Nov. 13, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - In their final exhibition game, Northwestern women's basketball team fell to RTU Klondaika, 60-54, Tuesday night in Evanston. The 'Cats jumped out to an early 12-5 lead as head coach June Olkowski started two freshmen. NU extended that lead to as many as 11 in the first half before RTU mounted a first half comeback.
Down 30-19 with 6:47 remaining in the first half, Klondaika slowly but surely put themselves back in the game and eventually took the lead, 35-34, with 27 seconds remaining in the first half.
The second half was a back and forth battle as each team could not distance itself from the other.
After three lead changes, NU found itself down by three with 3:11 left in regulation. Sophomore Michelle Zylstra (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington) took a Suzanne Morrison (Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day) pass on the left wing and fired up a 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net tying the score at 54-54. That's all NU could muster as team Klondaika turned up the defensive pressure and held the Wildcats scoreless the rest of the way.
Zylstra ended the game with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, going 2-for-2 from behind the arc. Juniors Emily Butler (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) and Leslie Dolland (Bloomington, Minn./The Blake School) matched Zylstra chipping in eight points apiece. Dolland and senior Ashley Messenger (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) had a team-high six rebounds.
NU out rebounded RTU, 48-34, but lost the turnover battle, 25-18. Klondaika guard Anete Jekabsone and center Zane Teilane combined to score 46 points and pull down 21 rebounds leading the European team.