Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 11, 2023) - Taking on the No. 8 ranked team in the nation, the North Central College women's basketball team, fell to Wartburg College 89-61 on Saturday afternoon at the Time of Grace Center.
The Knights opened the game on a 10-2 run before Megan Duffy hit a pair of free throws and Megan McClure scored a layup to put the score at 12-6. Duffy knocked down two baskets as Wartburg held a 22-11 lead after 10 minutes of play.
McClure opened the scoring in the second quarter with a layup to bring the Cardinals within nine. The Knights went on an 11-2 run before Duffy made a three to put a stop to the rally. The teams traded buckets as Grace Kieffer scored a basket with just over a minute left in the first half. Wartburg took a 49-24 lead into the break.
Biz Daly scored two quick field goals as the Cardinals opened the second half on a 7-0 run with Kennedy Hartwig converting three-point play. With 3:16 left in the third quarter, Kaeli Ford made a layup to make the score 56-35. Josylin Simmons-Doxie forced a Wartburg turnover with a steal and fastbreak layup as time expired in the quarter.
Katie Schaible made three baskets within the first two minutes of play in the final quarter of action. Simmons-Doxie knocked down a three-pointer before Keira Hunt hit a pair of free throws. Wartburg stayed on top and earned an 89-61 win.
Duffy led the Cardinals with 14 points with Simmons-Doxie (7 points), Kieffer (6), and Schaible (6) chipping in on the offensive end. As a team, North Central shot 40% from the field including a 57% rate in the second half. McClure and Jocelyn Trotter grabbed four rebounds each while Martinucci dished out four assists on the day. Sara Faber and May Harris each scored 14 points for the Knights.
Kieffer was named to the All-Tournament team for her performance over the weekend as she tied a school record for three-point percentage in a singel game with a 5-for-5 performance against Wisconsin Lutheran College.
North Central heads back up to the Milwaukee area on Wednesday as they face Concordia University Wisconsin at 7 p.m. inside John Buuck Fieldhouse. The Cardinals won the most recent matchup, 81-73 last season.
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