Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Towson (San Juan Shootout)
'Cats Tame Tigers; Finish Third at San Juan Shootout
12/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2004
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Four Wildcats scored in double figures to lead Northwestern past Towson University, 69-66, Wednesday night in the third-place final of the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico.
Senior Sarah Kwasinski (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) led all scorers with 19 points while junior Ifeoma Okonkwo (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak), sophomore A.J. Glasauer (Freiburg, Germany/Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium) and freshman Sara Stutz (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) all added 14 points for the Wildcats.
After entering the Shootout averaging just 3.1 points per game, Glasauer scored 16.7 points per contest in San Juan. Stutz's 14 points were a career-high as were her team-high eight rebounds in the game.
Since NU's leading scorer Suzanne Morrison (Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day) went down with an injury during the UW-Milwaukee game, at least one Wildcat has set a career-high for points in all five games thereafter.
Towson (6-4) held the early advantage in the game, eventually earning a six-point lead at 17-11 with 8:24 to play in the half. At that point, Kwasinski rattled off five straight points before freshman Kelly Rae Finley (Edina, Minn./The Breck School) hit a 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a two-point lead.
The Tigers would come back to tie the score eight times over the rest of the game, but not once were they able to wrestle the lead from Northwestern.
The Wildcats (3-10) used a 7-0 run midway through the second-half to secure their largest lead of the game at 57-45.
Towson would not go down without a fight, however, as LaShay Rose hit two 3-pointers in the final minute to cut the NU lead to 67-66 with 26 seconds to play, but Stutz calmly sank two free throws and Kwasinski swatted away the final Tiger attempt to tie.
Senior Samantha McComb (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) and Glasauer also hit a pair of free throws with under a minute to play for Northwestern.
Kwasinski and Okonkwo were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts during the week.
Northwestern has now placed in both its appearances at the San Juan Shootout. In 1995, the Wildcats finished in second after dropping the championship game to Southern Methodist.
Northwestern returns to action in its Big Ten opener Dec. 30 at Minnesota.
