Double-digit winning streak for women’s basketball
Videography by Jeffron Boynes
The women’s basketball team (10-2) won its 10th consecutive game Tuesday with a 66-54 victory over Northern Illinois (4-6). Ruvanna Campbell (22 points and nine rebounds) and Rachel Story (20 points) led the Flames.
UIC returns to the UIC Pavilion Friday for a 7 p.m. contest against Roosevelt University.
The Flames’ 10-2 record matches the 1977-78 squad for the best 12-game start in program history. It is also the first 10-game win streak since 2007.
Seven of the 10 wins have been at road or neutral sites and four of the victories have been over 2012-13 WNIT participants (Idaho State, Miami Ohio, Texas Southern and Butler).
UIC’s 10-game win streak ranks as the fifth longest in the nation.
UIC hit 27-of-31 shots from the free throw line Tuesday, including 19-of-22 in the second half. The Flames’ 87.1 percent from the charity stripe is a season-high. It is the sixth time this season that the Flames have made more than 20 free throws. UIC has made 53 free throws on 62 attempts over the last two contests (.854).
UIC held a 38-31 advantage on the boards and improved to 10-1 this season when out-rebounding its opponent. The Flames tied a season-high with 12 steals and scored 17 points off 18 NIU turnovers.
UIC took the early advantage and led by as many as six at 18-12 on Campbell’s jumper with 11:09 left in the first half. NIU responded with an 11-5 run to tie the contest at 23-23 with 5:40 remaining.
The Huskies took their only lead of the game at 26-25 on Alexis Lindstrom’s three-pointer with 4:47 to go until halftime. The Flames scored the final six points of the half, including four from Campbell, to lead 31-26 at the break.
NIU narrowed the UIC advantage to 45-42 with 9:23 left in the game but the Flames responded with a 6-0 run to take a commanding 51-42 lead with 7:35 on the clock. UIC hit 11 free throws down the stretch to seal its tenth straight victory.
Campbell scored 17 of her 22 points in the first half, the most of any UIC player this season. She was 8-of-14 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the line and collected a game-high nine rebounds. Campbell’s performance is her third 20-point effort this season.
Story scored 18 of her 20 points in the second half and finished 10-of-11 from the free throw line for her second double-digit free throw performance of the season.
Redshirt senior Katie Hannemann contributed seven points and five rebounds while senior Emily Kobel finished with seven points and three steals. Kobel made her 109th career three-pointer to start the contest.
Sophomore Terri Bender collected four steals and owns 22 steals over the last six games (3.6 steals per contest). Senior Megan Wallace pulled down six rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
