CHICAGO - Led by a career-high 21 points from captain Nicole Smart and a career-first double-double for redshirt freshman center Emily Evers, the University of North Dakota women's basketball team (11-10, 2-1 GWC) avenged its 2011 Great West Conference Tournament title game loss to Chicago State (4-17, 2-2 GWC) and snapped a three-game losing streak against the Cougars with a 77-68 victory at the Jones Convocation Center.
"Smart stepped up and really got us going," head coach Gene Roebuck said. "She got us going by hitting those three's at the beginning of the game, and then continued to knock down shots that she is very well capable of making. If she would have scored the entire game the way that she did in the first 10 minutes, she could have finished with 50 points.
"We got down right away, but were able to come back using those three's and then built a little bit of a cushion."
A junior guard from Ada, Minn., Smart netted a career-high five three-pointers in the first half, two in the first six minutes, to post the first 20-point game of her career. A native of Grand Forks, N.D., Evers registered a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. It was not only her first career double-double, but it also marked the first time in her career with double-figure rebounds.
"Evers' play was huge for us today," Roebuck said. "This was probably her best game of the season."
Following a pair of free throws and a three-pointer from Janay Dockery to start the game, Smart chimed in with her first trey of the night. Natalie Marlowe responded with a three of her own, but outside of the media timeout (15:28), Smart drained yet another three-pointer to pull UND to within two. Seconds later, sophomore forward Katie Houdek (Grafton, N.D.) was caught on the arm as she went up for the shot at the block. With two from the free throw line, she knotted things at 8-8 with 14:32 on the clock.
Through the ensuing two and a half minutes, the game hit three more ties as the teams traded baskets, both from the field and at the free throw line.
On its first possession outside of the 12-minute media timeout (11:18), senior guard Charnise Mothershed (Phoenix, Ariz.) dialed in from distance to give North Dakota its first lead of the afternoon (17-14). The three-pointer propelled UND into a 20-4 run that would take it to an eventual 34-18 lead. Inside the run, Smart hit three more three-pointers to bring her total to a career-high and a UND season-high five.
Chicago State responded with a short clip of its own, posting seven unanswered points to finish the half.
Stepping into the locker-room, North Dakota held a 34-25 lead over the Cougars.
Outside of the break, CSU netted two more baskets to pull within five points. The 11-0 run, which started in the first half, made it 34-29 with 17:52 remaining in the game.
North Dakota responded with a quick 5-0 run to extend its the lead back into double digits, but Tierra Williams knocked it back down with her lone three of the night. After trading baskets, junior guard Carly Rothfusz (Eden Prairie, Minn.) hit back-to-back three-pointers to kick start a 12-3 and give UND a 53-36 lead with 11:47 remaining.
UND worked to hold off Chicago State, but with a 15-7 run, including a trio of three-pointers, the Cougars moved to within nine points (60-51) with just 6:55 left. After regaining its double-figure advantage, the Cougars again knocked it down to singles. That would be the story through the remainder of the game as UND held on to break the three-game skid against Chicago State.
With 10 points apiece, Wall and Houdek joined Smart and Evers on the list of UND high scorers. Wall was 4-for-10 from the field, a perfect 2-for-2 at the line, and added eight rebounds (seven defensive). Houdek went 4-for-6 from the field, 2-for-4 at the free throw line, and pulled down two boards.
Senior guard Charnay Mothershed (Phoenix, Ariz.) shot 7-for-8 from the free throw line and dished out a season-high-tying six assists.
North Dakota shot 45.3 percent (24-for-53) from the field, 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from three-point range, and 74.1 percent (20-for-27) at the free throw line. UND scored 21 points off of Chicago State's 20 turnovers and netted 16 on second chances.
With 21 points, Dockery led the Cougars on 4-for-14 shooting from the field, including a pair of three pointers, and a 10-for-11 showing at the free throw line. Tierra Williams shot 5-for-7 from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range, and made one free throw to finish with 14 points.
UND held Chicago State to 38.6 percent shooting from the field and a 42.9 percent clip behind the three-point arc. The Cougars shot 65.2 percent at the free throw line.
North Dakota will return to the court on Thursday, Feb. 2 when it hosts Houston Baptist. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
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