Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois-Chicago
Okonkwo Guides 'Cats to 81-78 Victory
11/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2005
Box Score
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Senior Ifeoma Okonkwo (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak) poured in a career-best 31 points as Northwestern downed Illinois-Chicago 81-78 on Saturday afternoon at the UIC Pavilion. The Wildcats improve to 2-1 on the season while UIC falls to 1-3.
"I am pleased to get the win without playing as well as we can," head coach Beth Combs said. "It showed a lot of character under pressure as everyone stepped up."
Indeed everyone did step up as four Wildcats hit the double-digit mark, and two recorded double-doubles. Okonkwo, who shot a scorching 12-of-14 from the field, coupled her 31 points with 12 rebounds to record her second double-dip of the season - the fifth of her career. Junior A.J. Glasauer (Freiburg, Germany/Theodor-Heuss Gymnasium) dished out a career-tying and game-high 10 assists and added 17 points on the afternoon. The upperclassmen have now scored in double-digits in all three games so far this season.
Sophomore Sara Stutz (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and freshman Kristin Cartwright (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) each added 10 points. Sophomore Melissa Miller (Bloomington, Minn./The Breck School) hauled down 10 rebounds and also chipped in eight points.
After the two teams exchanged several baskets to open the game, the Wildcats retained the lead for the last 13 minutes in the first stanza, and pushed the difference to as many as nine points. With time counting down in the first half, a layup by Jacquay Holmes gave the Flames a 31-29 edge going into the break.
UIC held a slight lead most of the second half until the six-minute mark when a layup by Cartwright gave NU its first lead of the second frame, 65-64. The two squads jockeyed for the lead until a layup and free throw by Okonkwo with three minutes left gave the Wildcats the lead for good.
Okonwko scored 23 of her 31 points in the second half, including 10 points in the last 6:20 to seal the victory.
NU outscored UIC in fast break points, 18-0 and also added 38 points in the paint to the Flames' 26.
The Wildcats are next in action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at Valparaiso
