Northwestern
Iowa
Women's Basketball Bests Iowa in Thriller, 53-52
1/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern women?s basketball team extended its Big Ten winning streak to two games Sunday afternoon, defeating Iowa, 53-52, in a thriller at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The win was Northwestern?s second straight over the Hawkeyes after seven straight losses, and just the fifth in the last 31 meetings between these two clubs.
The game was a close one throughout, as the largest lead held by either team was six points. But the Wildcats (5-8, 2-1 Big Ten) were able to grab the victory with a decisive 7-0 run that spanned a seven-minute stretch in the second half.
That run, which came via a pair of jumpers from Leslie Schock ? one from beyond the arc ? and a layup by Tami Sears, gave the Wildcats a 51-45 lead with 2:43 to play. Iowa?s Cara Consuegra made a pair of free throws with 1:57 to play, giving the Hawkeyes (4-9, 1-3 Big Ten) their first points since the 9:43 mark.
Both teams had several fruitless possessions after that, until Iowa?s Randi Peterson cut the NU lead to two on a jumper with 18 seconds left. The Hawkeyes immediately fouled NU junior Dana Leonard, who missed the front end of the 1-and-1. However, Iowa?s Beatrice Bullock traveled after grabbing the rebound, and Leonard redeemed herself by nailing two freebies with 10 seconds to play.
Iowa made it a one-point game when Consuegra hit a trey with five seconds left, but they could not foul Northwestern?s Natalie Will until just 1.3 seconds were left on the clock. Will missed her first shot, but Iowa had no time to get off a final shot.
Several players stood out for Northwestern, led by Leonard who had 12 points and Sears who had 11. For Iowa, Lindsey Meder scored 24 points, while Bullock garnered a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.
Northwestern will be back in action Wednesday night, hosting Wisconsin at 7 p.m. in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
