EUREKA, Ill. -- Senior guard Aliyah Hershberger scored a team-high 18 points, while senior forward Caroline Long posted a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double as North Park opened the 2026-27 season with an 85-59 road victory over Eureka on Friday evening at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena. The victory marked the first for Kira Mowen in her first season as North Park's head coach.
The teams exchanged the lead seven times during a competitive opening quarter. Eureka moved ahead 11-8 on a three-point play by Abigail Martinez, but baskets from senior forward Shay Bowen, Hershberger and junior guard Naomi Kaskavitch helped the Vikings close the period with an 18-14 advantage.
North Park extended its lead to eight midway through the second quarter behind baskets from Hershberger and junior guard Aliesha Peterson. Eureka answered late, as three-pointers from Jaylen Zachary and Khaliyah Goree, followed by a Martinez layup, narrowed the Vikings' halftime lead to 32-29.
The Vikings took control after the break. Long scored twice inside and Kaskavitch connected from beyond the arc before senior guard Teresa Morrissey fueled the decisive stretch. Morrissey scored eight points in the third quarter, including three transition layups, as North Park outscored Eureka 28-18 and carried a 60-47 lead into the fourth.
Eureka trimmed the margin to 10 on a Goree three-pointer with 6:58 remaining, but Hershberger responded with six points during an 18-0 North Park run. Long, Morrissey, Kaskavitch, sophomore guard Nia Gladney and sophomore forward Layla Murry also contributed during the closing surge, which pushed the lead to 82-54.
North Park shot 53.1% from the field and held a massive 54-23 rebounding advantage. The Vikings scored 62 points in the paint, totaled 21 assists and received 23 points from their bench. Eureka shot 31% overall and made seven three-pointers.
Top Players
North Park
Eureka
- Isabella Jensen: 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals
- Jaylen Zachary: 14 points, four three-pointers, four rebounds and three steals
- Abigail Martinez: nine points and three steals
- Malaya Taylor: six points and seven assists
What's Next?
North Park (1-0) has the weekend away from competition before hosting its home opener on Tuesday, November 10, welcoming the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks to Carlson Gym in Chicago. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
