Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
RIVER FOREST, Ill. (Nov. 20, 2021) -
IxChel Leeuwenburgh filled the stat sheet in the North Central College women's basketball 68-57 victory over Concordia University Chicago by leading the team in points (22), rebounds (16), steals (4), assists (3), and blocks (2) on Saturday afternoon.
Early in the opening quarter, Mitrese Smith converted an old-fashioned three-point play to tie the game at 7-7. With both teams battling, an Allison Pearson bucket brought the score to 16-16, which would be the score as the quarter drew to a close. The Cardinals' defense stepped up in the second quarter as they held the Cougars to only one field goal in the quarter. Megan McClure scored her first points of the game to give North Central a 24-19 lead.
Both offenses came alive in the third quarter as Leeuwenburgh knocked down two free throws, increasing the Cardinal lead to six, 30-24. Despite both teams trading baskets throughout the quarter, North Central led the entire time and took a 45-43 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Another Leeuwenburgh layup opened up the scoring in the quarter before Smith put the Cardinals ahead 52-47 with 6:38 to go. North Central used a 9-0 run down the stretch to pull away from the Cougars and walk away with a win, improving to 3-2 on the year.
The Cardinals outscored Concordia Chicago 34-18 in the paint and scored 19 points off of the Cougars' 25 turnovers. Leeuwenburgh finished with 22 points while Smith posted 20. Pearson added 13 points by knocking down nine of her 10 free throw attempts. Jaylene Wade was the leading scorer for the Cougars with 20 points. Alisyn MacGregor added five points with 14 rebounds.
North Central faces Benedictine University (1-3) on Tuesday evening at 5 PM inside of the Rice Center. You can find live video and live stat links to that game HERE.
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.
