Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois-Chicago
Wildcats Tame Flames In Triple Overtime
12/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2003
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CHICAGO, Ill. - Northwestern decided to make the first overtime game of the 2003-04 season a memorable one by stretching the contest with Illinois-Chicago to three extra stanzas. Though the Wildcats let a 13-point lead slip away in the second and were down by seven with just 31 second remaining in the first OT, Northwestern (5-3) refused to back down and came out on top, 78-77.
"It is a shame either team had to lose," said head coach June Olkowski. "It was a great game for both sides and Illinois-Chicago responded to everything we handed them, but I'm obviously glad we're the ones that went away with the win."
It was a notable night for many Wildcats, starting with the bench that accounted for 48 points. Junior co-captain Samantha McComb tied her career-high of 22 points for the third time this season while freshman Alex Mueller hit four threes, including two shots that forced the second and third overtimes.
"The fact that we had a lot of success with the three-point shot tonight was crucial since we struggled with the layup and foul shots," said Olkowski. "But I hope that this encourages my team to be more aggressive with their shots as it pays off, like it did tonight."
The Flames took advantage of a Northwestern team that struggled to find its tempo early in each regulation period, taking a seven point lead early in the first and holding the Wildcats to just seven points in the opening 13 minutes of the second. There was also a five-minute scoreless stretch late in the second that allowed UIC to break even and eventually pull ahead.
"Without Sarah (Kwasinski) in the lineup as our top go-to player, we struggled a bit tonight," said Olkowski. "We see that as a staff and as a team, so we need to prepare for that and find our other options, our other go-to players."
McComb's numbers off the bench coupled with steady play by sophomore Ifeoma Okonkwo helped keep the 'Cats alive, as she registered her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Okonkwo's first double-double was vs. West Virginia on Tuesday. The 14 boards broke her previous record of 13 that was also set vs. WVU.
A.J. Glasauer added a career-high nine points to the effort while Mueller came up with a career-high 14. Senior Kristin Ambrose was on the court for 24 minutes and contributed a season-high 12 with four rebounds. Junior Maria McCarthy made her first start for NU.
The Wildcats had fewer turnovers than their opponent for just the second time this season (15 to 19) and shot over .400. Northwestern's 5-3 record is their best eight-game start since 1998-99.
Next up is Southern Illinois on Saturday. Game time is set for 2 p.m. CST.
