Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Basketball Gets First Victory Of Season
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
November 21, 1998
CHICAGO - Senior guard Megan Chawansky (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake) made three of four free throws in the final 21 seconds to secure Northwestern's 62-61 victory over DePaul. She finished with a game-high 22 points, hauled in eight rebounds and distributed six assists in the win.
A see-saw battle occurred in the first half. Neither team ever led by more than five points and the Blue Demons (0-1) headed to the locker room with a three-point advantage, 29-26. The Wildcats (1-2) came out hitting the boards in the second half. Sophomore center Tami Sears (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) went up for an offensive rebound and got fouled. She tied the game at 29 with two free throws at the 19:24 mark.
The 'Cats showed confidence and poise and upped the score to their biggest lead, 41-35, with 14:37 left to play. NU still led by six at the 8:50 mark, but DePaul's Anne McDonald hit a three-pointer to ignite the Blue Demons team and the crowd.
From that point on four lead changes occurred. The Wildcats gained control of the game when Sears received a pass from Chawansky on the right block, took a giant drop step towards the hoop and muscled it in. She was fouled on the play and made her ensuing free throw to give NU a 57-56 lead with 1:52 remaining.
Eleven seconds later, a Northwestern foul sent Briana Fitzgerald to the line. The DePaul forward made one-of-two shots and knotted the game at 57-57.
With 1:10 on the clock, NU's All-America candidate, Kristina Divjak (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central), who was held in check the entire night with only four points (1-14 FG, 0-6 3PT), turned inside the lane and hit her only field goal of the night. It gave the Wildcats a 59-57 edge and turned out to be the game-winning basket.
Sears had her first collegiate double-double with 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Junior forward Leslie Schock (Elgin, Ill./Elgin) was equally as impressive inside, grabbing nine rebounds and hitting shots inside and out for 16 points (6-of-12 from the floor).
Divjak totaled nine rebounds, but saw her double-figure scoring streak come to a screeching halt. Only two games shy of breaking the school record of 56-straight games set by Anucha Browne from 1983-85, Divjak's streak ended at 55-straight games. Nothing to scoff at, Divjak has scored in double figures in 63 of her last 65 contests.
The Wildcats outrebounded DePaul, 55-43. Northwestern takes to the hardwood again on Wed., Nov. 25 at Northern Illinois. The game begins at 7 p.m.
