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

Box Score

RICHARDSON, Texas (Dec. 30, 2017) – Returning to the win column, the North Central College women's basketball team led early and often on Saturday, scoring a 83-70 win over Kean University in the finale of the University of Texas-Dallas Classic.

North Central (3-9) scored on the opening possession on a three-pointer from Hannah Vitkus and never looked back, jumping out to a 22-14 lead after the opening quarter.  A 10-2 run gave the Cardinals an 11-point lead with 2:18 to play in the first, with eight of those points coming from the free throw line.

After Kean (6-5) cut the lead to four just before halftime, the Cardinals opened the lead back to double digits for good at the 7:16 mark of the second quarter, as Mayson Whipple knocked down a jumper to give North Central a 50-39 advantage.

North Central proceeded to score the next eight points, including four free throws from Whipple and two more from Maya Walls, increasing the lead to 19 with 6:15 to play in the third.

The Cardinals led by as many as 23 down the stretch, scoring a season-high 83 points, while also finishing with season highs in field goal percentage (.403), free throw percentage (.880) and made free throws (22).

Natali Dimitrova finished with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Whipple led the Cardinal offense with 19 points and five assists.  Walls also finished in double figures with 12 points, while Vitkus added 10.

Marajiah Bacon paced the Kean offense with a game-high 29 points, while Lorenzah Hammer and De'Mean Bond each finished with 11 points.

North Central continues College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Saturday, Jan. 6, traveling to Carroll University with tip-off slated for 5 p.m. inside Van Male Fieldhouse.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.