Women's Basketball | 1/7/2015 10:14:00 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

Jan. 7, 2015 – The North Central College women's basketball team continued its torrid start to the season Wednesday evening, powering past Millikin University, 95-75, improving to a program best 13-0 record.
 
The 24^th-ranked Cardinals (13-0, 2-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) held the Big Blue (10-3, 1-1 CCIW) to just 0-for-3 shooting from three-point range while knocking down 15 long balls on the offensive end, and held a 12 to 24 margin in turnovers.
 
Holding a 31-29 lead with just over six minutes to play in the opening half, North Central would go on an 11-4 run over the next three minutes. Mayson Whipple and Tess Godhardt combined on all 11 points as Godhardt began the rally with a lay-in down low.  Whipple stole the following inbounds pass and was fouled in the process, after knocking down both free-throws, Godhardt knocked down a jumper on the next possession. 
 
Two possessions later, Whipple nailed one of her three long balls on the evening and Godhardt followed with a pair of free-throws on the next possession to give the Cardinals a 42-33 lead with three minutes to play in the opening frame.
 
After taking a 45-40 lead into the intermission, North Central quickly opened up a double-digit lead in the second half as Miranda Grizaffi sunk a three-pointer, followed by a bucket down low from Godhardt and a pull-up jumper from Whipple to take a 52-40 lead.
 
Millikin battled back to draw within three as the Big Blue continued to feed defending CCIW Player of the Week Alyssa Saklak down low as Saklak scored 8 of the next 16 points, narrowing the Cardinal lead 59-56 with 13 minutes to play.
 
The Cardinals quickly regained a double-digit lead, going on an 11-2 run over the next three minutes, highlighted by three-pointers from Whipple, Grizaffi and Therese Pettersson to take a 70-58 advantage.
 
North Central held a double-figure lead the remainder of the contest while ending the game on a 13-3 run.
 
Godhardt paced the Cardinal offense with a double-double, scoring 22 points and recording 11 rebounds including eight on the offensive glass.  Jamie Cuny also finished with a double-double, adding 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while her six blocks set a new program record in a single-season (55).  Whipple finished with a career-high 14 points off the bench, Maryssa Cladis and Corrine Rower each dished out a game-high six assists.
 
Saklak led all scorers with 28 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the second half.  Hannah Millington also added 15 points for the Big Blue.
 
North Central faces its toughest contest of the season on Saturday, Jan. 10, travelling to 13^th-ranked Wheaton College at 5 p.m.  Links to live statistics, audio and video are available HERE.