Northwestern University Athletics
The 1999-2000 Women's Basketball Season in Review
3/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 22, 2000
In her first season at Northwestern, June Olkowski guided the 1999-2000 women's basketball team to a 7-21 mark. The team was 3-7 in nonconference action and 3-13 against Big Ten foes.
In the Big Ten Tournament, the Wildcats upset Iowa (68-59) to reach the quarterfinal round for the fifth time in six years. They also became the second No. 10 seed team to win a first-round game in the three-year history of the Big Ten Tournament. The next day, the 'Cats fell to second-seeded Michigan, 72-39.
Earlier in the season, Olkowski notched her first Big Ten win when the team upset Michigan State (58-55) at home on Jan. 6.
The Wildcats bid farewell to senior forward and two-time co-captain Kristina Divjak. Divjak sat out most of last season because of a knee injury and played in only seven contests this season. She checked in for the final time against Michigan in the Big Ten quarterfinal game, scoring a season-high nine points to lead the 'Cats. She leaves as one of the most prolific players in the history of the program, holding the school record for free throw percentage (.851), placing second in three-point field goals made (219) and seventh in career scoring (1,640).
The 'Cats also lose forwards Leslie Schock and Leah Berki. Schock, a co-captain, was third on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg) and rebounds (5.1 rpg) and led the team in blocks (0.73 bpg). Berki led the team in free throw percentage (.792) while averaging 2.3 points per game.
Junior forward Tami Sears emerged as the team's leading scorer (11.9 ppg) and rebounder (7.4 rpg). She also recorded seven double-doubles this season, tying a career-high, and finished eighth in the Big Ten in defensive rebounds (5.07 per game). Junior point guard Dana Leonard was the team's leading three-point threat with a .370 percentage from long range (54-of-146), and the team's second-leading scorer (9.9 ppg). Freshman guard Emily Butler led the squad in assists, dishing out 3.4 per game, and was the team's fourth-leading scorer (6.8 ppg). Freshman center Leslie Dolland concluded the season as the team's second-leading rebounder (5.3 rpg) and second in blocked shots (0.4 bpg).
The Wildcats will return four starters in 2000-01 -- including its leading scorers in Sears and Leonard -- and welcome one newcomer.
