Feb. 21, 2015 – The North Central College Women’s basketball team was dominant in their final CCIW match-up against the North Park University Vikings defeating them on Saturday night by a score of 103-70. With a win on Saturday, the Cardinals have propelled themselves to the No. 2 seed in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament (CCIW).
It was Senior Night as the team began by honoring the time that their veterans put into the program. These seniors include Tess Godhardt, a transfer from Elmhurst College out of Hinckley, Ill., who is leading the CCIW averaging 16.7 PPG, Bobbi Johns out of Loves Park, Ill. who leads the team in assists, Maryssa Cladis out of Chicago Heights, Ill., and Lauren Hernandez from Sterling, Ill.
The Cardinals started the game slow as the Vikings jumped out with a 10-4 lead with 16:42 left in the half. After back-to-back three-pointers by Maryssa Cladis and Corrine Rowe, the Cardinals tied up the game at 14-14.
North Central followed those three-pointers with three more buckets from behind the arch giving the Cardinals the lead with nine minutes left in the half at 23-21.
After five straight points from Godhardt, there was no looking back as the Cardinals continued to pull away. A layup by Mayson Whipple with 2:40 left in first half gave the Cardinals a comfortable 10-point lead, and went into the locker room with a 43-34 lead at half time.
Godhardt went off in the back end of the game with 21 second half points as the Cardinals continued to run away with the game. North Central’s lead was stretched to 26 points with just 12 minutes left in the match-up.
For her senior grand finale, Godhardt led the team with 30 total points going 11 for 15 from the field. Then Godhardt hit 8-of-11 from the free throw line adding 7 rebounds to her stat line. Another senior, Caldis, added 12 more points, three steals, and three assists in the contest. Bobbi Johns was highlighted with a team high of seven assists.
The CCIW Tournament begins at Wheaton College on Friday, Feb. 27. The Cardinals will take on Elmhurst College on Saturday Feb. 28 at a time to be announced.
