Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Long Beach State
Women's Basketball Defeats Long Beach State, 54-39
12/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern used a 19-0 run spanning 12:09 to stifle Long Beach State and win, 54-39, over the 49ers Tuesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Down 24-22, junior center Leslie Dolland (Bloomington, Minn./The Blake School) started the decisive run with a layup. A pair of Natalie Will (Nappanee, Ind./Northwood) free throws, two Wildcat field goals and three straight 49er turnovers allowed the 'Cats to take a 32-24 lead into the break.
After intermission, NU picked up right where it left off, scoring the first nine points of the half, led by two Will layups. Will ended the evening with a game- and season-high 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. She was also 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
NU's leading scorer, Sarah Kwasinski (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick), was held to just six points but contributed nine rebounds, four blocks, four assists and two steals. Freshman point guard Melissa Culver (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) was the only other Wildcat to reach double digits, scoring a career-best 10. She was 4-of-6 from the field.
The Wildcats have now won two straight and four of their last six games. NU had not won two in a row since beating Northern Illinois (77-63) and Miami, Fla. (56-48) to start the 2000-01 season.
Big Ten play tips off this Saturday, Dec. 22 when the Iowa Hawkeyes come to Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
