Chicago, Ill — Illinois Tech Women's Basketball fell to North Park University, 69-45, at Keating Sports Center. Despite a strong defensive effort with 10 steals and 3 blocks, Illinois Tech struggled offensively, shooting 32% from the field and committing 26 turnovers. North Park capitalized on these errors, converting them into 26 points and maintaining a 34-24 advantage in points in the paint. Illinois Tech holds a record of 1-4 overall. North Park stands at 1-3 on the season.

How It Happened

The starting quarter saw North Park establish an early lead against Illinois Tech. Caroline Long's layup at 8:24 gave North Park the initial momentum, and a three-pointer by Aliyah Hershberger at 2:56 extended their lead to 15-7. The Scarlet Hawks responded with a jumper from Berit Rusing at 2:31, narrowing the gap to 15-9. Chloe Churilla added a late free throw to bring Illinois Tech within seven, but a jumper by Hershberger with eight seconds remaining secured a 19-12 advantage for North Park at the close of the quarter.

In the second quarter, North Park capitalized on turnovers, converting eight points off turnovers to maintain their lead. Halle Williams of Illinois Tech opened the scoring in the quarter with a layup at 9:16, assisted by Camden Joko. However, North Park's defense proved formidable, with Layla Murry and Kathryn Keehn each contributing to the visitor's scoring efforts, pushing the score to 23-17 by 7:41. Despite a three-pointer from Nerea Del Olmo Perez at 8:50, Illinois Tech struggled to keep pace, with Shay Bowen closing the quarter with consecutive jumpers, securing a 33-21 lead for North Park.

North Park extended their lead significantly in the third quarter, outscoring Illinois Tech 16-7. Aliyah Hershberger opened the scoring with a three-pointer at 9:13, assisted by Keehn. North Park's defense capitalized on turnovers, as Aliesha Peterson and Keehn both contributed with steals, while Peterson also added two free throws. Caroline Long and Hershberger each scored key baskets in the paint, with Keehn assisting on both plays. Illinois Tech struggled with turnovers, committing seven, but managed a late push with Williams scoring a layup and converting a free throw at 3:08. The quarter concluded with North Park maintaining control, as Keehn hit a three-pointer and added two more free throws to secure a commanding 46-28 lead heading into the final quarter.

North Park extended their lead early in the fourth quarter with a layup from Teresa Morrissey at 9:11, assisted by Long, bringing the score to 51-28. Despite Illinois Tech's defensive efforts, including a block by Grace Goodnough and a steal by Abigail Marino, North Park continued to capitalize on turnovers, with Long and Morrissey each adding points in the paint. Illinois Tech's Uma Peters provided a brief spark with a three-pointer at 4:09, assisted by Joko. However, Murry's back-to-back layups in the final minutes helped North Park maintain their advantage. Joko concluded the quarter with a three-pointer at the buzzer, assisted by Rusing, finalizing the score at 69-45 in favor of North Park.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Berit Rusing
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- 9 points
- 4 steals
- 3 rebounds

Grace Goodnough
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- 6 rebounds
- 2 blocks

Chloe Churilla
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- 9 points
- 6 rebounds

Camden Joko
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- 4 assists
- 2 steals

North Park Top Performers  

Aliyah Hershberger  
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- 14 points  
- 4 steals  
- 4 assists  

Kathryn Keehn  
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- 10 points  
- 6 assists  
- 12 rebounds  

Caroline Long  
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- 13 points  
- 11 rebounds  
- 2 offensive rebounds  

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech dropped to 0-5 lifetime against North Park University.

Up Next
Illinois Tech will travel to face Rockford University in the NACC conference opener on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. The matchup will take place in Rockford, Illinois.