-high 17 points to lead all scorers, shooting six-for-11 from the floor. The senior dished out three assists on the night, becoming just the fourth player in school history to surpass the 200 assist barrier. Fellow senior Gia Navarra (Sr., Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) chipped in 11 points while Jessica Davis (Jr., Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) added 12. Jackie Errico (So., Blue Island, Ill./Marian Catholic) turned in her team-leading seventh double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 boards while Meghan McGuire (So., Elgin, Ill./Central) grabbed nine boards and a team-high four assists.

Ricki Dorsett led the Big Blue scoring charge with seven points, as the Cardinals held Millikin to shooting just 28.6 percent (16-for-56) from the floor while hitting 43.1 percent (25-for-58) of their shots.

The Cardinals dominated on the glass, holding a 47-36 margin in that department while outshooting Millikin from beyond the arc, sinking 12 treys to the Big Blue's three.

The win secures North Central (12-12, 7-7 CCIW) its first appearance in the CCIW Tournament since it was established in the 2002-03 season while Millikin ends its season with a 12-13 overall record and a 6-8 mark in CCIW action. Tuesday night's win also surpasses the Cardinals win total for the 2007-08 season.

North Central returns to the hardwood on Friday, facing unbeaten and top ranked Illinois Wesleyan at 8 p.m. inside the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill.