Women's Basketball | 2/25/2015 1:48:00 PM

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


2015 CCIW Tournament
Semifinals - Friday
5:00 p.m. - North Central College (21-4) vs. Elmhurst College (16-9)
7:00 p.m. - Wheaton College (22-3) vs. Carthage College (15-10)
Championship Game - Saturday
7:00 p.m. - Semifinal winners

Video: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/wheaton/
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/wheaton/wbball/
Game Updates: www.twitter.com/NCC_Athletics
Tournament Website: cciw.org

Setting the Scene: North Central enters CCIW Tournament play for the second time in the last three years and the third time overall in the history of the program, as the Cardinals enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed, squaring of against No. 3 seed Elmhurst College.  Hosted by CCIW regular-season champion Wheaton College, the Cardinals are looking for its first win in CCIW Tournament play.

Series History: North Central holds the all-time series lead over Elmhurst, 39-29, as the two teams split this season's series with each team winning on its home floor.  North Central came away with a 82-79 win on Jan. 17, while Elmhurst cruised to a 91-64 win on Feb. 14.

This Season Against the Bluejays: North Central trailed midway through the second half in the team's first meeting this season and came back to win 82-79 as Bobbi Johns led the Cardinal scoring attack with a career-high 22 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the free throw line.  Tess Godhardt added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Corrine Rowe chipped in 14 off the bench.

Elmhurst's Fiona McMahon led all scorers with 34 points to go along with 11 rebounds, while Mikaela Eppard finished with 20 points and 13 boards.

In the second matchup this season the Cardinals were held to just 6-of-31 shooting from three-point range, both season lows, as the Bluejays shot 6-of-10 from long range to run away with the 91-64 victory.

Godhardt was the lone Cardinal to finish in double-figures, scoring 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field.

McMahon once again led the Bluejay offense with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Claire Monroe also finished with 20 points.  Eppard and Hannah Lipman also finished in double-figures adding 17 points apiece.

Godhardt has paced the Cardinal offense so far this season, leading the CCIW in scoring, averaging 18.1 ppg while ranking third in field-goal percentage (.593).  With her 22 points against her former team, Godhardt eclipsed the 1,000-career point plateau, combining her two seasons at Elmhurst with her statistics at North Central.

Scouting the Bluejays: Elmhurst enters this weekend's tournament as the No. 3 seed, finishing with a 9-5 record in CCIW play with an overall record of 16-9.

Elmhurst started slow in conference play, but have caught fire the later part of the season, winning seven of its last eight games with its lone loss coming at the hands of Wheaton on Feb. 7.

The Bluejays rely heavily on its starting five, as all five starters are averaging over 25 minutes per game this season.

McMahon currently ranks second in the CCIW in scoring, averaging 16.4 ppg while leading the conference in rebounds per game (8.5) and ranking second in blocked shots per game (2.0).  Eppard is also averaging in double-figures this season with 13.8 ppg, while ranking second in the conference in rebounds per game (8.3).

National Statistical Rankings: North Central currently leads NCAA Division III in scoring, averaging 93.7 points per game this season, while also leading the nation in three-point field goals per game (14.4).  The Cardinals also rank second in offensive rebounds per game (22.0), as well as eighth in assists per game (17.7) and steals per game (14.4).  Individually, Jamie Cuny ranks seventh in blocked shots per game (3.4), while Godhardt ranks ninth in field goal percentage (.593).

Single-Season Records: Multiple single-game school records have fallen this season including total field goal attempts (114), free throws made (38), free throws attempted (54), rebounds (76), assists (27), blocked shots (10) and winning margin (66 points). The Cardinals saw a pair of individual school records fall, as Cuny blocked 10 shots and Godhardt scored 40 points in a single game.  Cuny's 85 blocks this season rank her atop the single-season list, while the team's 134 blocks are also a single-season record.

Career Rankings: Multiple Cardinals have entered the program's individual career top-ten, as Johns currently ranks third in assists (316) and steals (166).  Maryssa Cladis ranks second in three-point field goals (128) and three-point attempts (451), while ranking eighth in assists (171).  Cuny's 85 blocks this season rank her second on the career list, just three behind the career record of 88 set by Britt Jensen from 2000-2004, while ranking fourth in career three-point field goal percentage (.341).  Kimberly Wilson currently sits fourth on the career three-point field goals list (115) and third on the three-point attempts list (386), while Miranda Grizaffi ranks ninth in career three-point field goals (88) and three-point attempts (294), and Godhardt ranks third on the career free throw percentage list (.787).