FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Box Score

CHICAGO (Feb. 9, 2010)-- For the third straight season North Central College tasted victory on North Park University's home floor, defeating the host Vikings, 61-55, in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin women's basketball game inside NPU Gymnasium.

The visiting Cardinals (5-17, 2-9 CCIW) held a seven point edge after the first 20 minutes of play in a half featuring nine lead changes and four ties.

An early North Central advantage was quickly erased after back-to-back threes from Kam Acree and Dana Christensen gave the hosts its largest lead of the night at five with 15:09 remaining in the opening frame. The two squads would take turns with the lead until Latrice Newson canned a three with 5:20 remaining, tying the game at 22 and sparking a 13-1 Cardinal run. NPU went ice cold from the floor during the stretch, misfiring on eight straight shots before breaking the drought with 59 ticks left as North Central took a 34-27 edge into the break.

A Jenny Swanson three opened up the second half, pushing the North Central lead to double digits before a 9-0 NPU run cut deficit to just one. A Newson three broke up the run and pushed the Cardinal cushion to four points with 14:15 remaining. NPU (5-17, 2-9 CCIW) would close within two points at 40-38 and again at 57-55 with 2:41 remaining before Christine Karl converted the next three points bumping the advantage to five with just 51 seconds to play as North Central escaped with the six-point victory.

Despite shooting just 38.3 percent (23-for-60) from the floor, the Cardinals were red-hot from beyond the arc, sinking eight of their 16 attempts. North Central out-rebounded the Vikings 40-35, including a 16-10 edge on the offensive end as the Cardinals held an edge in almost every statistical category.

Newson paced the Cardinal offense, scoring 18 points, finishing seven-for-15 from the floor. Swanson had 11 points at the half, finishing the night with 16 points after hitting four of her eight attempts from three-point range. Karl chipped in 13 points and a team-high five assists while Jackie Errico registered eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. Kaelyn Witkowski finished with four steals.

Lyndsey Thompson led the Vikings with 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds while Acree and Christensen each chipped in 12 points.

The Cardinals continue their road swing on Saturday, February 13, heading up to Kenosha, Wis. to face the 11th-ranked Carthage College Lady Reds.