Dec. 30, 2001
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Playing in the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall (capacity 16,450) for the first time and being on the road in the Big Ten may have been a big deal to most 18-year-old freshmen, but the duo of Melissa Culver (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) and Sarah Kwasinski (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) didn't skip a beat. The two combined for 30 of NU's 53 points as the Wildcats fell to Illinois 68-53 Sunday afternoon. The loss drops NU to 4-9 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten.
The Illini started the game on a 10-1 run, holding the Wildcats without a field goal for the first five minutes of the game en route to taking a 30-18 halftime lead. NU shot just 28 percent (8-for-28) in the first stanza and attempted nine fewer shots than Illinois (13-for-37).
After the break, the Illini seemed to pick up where they left off as Dawn Vana converted a quick lay up to put U-of-I up by 14 points. But NU battled, scoring 35 second-half points as Culver scored all of her season- and career-high 16 points in the second half. Culver also hit five-three pointers, two shy of NU's school record set by Michele Ratay against Illinois-Chicago (11/23/96).
Kwasinski scored eight second-half points, finishing with 14 points and three blocks. The Chicago native also had six rebounds. Classmate Suzanne Morrison (Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day) led the 'Cats with eight caroms. It is the sixth time this season Morrison has led the team in rebounds. She has 83 for the season, a 6.4 per game average.
Coming off a 26-point performance against No. 12 Michigan-a game that Illinois won 85-81-the Illini's Iveta Marcauskaite scored 13 first-half points and finished with a game-high 19. Illinois had four players in double figures, and Cindy Dallas finished with a double-double (13 points 10 rebounds).
NU is next in action after the new year, hosting Purdue Jan. 3 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.