Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Iowa
Iowa Clips 'Cats Down The Stretch, 72-60
1/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa's Jennie Lillis scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Hawkeyes defeated Northwestern 72-60 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa Thursday night. The loss drops NU to 6-10 overall, 1-4 in the conference. Iowa improves to 9-5, 1-2.
The Wildcats opened the game on a 9-2 run before Iowa came storming back scoring 15 of the next 16 points and taking a 17-10 lead with 11:51 remaining in the first half. NU didn't stay down long, answering with a 14-4 run of its own.
Up 33-31 with 1:16 left in the half, Iowa scored the final five points to take a 38-31, halftime lead.
Iowa opened the second half outscoring NU 7-4 to take its biggest lead of the game, 45-35. But for the next 4:21, neither team would record a point, as both offenses stalled and turnovers and fouls took center stage. The streak was broken when junior Michelle Zylstra (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) hit a three-pointer, bringing the 'Cats to within seven at 45-38.
Down five (56-51), Zylstra hit two free throws followed by one of two Sarah Kwasinski (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) blocks on the defensive end of the floor. Kwasinski was rewarded seconds later when Zylstra found her open underneath the basket, making the score 56-55 Iowa. Hawkeye, Tracey Schrupp, then hit two free throws, quickly followed by another Kwasinski layup. That made it 58-57 with 3:50 to go in regulation. But that's as close as NU would get. Iowa ended the game outscoring the Wildcats 14-4, eight of which came from the free throw line.
Sophomore Samantha McComb (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) led Northwestern with 11 points and a career-high eight rebounds. Freshman Ifeoma Okonkwo (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak) scored a career-high nine points and led the team with three steals in 23 minutes of action. Kwasinski's two blocks bring her one throw-back shy of tying Heather Ertel for third place on NU's career blocked shots list. Kwasinski currently has 29 blocks this season and 83 for her career.
Northwestern is back in action when they host No. 23 Ohio State at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday. Game time is set for noon.
