Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

CHICAGO (Jan. 21, 2023) - Utilizing a 22-6 second-quarter surge, the North Central College women's basketball team downed North Park University, 62-55 to earn their second College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory of the season on Saturday afternoon inside North Park Gymnasium.

Mitrese Smith led all scorers with 19 points and eight rebounds while Natalie Stavropoulos added 16 points and six rebounds. Allison Pearson contributed 11 points and seven boards. As a team, the Cardinals shot 37% from the field and knocked down 19 of 23 free throws. Victoria Perry led North Park with 18 points.

Stavropoulos gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game as a layup with 5:33 left in the opening quarter put North Central ahead, 3-2. Megan McClure knocked down a jumper as both teams went back-and-forth with the Vikings taking a 10-7 advantage into the second quarter.

A Pearson free throw tied the game at 10 before the Cardinals' defense held the Vikings scoreless throughout the majority of the second quarter. During that time, Smith scored nine points over North Central's 15-0 run. Pearson sank a three-pointer with under a minute left as the Cardinals took a 29-16 lead into halftime.

Smith kicked off the second half with a layup before North Park cut their deficit to 10. McClure and Perry traded three points as both teams found their groove on offense in the third quarter. Heading into the final 10 minutes of action, North Central held a 44-37 cushion. 

With 5:17 left in the game, Stavropoulos converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Cardinals an 8-point edge. The Vikings scored four straight to close their gap and make it a two-possession game. After a basket from Smith, North Park hit back-to-back threes to tie the game at 58 with 2:58 to play. Megan Duffy hit a huge three-pointer followed by a jumper to put the Cardinals ahead, 56-51. Again, North Park answered and came back within one, but Stavropoulos, Duffy, and Pearson closed the game with a perfect six-for-six mark from the charity stripe to secure a 62-55 victory.

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