Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
DePaul
'Cats Fall to 24th-Ranked Blue Demons, 70-51
1/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2003
CHICAGO - Northwestern's women's basketball team played its final nonconference action of the season, falling to 24th-ranked DePaul, 70-51, at the DePaul Athletic Center in Chicago Saturday evening. DePaul used a decisive 15-5 run to start the second half, taking a 16-point lead and essentially putting the game out of reach.
Neither team used its inside game early in the contest, as both teams combined to shoot 22 first-half three pointers, making eight. DePaul's Jenni Dant and Northwestern's Samantha McComb (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) each started the game on fire, as each player knocked down two three pointers before the second media timeout. Dant ended the first stanza with 16 points, nine from behind the arc while McComb scored 13 first-half points on 5-of-9 shooting. Dant finished with a game-high 22, while McComb scored a career-high 21 points.
Down by six at half, 34-28, DePaul came out and hit only six of its first 16 shots, but their defense held the Wildcats to just five points in the first 10 minutes. In that same 10 minutes, the Blue Demons scored 15 points as Sarah Kustok led the charge hitting two of her four three-pointers in the decisive run. Kustok ended a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor for 17 points.
The Wildcats did not give up, going on their own 10-2 run, coming as close as eight (51-43) with 6:03 remaining.
DePaul answered with its own 10-4 run over the next four minutes, effectively putting the game out of reach.
McComb was the go-to shooter all night, as no other Wildcat finished in double figures. Freshman Ifeoma Okonkwo (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak) scored seven points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
NU next hits the hardwood when they travel to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall in Big Ten action on Thursday Jan. 9. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
