WHEATON, IL (February 27, 2006) – For a bull rider, eight seconds means sure victory, but for the North Park women’s basketball team, that was all it took to bring defeat. The 3rd seeded Lady Vikings fell to 2nd seed Illinois Wesleyan 49-46 in the first round of the CCIW Tournament Friday night.
The Lady Vikings lead the game from early in the first half until there were 7.7 seconds left on the clock, when the Titans pulled ahead.
North Park seemed to have the game under control, leading the majority of the first half and heading into the locker room with a 34-25 lead. They shot 48 percent from the field and 100 percent from the stripe during the first half.
Senior Shandrel Young also scored 7 points in the half to add to her career point total. Young would not have an opportunity to add any more in the second half and ends her career at 1,200 career points.
The second half proved to be a defensive battle and an offensive stalemate, with both teams struggling. Wesleyan shot only 35 percent from the field, while Park recorded an even more disappointing 17 percent for the half. Wesleyan outscored North Park 24-12 in the period.
With Illinois Wesleyan battling back, the last few minutes of the second half remained close, with Wesleyan tying the game at 44 on a Val Fleishman jumper at the 4:00 mark. The scoreboard didn’t move until there was a minute left on the clock and North Park’s Evie Peterson nailed a jumper and regained the 46-44 lead for the Vikings.
Five seconds later Viking Alex Coleman picked up her first and only foul, and Wesleyan’s Fleishman sank her two free throws. Fleishman was 6-7 from the line and led the Titans with 18 points on the night.
At 7.7 seconds, Fleishman once again cut through the Viking defense, sinking a lay-up and drawing the foul. Fleishman completed the three point play by making her free throw and the Titans had the three point lead and the game.
Laura Mount led the Vikings with 15 points. Viking standouts Megan Slattery and Evie Peterson were held to only six points each on the night.
The Vikings were used to being in close games, having won several in the last seconds as well as losing to Wheaton in overtime. The Vikings finish their season at 13-13 overall and 8-6 in Conference play.
Wheaton won the Conference championship the next day, defeating Wesleyan 74-60. The victory gives them an automatic birth in the NCAA Tournament.
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