Women's Hoops Hits The Road

Dec. 31, 1999

Northwestern at #6 Penn State
Jan. 2, 2000
2 p.m.
Bryce Jordan Center * University Park, Pa.
Television: None
Radio: None

Northwestern (3-7, 0-0 Big Ten)
The Wildcats earned their third win of the season on Wednesday against Loyola (Chicago), 76-73. The 'Cats closed out the decade by snapping their five-game losing streak with the win. Emily Butler led the team with 21 points, while Tami Sears tabbed 19, Leslie Schock 14 and Leslie Dolland 10. Sears is the team's leading scorer, averaging 11.0 points per game. Dana Leonard averages 10.1 while Schock averages 9.8. Sears is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 6.6 boards per game.

#6 Penn State (9-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
The No. 6 Penn State Lady Lions closed out the decade and opened the Big Ten season with a 80-63 win over Iowa on Thursday. For the ninth time in 11 games, five Lady Lions netted double digits, paced by senior Andrea Garner's double-double. She recorded 17 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, while sophomore Rashana Barnes chipped in 10 off the bench.

The Lady Lions have four players averaging double figures. Garner is the team's leading scorer and rebounder with 13.4 points and 9.6 boards per game.

The Series
Penn State has an 11-4 series advantage over Northwestern since the teams' first meeting in 1979. Last season, the Lady Lions defeated the 'Cats in each of the two meetings.

Jan. 27  @ Penn State	  93-60     
Feb. 2   @ Northwestern   92-63

Olkowski Begins First Year
June Olkowski is in her first season as head women's basketball coach at Northwestern University. Olkowski replaces Don Perrelli, who retired after a 15-year run at the helm. The 1999-2000 campaign will be her 11th season as a collegiate head coach.

Olkowski spent six impressive seasons as head coach at Butler University prior to arriving in Evanston. At Butler, Olkowski compiled a 114-56 (.671) record, as her teams averaged 19 wins a year. In 1996, her team won the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC) tournament title and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament. Her 1998 squad won the MCC regular season crown and advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Olkowski's 1998-99 Butler team lost its best player to injury, but still posted a 17-11 record with notable wins over NCAA Tournament participants Illinois and Oregon. She is the winningest coach in Butler history and was named MCC Coach of the Year on three separate occasions.

In 1982, Olkowski began her coaching career by spending three seasons as an assistant at the University of Maryland. During that span, the Terrapins twice advanced to the NCAA Tournament. From College Park, Olkowski traveled cross-country to become the head assistant coach at the University of Arizona (1985-87). Two years later, at the age of 27, she became the youngest head coach in NCAA history when she was elevated to the top spot of the Wildcat program. Following her four-year stint at Arizona (1987-1991), Olkowski served as an assistant coach at Auburn University for two seasons (1991-93). While she was with the Tigers, Auburn advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament and was ranked No. 10 in the nation during the 1992-93 campaign.

Last Time Out - Wildcats Snap Five-Game Losing Streak The Northwestern University women's basketball upped the series record to 16-0 against Loyola, last Wednesday night as they defeated the Ramblers, 76-73, at the Gentile Center.

The Wildcats used a 12-2 run in the second half to take control of the game and snap their five-game losing streak. Northwestern began the game wtih a basket from Leslie Dolland and traded baskets with Loyola for most of the first half.

Loyola's Ryan Johnson hit a three to open the lead to 10-4 at the 17:12 mark. The 'Cats answered with three quick baskets to tie. Loyola sank a three to regain the lead and maintained it until the 1:08 mark when Emily Butler buried a three to put the Wildcats up 34-33 as they entered the half.

NU took its first substantial lead of the game with a 12-2 run in the second stanza. Loyola regained composure and got within three at the 12-minute mark. Loyola closed in on the 'Cats and tied the game at 62 with 7:31 remaining. Tracy Hoffmann hit a three to put the Ramblers up, 70-68, with five minutes left in the game.

Neither team could connect for the next three minutes until a Loyola foul sent Natalie Will to the chartiy stripe. Will's accuracy tied the score at 70. The Ramblers headed to the other end of the court for a Beth Dilling three to take the lead in the final minutes of the game. Butler answered with a layup to make the score 73-72. Tami Sears put back a missed layup to make the score, 74-73, with 39 seconds on the clock. Butler sealed the Wildcat win as she sank two free throws.

Butler hit three treys to end with a game and career-high 21 points, while Tami Sears had 19 points and six boards. Leslie Schock added 14 points, while Dolland contributed 10 in the win.

How The Teams Match Up: Northwestern vs. Penn State

	Northwestern	Penn State
Points	54.7	79.1
Points Allowed	66.5	62.9
Rebounds	39.1	45.3
Rebound Margin	+7	+8.7
FG%	.398	.438
FG% defense	.433	.396
3-pt FG%	.316	.337
FT%	.579	.714
Assists	13.9	19.7
Turnovers	22.5	16.9
Blocks	1.8	4.3
Steals	4.4	11.5

Scouting Penn State
Penn State is currently ranked sixth in the nation. The Lady Lions enter today's game, 9-2 and 1-0 in the Big Ten. The Lady Lions hope to keep their five-game win streak alive this afternoon. The Lions are led by Andrea Garner, who averages 13.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Penn State has three other players scoring in double figures. So far this season, Penn State has outrebounded its opponents by 7.0+ per game. The Lions are also averaging 79.1 points per contest.

Who's Hot
Tami Sears has come off the bench and been the Wildcats' scoring explosion. Sears contributed a team-high 18 points in the loss to Creighton and recorded her third double-double of the season, by adding 11 rebounds. Sears stayed hot in the contest against Loyola (Chicago) Wednesday night, scoring 19 points in the win.

Butler Gets Career High
Freshman guard Emily Butler was 8-of-17 from the floor, sinking three treys as she scored a career high 21 points in the Wildcats win over Loyola. She has scored 61 points this season, averaging 6.1 per game. Butler is also the only Wildcat to start in all 10 games so far this season.

Spreading It Around
This season eight Wildcats are averaging double figures in minutes played. Dana Leonard and Leslie Schock are leading the team averaging 30-plus minutes per game.

Injury Update
Northwestern was hit by the injury bug early in the season. Fifth-year senior forward Kristina Divjak is still out and her return to the Wildcat lineup is uncertain. Divjak, a 1998 Preseason All-American candidate, underwent season-ending surgery last Dec. 28 for a condition in her left knee known as lateral patella compression syndrome. Divjak ranks seventh in career scoring (1,624) and is NU's all-time free throw shooter by percentage (.833). Joining Divjak on the injured list is junior forward Chala Holland who is out after patella debridement surgery last June on her right knee, and has not fully recovered. Junior guard Dana Leonard missed the game against Loyola (12/29/99) because of a foot infection.

Sears and Schock - Forces on the Boards
The frontcourt tandem of Leslie Schock and Tami Sears has caused trouble for Wildcat opponents this season on the glass. Schock and Sears have torn down a combined 130 boards this season for 33 percent of the team's total rebounds. Sears leads the team, averaging 6.6 rebounds while Schock contributes 6.4 per game. Schock is ninth in the Big Ten in defensive rebounds. The senior forward has pulled down 49 in 10 games, averaging 4.90 defensive boards per game. Indiana's Jill Hartman is eighth in the Big Ten, pulling down 59 boards in 12 games.

From Downtown
Junior guard Dana Leonard is third in the Big Ten in three-point field goals made, connecting 20 times in nine games. Leonard averages 2.22 treys per game. Leonard is fourth in the league in three-point percentage, shooting 39 percent (20-of-52) from behind the arc.

Double-Doubles
Freshman Leslie Dolland recorded her first double-double of the season with her 10 point,11 rebound performance against Creighton on Dec. 21.

Tami Sears recorded her third double-double of the season with her 18 point,10 rebound performance against Creighton. Sears recorded seven double-doubles last season.

Wildcats Welcome Four Newcomers
The 1999-2000 Northwestern women's basketball team features four new faces. Nicole Daniels, Emily Butler, Natalie Will and Leslie Dolland join eight returning lettermen - including four returning starters.

Daniels, a 5-10 guard from White Plains, N.Y., averaged 20 points and seven rebounds per game last year at White Plains High School. Daniels set the White Plains High School career scoring record for both boys and girls when she went over the 1,036-point mark as a junior.

Butler, a 5-8 guard from Greenwood, Ind. The three-time Street & Smith's honorable mention All-American averaged 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Will, a 5-9 forward from Nappanee, Ind., helped lead her Northwood High School team to the Indiana 3-A title as a senior while averaging 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Dolland, a 6-2 center from Bloomington, Minn., averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals per game while helping the Blake School to consecutive state championship titles in 1998 and 1999.

Tough Road Ahead for 'Cats
Northwestern will have a tough row to hoe this season as it takes on a rigorous schedule. The Wildcats faced three teams in the nonconference season that received bids to the NCAA Tournament last year. Boston College, Maine and Iowa State were all tourney teams with Iowa State advancing to the Elite Eight. Iowa State (13) and Boston College (25) are currently ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 preseason polls.

As for the conference schedule, three of the 11 teams are ranked in the Top 25 polls. Last year, Purdue won the national championship and three other teams advanced to postseason play. Wisconsin played in the championship game of the WNIT, while Illinois and Penn State both lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State is currently ranked 8th in the AP Top 25 poll, while Purdue is 13th, and Illinois is 17th.

Northwestern Basketball Hits the Airwaves
This season, 17 Wildcat games will be broadcast on WNUR (89.3) radio, each preceded by a pregame interview with Coach June Olkowski. The broadcast can also be heard on the Internet at www.nusports.com.

Two of Northwestern's games will be broadcast by Fox Sports Chicago this season. The Jan. 9 home contest with Iowa will be broadcast on Fox Sports Chicago at 4 p.m., and the Feb. 10 road trip to Illinois will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m.

Wildcats Signs Zylstra
Northwestern women's head basketball coach June Olkowski announced the signing of 6-1 forward Michelle Zylstra (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) to a National Letter of Intent to play basketball beginning in the fall of 2000.

"Michelle will be a great addition to our team," said Olkowski. "She is an aggressive player whose offensive skills will help our program immediately."

Last season, Zylstra led Edison High in scoring, averaging 14.2 points per game. She also averaged 9.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.8 blocks per game. Zylstra was named All-CIF Division I and twice named first team all-state. In 1996, Zylstra helped her AAU team to the national championship.

Next Up
Following today's game, Northwestern returns home for its three-game homestand. The 'Cats host the Spartans of Michigan State on Jan. 6. NU will then play host to Iowa on Jan. 9 and Wisconsin on Jan. 12.

The Wildcats' Record in 1999-2000 When NU ...

leads at halftime	2-1
trails at halftime	1-6
tied at halftime	0-0
leads by 10 or more points	3-0
trails by 10 or more points	0-7
shoots 50% or better	0-1
shoots less than 50%	2-7
opponent shoots 50% or better	1-1
opponent shoots less than 50%	2-6
outrebounds its opponent	3-4
is outrebounded by opponent	0-3
has same rebounds as opponent	0-0
has more offensive rebounds than opponent	2-5
has fewer offensive rebounds than opponent	1-2
has same offensive rebounds as opponent	0-0
has more defensive rebounds than opponent	3-4
has fewer defensive rebounds than opponent	0-2
has same defensive rebounds as opponent	0-1
has fewer turnovers than opponent	0-1
has more turnovers than opponent	2-6
has same turnovers as opponent	1-0
has fewer than 10 turnovers	0-0
shoots more FTs than opponent	3-1
shoots fewer FTs than opponent	0-6
shoots the same FTs as opponent	0-0
has game decided by 10 points or less	1-0
has game decided by 10 points or more	2-7
Margin 1-5 points	1-0
Margin 6-10 points	0-0
Margin 11-15 points	1-4
Margin 16 + points	1-3
vs. Top 25 Team (AP and/or USA Today/ESPN)	0-2
vs. unranked opponent	3-5
at Welsh-Ryan Arena	2-4
on road	1-3
at neutral site	0-0
longest win streak	1
longest losing streak	5

Nu's record when the starters were:

Sears, Butler, Dolland, Flores, Leonard ....1-1 
Schock, Will, Sears, Leonard, Butler ........1-1 
Schock, Dolland, Sears, Leonard, Butler ..0-1 
Schock, Dolland, Berki, Leonard, Butler ...0-4 
Schock, Dolland, Sears, Flores, Butler ......1-0

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

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