Northwestern University Athletics
The 2000-01 Women's Basketball Season in Review
3/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 27, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - You will have to excuse head coach June Olkowski if she fights to turn the clock back to 2000.
The 2001 portion of the women's basketball schedule was not kind to the Wildcats, who went winless after the calendar was turned. While there were many thrills in Welsh-Ryan Arena during the season, ultimately the team could not get that elusive Big Ten victory and finished 4-23 overall.
The highlights of the season came early. The Wildcats bolted out of the gate with three wins in their first four outings, including a 77-71 overtime win against a Pennsylvania team that would go on to an undefeated season in the Ivy League. That occured in the first round of the Roger L. White Invitational, before NU fell to UNLV in the final, 84-74.
That loss started the troubles for Northwestern, which went on to lose four more before ending the skid with an 86-74 win against Eastern Illinois just prior to the start of Big Ten play.
Despite the winless conference campaign, Emily Butler was honored by the Big Ten coaches as an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick. The sophomore guard led Northwestern with a 12.7 point-per-game average and also had a team-high 103 assists.
Two other sophomores gained experience and will be a nice nucleus to build around. Leslie Dolland had a season-high 26 starts and averaged 7.4 points per game and a team-leading 5.9 rebounds per contest. Natalie Will played in every game and averaged 6.0 points per game while leading the team with 44 steals and dishing out 89 assists. They will be aided by Billee Russell (4.7 ppg) and Ashley Messenger (3.7 ppg), a pair of juniors who played in every game this season, as well as freshman Michelle Zylstra (5.1 ppg).
Olkowski bids farewell to four seniors, two of whom have been an impact for awhile now. Dana Leonard, who missed the early part of the season with mononucleosis, came back to lead the team with 33 three-point baskets and average 6.4 ppg. Tami Sears, who led the team in scoring and rebounding as a junior, graduates after averaging 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
