Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Dec. 16, 2023) - Shooting a season-best 47% from the field, the North Central College women's basketball team earned a 72-53 victory over Edgewood College on Saturday afternoon inside Gregory Arena thanks to
Jocelyn Trotter (25 points) and
Megan McClure (20 points).
A steal by Jovanna Martinucci led to a McClure basket before Trotter gave the Cardinals their first lead of the day, 4-2. Megan Duffy sparked a quick 6-0 run for North Central. The teams traded buckets until an Elle Sutter layup with three seconds left put the Cardinals up 22-16 after 10 minutes of play.
Trotter knocked down a three-pointer, off of an assist from Sutter early in the second quarter. She added two layups for the Cardinals, but the Eagles kept the game in check as North Central held a slight 32-30 advantage at halftime.
After Edgewood tied the game, Trotter, Duffy, and Grace Keiffer scored on an 8-0 run to put the Cardinals back on top, 42-34. Trotter converted an old-fashioned three-point play to extend North Central's lead to double digits, 47-36.
A McClure layup opened a 10-0 run for the Cardinals, capped off by a deep ball from Trotter which put North Central up, 60-43. Kennedy Hartwig hit a jumper before Kiera Hunt went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to secure a 72-53 win.
The Cardinals outscored the Eagles 40-23 in the second half while shooting 53% from the field over the final 20 minutes. Trotter scored a season-high 25 points to add to her four rebounds and four assists. McClure's 20 points is also a season-high. Vivian Guerrero led the Eagles with 25 points and 16 rebounds on the day.
North Central (5-6) hosts Coe College (8-2) on Friday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. This is the first matchup between the two programs since 1985 when the Cardinals earned a 66-65 win in Cedar Rapids.
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