NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The North Park women’s basketball team need overtime but found a way to topple the North Central Cardinals Wednesday night, winning by a score of 84-79.
Esther Miller scored the first five points of the contest, a game in which the Vikings would never trail. From there, the four other starters would each grab two points while only allowing two total from the Cardinals for a 13-2 NPU lead. NCC responded with a small run, but the Vikings would keep a solid cushion for most of the first half and it would get even bigger on a 7-0 that came from buckets by Miller, Chantel Hairston, and a three from Lauren Lee. The Cardinals would again respond to cut it back down to single digits and when Emily Czuhajewski finished off the first half with a bucket, North Park took a seven-point edge into the locker room.
Halftime: North Park 42, North Central 35
The break did not slow down Miller, as she hit a bucket with six minutes left in the third to put the visiting Vikings up 12. Jayla Johnson then went on a run, bearing the bulk of the scoring for NPU. However, the Cards finished on another run to cut their deficit to only seven with just one quarter to go.
In the fourth, the Cardinals would go on a 5-0 run in the final 2:39 to force overtime. The three free throws that NCC hit with two second to go created the first tie since it was 0-0 to start the game.
End of Regulation: North Park 69, North Central 69
Continue Reading on Athletics North Park
