KENOSHA, Wis. – The North Park women's basketball team were down one entering the fourth quarter, but they used a convincing final frame to get by Carthage College in a 55-48 victory Wednesday night on the road. The three-headed monster of Jayla Johnson, Esther Miller, and Chantel Hairston all had the hot hand for the Vikings as they combined for 51 points.
Neither team could get much separation in the first half as remarkable perimeter defense highlighted the entire evening for North Park. The Vikings would go on to hold the Firebirds to a grand total of 2-22 from behind the arc for the game, while NPU shot 46% from the field. After Carthage looked like they would be up by two at the end of a closely contested half, Johnson fired in a bucket off an assist from Lauren McKnight to even the teams going into the locker room.
Halftime: North Park 21, Carthage 21
Strong defense continued in the third as Carthage started to find a groove offensively, going on a run late in the quarter. They would grab their biggest lead of the contest on a layup with 1:58 to go that put them up by five. The Vikings immediately countered with a Miller layup followed by Johnson basket to make their deficit only one in the blink of an eye. Carthage would hold that one-point advantage as the teams entered the final frame.
A hot start to the fourth was exactly what the doctor ordered when the Vikings went on a 9-0 run early. Johnson scored four on that run, while Miller had a basket, and Hairston highlighted the momentum building period with an and-one on which she converted the free throw.
Once they had a lead with some cushion, it was defense and free throws that finished the contest for North Park. All of the fourth quarter points were scored by Miller, Johnson, or Hairston including a leading nine from Hairston. They grabbed their largest lead of the contest off two Johnson free throws with 40 seconds left to go up by eight. The Vikings would go on to win by seven.
Quick Hits:
- Johnson finished with a double-double: 21 points and 11 boards.
- Miller and Hairston each had 15. Hairston nearly grabbed a double-double herself with nine rebounds, while Miller had a game-high six assists.
- Other than a one-minute rest from Johnson, the trio were on the court the entirety of the contest.
What's Next?
The Vikings (12-5, 5-4 CCIW) stay on the road this Saturday, January 29th as they play the Bluejays of Elmhurst University (2-16, 0-10 CCIW). Tipoff is slated for 2 PM at R.A. Faganel Hall.
