Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Drake
Women's Basketball Suffers First Loss of Season
11/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2000
The Northwestern women's basketball team fell to Drake University, 78-59 for its first loss of the season. The 'Cats are now 2-1 on the season and Drake impoves to 4-1. The Bulldogs shot an 45 percent from the floor, including 27 points from three-point land.
Drake came out of the gates running as they started the first half with a 21-7 run. The Bulldogs were led by the hot hands of Stephanie Schmitz who put up 15 first-half points. Schmitz went 5-9 from the floor, including a 3-5 effort from behind the arc. She finished with 18 points on the night. The Bulldogs went on a 11-2 run to put them up by 25 going into the half.
The Wildcats regrouped at halftime and came out of the lockerroom with something to prove -- they would go on to outscore Drake 40-34 in the second half. Emily Butler (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) got the `Cats going midway through the second half when she stole the ball from Maureen Head. The turnover converted into Tami Sears' (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) first points of the season. NU used this momentum to go on an 11-2 run and cut Drake's lead to 17 points (43-60). The Wildcats would shrink the lead to 15 points with 2:55 left to go, but the Bulldogs regained control and held the Wildcats off for a 78-59 victory.
Butler finished the game with a season-high 18 points and three assists. Michelle Zylstra (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) came off the bench to add 14 points and 10 rebounds, and record her first collegiate double-double. Nicole Daniels contributed 11 points to the NU effort.
The 'Cats are back in action on Friday, December 1, when they host the 17th annual Roger L. White Invitational. The tournament pits NU against the University of Pennsylvania in the opening game at 6 p.m. UNLV and Northeastern will play the 8 p.m. game.
