Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Fall to Wisconsin
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
January 22, 1999
MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin won its second straight conference game with an 80-61 victory over Northwestern University at the Kohl Center this evening. The Badger offense, which featured four players in double digits, made 63% of its shots in the second half to pull away from the Wildcats and coast to the victory. Wisconsin evens its records at 9-9 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten, and Northwestern drops to 8-9 and 2-5 in league play.
Both teams started the game sluggishly and had trouble making their shots during a first half in which neither team led by more than five points. Wisconsin shot 39% from the floor in the opening frame, while holding the Wildcats to only nine field goals and a 33% field-goal percentage over the first twenty minutes.
Forwards LaTonya Sims and Jessie Stomski led the Badger offense in the early going shooting a combined 8-13 from the floor while the rest of the team managed only five baskets in 20 attempts. The Wildcats were paced by the backcourt combo of Dana Leonard and Megan Chawansky, who accounted for 19 of Northwestern's 23 first-half points. Chawansky also pulled down 10 of her team's 21 rebounds in the stanza.
Northwestern charged out of the locker room and quickly got back into the game as Chawansky found center Tami Sears in the paint for easy lay-ups on three consecutive trips down the floor. The Wildcats pulled even with the Badgers and then took their last lead of the game, 36-35, on a Sears free throw at the 15:45 mark.
After a media timeout, Wisconsin, led by guards Kelley Paulus and Kyle Black, responded to the Wildcats' challenge and mounted a run of its own. Paulus hit five shots and scored 11 points over the next four minutes, while Black recorded five assists and nailed a three-point basket to power a 19-7 run that gave Wisconsin the lead for good, 54-43, with eleven minutes left in the game.
"Kyle Black was a very nice point guard during that run," praised Wisconsin Head Coach Jane Albright-Dieterle. "With the ball in her hand, she knew when to run and when not to run, and Kelley [Paulus] was in a zone hitting outside jumpers."
Four minutes later, with the Badgers leading 59-51, the Wisconsin frontcourt took over the offense from the guards and scored 15 consecutive points to push the lead to 23 points, 74-51, and put the game away. Forwards Missy Konieczny scored four points and grabbed two rebounds, while Sims and Stomski each scored two points and grabbed two rebounds during the surge.
"We went inside and were very effective there," noted Coach Albright-Dieterle. "Our intensity picked up and we played like we should be playing in any Big Ten game. [La]Tonya [Sims] was in her [can't-miss] mode, and if we had gotten her 25 shots, she would have hit 20 of them. Jessie [Stomski] had another good night inside, so all the way around I was really pleased with it."
For the game, Sims led all scorers with 22 points on 10-15 shooting from the floor while grabbing eight rebounds. Stomski continued her strong play in the paint with 16 points and nine boards, while fellow Freshman, Tamara Moore, collected 12 points. Paulus was the final Badger in double figures with 15 points to go along with three assists and two steals. Black came off of the bench to finish with seven assists, five rebounds, five points, and only one turnover in 30 minutes of play directing the Wisconsin offense.
Chawansky led the Wildcats with a fine all-around performance and just missed a triple-double as she collected 17 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Leonard scored a team-high 20 points on 7-14 shooting and was the only other Wildcat in double figures.
Wisconsin takes to the road to battle conference-rival Purdue this coming Sunday, January 24 at 1:00 PM.
