Game Notes: (WBK) Illinois Wesleyan University @ North Central College (1/3/15)

Final Score
NCC 59, IWU 56

Game Summary
It was a slow start for the Cardinals (12-0, 1-0) offensively, as many of their shots, especially threes, failed to fall. The Titans (6-6, 0-1) meanwhile, picked apart the North Central press and got some easy baskets. Then head coach Mia Smith unleashed a brilliant strategy: run four corners on offense to slow the Cardinals down, and expose the back door if it's open. This helped keep the Titans ahead, but the Cardinals slowly crept back into the contest and made it a 29-23 Titan lead at halftime. The Cardinals pulled to within three quickly, but then the Titans retook control, seemingly grabbed every loose ball and built the lead back up to 15. The Cardinals struggled to break through, though they did get the deficit into single digits a couple times, until there were less than seven minutes left. The Cardinals ultimately closed on a 20-6 run, capped off by a go-ahead layup with under a minute to play, and a couple free throws sealed the deal.

Key Stats

• Bobbi Johns (NCC): 3-5 FG, 3-4 FT; 9 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl. Bobbi actually had a very good floor game, distributing the ball quite a bit during the comeback, while also finding holes in the defense for easy layups. She drove inside to hit what turned out to be the game-winner, then hit a pair of free throws with one and a half seconds left to ice the game.
• Jamie Cuny (NCC): 2-4 FG (0-1 3PT), 1-2 FT; 5 pts, 6 reb (2 off), 6 blk, 1 stl. Jamie typically won't score a ton of points, unless she's hitting a couple threes or getting wide open looks down low. Instead, she cleans up on defense. Her six rebounds led the team, and with six blocks on the night, she has 49 on the season, needing only four more to break the single season record... and we're only halfway through the campaign. She's also now eighth on the all-time list for blocks, and will probably own the all time record by the end of the season.
• Kasey Reaber (IWU): 9-15 FG, 1-4 FT; 19 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl. Reaber frequently exposed back door openings during the Wesleyan Four Corners phase. She was on pace to be the player of the game, but the late rally was enough to frustrate her.

North Central System Watch

• IWU Turnovers: 18. This is low for North Central in terms of forcing turnovers. The Titans did a pretty good job taking care of the ball, with only a couple throwaways. Ten of them came on steals, with Bobbi Johns and Mayson Whipple each leading the way with two.
• NCC 3PT: 8-37 (21.6%). This is one of the lower numbers in terms of attempts, for one thing. The team shot 3-20 from deep in the first half, with a couple of the makes coming late. Their second half numbers were closer to their average for the season, and they always seemed to come at key moments.
• NCC Chargers Drawn: 5. They had a ton tonight. Truth be told, the first one drawn by Therese Pettersson was probably a bad call, but the following four were all legit. Bobbi Johns, Maryssa Cladis and Anita Sterling also picked up charges in the first half, and then Johns drew a second one in the second half.

CCIW Watch

• Wheaton 67 (11-1, 1-0), @Elmhurst 56 (7-5, 0-1)
• @Carthage 74 (8-4, 1-0), Augustana 51 (6-6, 0-1)
• Millikin 69 (10-2, 1-0), @North Park 66 (8-4, 0-1)

Final Thoughts

This is the sort of game that the 2013-14 Cardinals would have lost. There was a little bit of panic at times where they played out of control, but they never gave up. I kept waiting and waiting for them to make a play in the second half to turn the tide, and eventually they did. It was cause for celebration, but they have to remember: there are 13 games left in conference play. Anything can happen.

Meanwhile, this team remains undefeated, and there is still no respect from the national polls. Mililani comes calling on Wednesday, so we'll see how the Cardinals do against another strong opponent. Meanwhile, enjoy this scene from the end of the game.

Post by North Central College Athletics.