November 3, 1998
NORTHWESTERN vs. Shelen Russia Basketball Club (Exhibition) (Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Ill.)
Tuesday, November 3, 1998
Northwestern vs. Shelen Russia Basketball Club Attendance - 205
Final - Northwestern 90, Shelen Basketball Club 67
Scoring by Halves 1 2 F Northwestern 49 41 90 Shelen Basketball Club 30 37 67
Northwestern Leaders Shelen Leaders Points: Kristina Divjak (27) Points: Elena Chouljenko (18) 3-pt. FG: Kristina Divjak (5) 3-pt. FG: Elena Chouljenko (4) Assists: Megan Chawansky (11) Assists: Elena Chouljenko (5)Rebounds: Tami Sears (14) Rebounds: Marina Khasova (10) Blocks: Kristina Divjak (2) Blocks: Eugeniya Staselko (2) Steals: Megan Chawansky (4) Steals: Marina Khasova (4) Minutes: Megan Chawansky (31) Minutes: Elena Chouljenko (31)
Notes: Tatiana Silin scored a layup only five seconds into the game to give the Shelen Basketball Club its only lead of the night (2-0) as Northwestern rolled to a 90-67 victory over the Russian team in its first exhibition game of the 1998-99 season.
Senior forward Kristina Divjak, the All-America candidate from Dyer, Ind., poured in a game-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor. She was 5-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc. Fellow senior co-captain Megan Chawansky, a guard from Avon Lake, Ohio, had the game's only double-double, with 17 points and 11 assists. Two sophomores, point guard Dana Leonard (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and forward Tami Sears (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) showed some encouraging signs. Sears, who missed the entire season last year because of a stress fracture to her leg, pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds, including 10 in the first half. Leonard, who started at the point, dished out five assists and scored 11 points. She hit three 3-pointers. Junior forward Leslie Schock (Elgin, Ill./Elgin) was 6-of-8 from the floor with 14 points. She was the Wildcats' second-leading rebounder, with seven caroms.
The high-scorer for the Shelen Basketball Club was Elena Chouljenko, with 18 points. Marina Khasova had 10 rebounds. Overall the Wildcats outrebounded their opponent, 55-38. The 'Cats shot 50 percent from three-point land (9-for-18).
NEXT NORTHWESTERN EXHIBITION GAME: Mon., Nov. 9, vs. Chicago Challengers, 7 p.m.
Northwestern Season-Opener: at New Mexico, Sun., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. Northwestern Home-Opener: vs. Cal-Santa Barbara, Wed., Nov. 18, 7 p.m.