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Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

LA CROSSE, Wis. (Nov. 26, 2011)-- Despite a furious second half comeback, the North Central College women's basketball team was unable to overcome its early-game struggles, falling 65-57 to Wartburg College in the opening round of the Holiday Inn Express Thanksgiving Classic inside Mitchell Hall.

The Cardinals (2-3) trailed by as many as 20-points midway through the second half before pulling within five points on two separate occasions.

North Central roared out to an early 10-4 advantage nine minutes into the game with a Kelsey Cooling three-pointer capping a 7-0 run. The Knights (4-0) would respond with a run of their own, scoring the next 15 points to take a nine-point lead with 4:32 remaining before taking a 30-17 lead into the halftime break, holding the Cardinals to shooting just 24.1 percent (seven-for-29) from the field.

Wartburg's lead mushroomed to as many as 20 points with just under 10 minutes remaining before North Central mounted a 19-4 run to pull within five with 3:29 to go. Back-to-back three-pointers from Callie Rezin and Cooling capped off the run, quickly cutting a 10-point deficit to just five. North Central closed to within five again off a Larynn Shumaker layup with 2:34 remaining but was unable to come any closer in the eight-point defeat.

The Cardinals regrouped to shoot 56 percent (14-for-25) from the field in the second half, including 45.5 percent (five-for-11) from three-point range.

Cooling led the Cardinal offense, netting 13 points while Emily Murphy chipped in eight. Collins grabbed a team-high six rebounds while Helen Muleya dished out six assists.

Stephanie Reiter led the Knights with 18 points and three steals while Abi Weidemann added 12 points. Leslie Wilson had a game-high seven rebounds.

North Central returns to the hardwood tomorrow at 1 p.m., taking on Finlandia University (Mich.) in the consolation game of the Holiday Inn Express Thanksgiving Classic.