Led by a 17-point performance from sophomore guard Liz Rehberger, five different Vikings finished in double-figure scoring as North Park earned a 92-68 victory over host St. Mary's College Tuesday night in Indiana.
North Park earned its second-straight win as the Vikings overcame a sluggish offensive first half to shoot nearly 55 percent from the field in the second. Defensively the Vikings also picked up right where they left off, forcing 16 steals on 25 STM turnovers transitioning to 28 points off the Belles mistakes.
The Vikings led by as many as 28 points late in the second half when sophomore Nikki Przybyslawski converted a pair of free throws. In all, North Park knocked down 17 of its 19 attempts from the line to finish with a season-best 89.2 free throw percentage.
Along with Rehberger, freshman Kennedy Kantner tallied a career-high 14 points on a perfect 4 of 4 shooting night. She also connected on 6 of her 7 free throw attempts and grabbed six rebounds. Przybyslawski added 13 points, and both Amani Davis and Annie Shain had 12 points each.
After St. Mary's staked an early 4-3 lead, North Park made sure the hosts never saw the lead again as it used a 20-2 scoring run over a seven-minute span to move ahead 23-6 after a three-point play from Kantner. North Park shot only 35 percent from the field in the first half, connecting on 10 shots, but held a solid 39-23 lead at halftime.
Both Krista Knapke and Ariana Paul led the Belles with 15 points each as St. Mary's College fell to 0-2 on the season.
North Park (2-0) returns to action Friday when it hosts UW-LaCrosse for a 7 p.m. contest.