Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Feb. 8, 2025 - Keeping the opposition off balance and creating ample scoring opportunities with its defense, the North Central College women's basketball team celebrated Senior Day Saturday with an 82-71 victory over Norrth Park University at Gregory Arena.

The Cardinals (9-13, 5-8 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) enjoyed a total team effort with 45 points coming from their bench and scored 31 points off 22 North Park turnovers. 

North Central opened the game with a 10-4 run in the first four minutes, but North Park bounced back to tie the score at 10-10 and again at 13-13. A jump shot by Jocelyn Trotter and a three-pointer by Cate Uhren, scored within 23 seconds of one another, put the hosts back in front before they hit the end of the first quarter ahead, 20-16.

Getting an inside shot from Biz Daly and a three from Kennedy Hartwig in rapid succession, North Central took its first double-digit lead at 34-24 with 4:04 left in the second period. The Vikings (3-19, 0-13 CCIW) got two straight baskets from Kathryn Keehn to trail by just a 34-31 margin with 2:47 on the clock. 

The Cardinals scored on two free throws by Reilly Boyer and a jumper by Hartwig, which NPU countered with Naomi Kaskavitch's three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining. Daly spun free for a layup just before time expired, providing North Central with a 40-34 edge at the break. 

North Central's full-court defensive pressure broke the game open in the third quarter. The Cardinals opened the period with a 19-5 scoring run over the first six minutes, making 8 of 11 shots from the floor and forcing eight North Park turnovers. Grace Kieffer's steal and layup made it a 20-point game at 59-39 before the Cardinals took a 63-46 lead into the fourth quarter.

Daly made 8 of 13 shots from the floor to score a team-high 18 points for the Cardinals, while Joslyn Simmons-Doxie put up 17 and Trotter and Kieffer each finished with 13. Trotter also turned in seven rebounds and five steals while Megan McClure registered a team-best four assists. Caroline Long led all scorers with 23 points for North Park. 

North Central travels to face Carroll University (14-6, 9-2) Wednesday. Tipoff at Van Male Fieldhouse is set for 7:00 p.m. Click HERE for the full 2024-2025 schedule and live coverage options.

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