CHICAGO – Senior Jasmin Dixon (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King) (Detroit, Mich.) recorded a game-high 23 points and seven assists while leading four players in double figures as host Chicago State (1-0) stunned visiting Northwestern (0-1) by a score of 76-69 Friday evening at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center in the season opener for both squads.
NU recorded a 6-3 leading margin at the 17:30 mark of the first half on a jumper from senior Ellen Jaeschke and later increased its advantage to 11-5 on a three-pointer from freshman Brittany Orban. The Cougars closed to within a single point (11-10) with 14:51 left in the half on a three by sophomore Courtney Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and a layup from sophomore Elana Wroten (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) (Chicago, Ill.), but a three by sophomore Meshia Reed posted a quick 8-2 run as the Wildcats hiked their lead back to 19-12 on a jumper from sophomore Amy Jaeschke. A three-pointer by freshman Jael Peña (Harlem, N.Y.) at the 11:50 mark jumpstarted a 10-2 scoring drive through a three-plus minute stretch which handed CSU its first lead of the contest at 22-21 with 8:36 remaining. After Northwestern responded with an 8-2 run which catapulted their lead back to 29-24, the Cougars closed the half by scoring 10 of the final 16 points with all of the points coming from Dixon as they trailed by a slim 35-34 margin entering the break.
In the second half, Courtney Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) connected on a three from the right side at 19:21 which gave CSU the lead for good at 37-35. The three would spark a 13-4 run spanning nearly five minutes as the home team stretched its lead to 50-39 at the 15:15 mark. Northwestern scored six straight points in a three-minute stretch to slice its deficit to 50-45 with 12:39 left in the game. A layup by junior Nicole Clark (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) (West Bloomfield, Mich.) at 12:14 began a 15-9 scoring drive that lasted nearly six minutes as the Cougars took their biggest lead of the game at 67-54 after a Wroten jumper at 6:15. An 8-0 run brought the Wildcats to within 67-64 that culminated with a layup by junior Jenny Eckhart with 2:42 remaining, but a Dixon jumper at 1:47 broke the visitors' late comeback. CSU closed the game by converting free throws down the stretch.
Courtney Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) tallied with 15 points, while junior Laureen Pierson (Dayton, OH/Northmont) (Dayton, Ohio) nearly posted a double-double as she notched 14 points and nine rebounds. Peña recorded 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting in her first collegiate contest for Chicago State.
Northwestern was led by Amy Jaeschke's double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds to go along with five blocks. Orban and Reed added 12 points apiece, while Eckhart posted six assists.
The Cougars return to action Sunday afternoon at the Jones Convocation Center against Eastern Kentucky with a start time of 2 p.m.
~ CSU ~
