CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park women's basketball earned its first win of the season in convincing fashion, defeating Illinois Tech 69-45 at Keating Sports Center on Thursday night. The Vikings' defense was the story of the night, holding the Scarlet Hawks to just 21 points through the first three quarters before Illinois Tech managed 17 in the fourth when the game was already out of reach.
From the opening tip, North Park set the tone. The Vikings forced Illinois Tech into 26 turnovers, converting those mistakes into 26 points. Their pressure disrupted rhythm and pushed the Hawks into low-percentage looks, mainly from the perimeter. For nearly 30 minutes of game time, Illinois Tech hovered around the teens in scoring, unable to find scoring chances thanks to quality helpside defense.
The first half illustrated the dominance: North Park led 33-21 at the break, and Illinois Tech had only nine points in the second quarter and seven in the third. During that stretch, North Park's defense forced hurried perimeter shots and contested anything inside the paint. Illinois Tech missed all 10 mid-range attempts and went 0-for-3 from the short corner, evidence of North Park's ability to funnel drives into help defenders this game.
Offensively, North Park balanced inside scoring with timely threes. They finished 27-for-65 from the field (41.5%), including 34 points in the paint and 15 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds. Senior guard Kathryn Keehn anchored the glass with 12 rebounds (a career high), boasting a double-double by adding 10 points, while junior forward Caroline Long added a double-double of her own with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Vikings also shared the ball well, recording 16 assists on 27 made shots. Senior forward Shay Bowen enjoyed a career night with 10 points, hitting a layup and step-back three at the end of the second half to give the Blue & Gold plenty of energy for a strong finish. Junior guard Aliyah Hershberger led all scorers on the evening, boasting 14 points thanks to a pair of threes and 5-of-11 shooting. She added a career high 4 steals in the win.
The game's biggest lead came midway through the fourth quarter when North Park stretched the margin to 30 points (60–30). Even as Illinois Tech found some late offense, including two made threes in the final period, the outcome was never in doubt. North Park's best scoring run, a 20-0 burst in the third quarter, put this one away quickly.
Top Performers
North Park
Illinois Tech
- Berit Rusing: 9 pts, 4 ast, 4 stl
- Chloe Churilla: 9 pts, 6 reb
- Halle Williams: 7 pts, 2 reb
What's Next?
North Park (1-3) returns home this Saturday, November 22, for a game against Dominican University (2-1). Tipoff in Carlson is set for 1:00 PM CT.
