ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Illinois Tech women’s basketball team made a trip in the cold weather on Saturday to oppose Rockford University in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) contest. Rockford (2-16, 2-12) edged the Scarlet Hawks (0-18, 0-14 NACC) 67-61.

How It Happened

• Shannon O’Donnell found Erin Nelson on a beautiful pass for a three-pointer to start the game strong for Tech on the first possession. This started a 7-0 run for the Hawks out of the gate, as Tech forced turnovers in two of the Regents’ three possessions. The Regents had three turnovers before scoring a point, which happened at the 4:23 mark on a Nicole Silvers lay-up.
• Rockford responded 9-0 run before Erin Efimoff converted an and-one to take the lead back. The Regents struck back a few times to lead 13-12 after one despite Tech forcing six first quarter turnovers.
• The Regents hit a couple of threes to start the second, with another Nelson triple sandwiched in between. Rockford then opened up a six-point lead, 23-17, with 5:16 left in the quarter, forcing Usha Gilmore to call a timeout, the first of the game for either team.
• Tech went to the foul line a lot in the second quarter, keeping the team afloat as shooting from the floor struggled. The Scarlet Hawks took 14 attempts from the charity stripe in the second and went into halftime trailing 30-25.
• Brooke Rowan, O’Donnell, and Efimoff hit baskets to start the second half as the Scarlet Hawks forced a Regent timeout with the score 34-31.
• After a long drought for both teams of over three minutes, O’Donnell started to take over for the Scarlet Hawks offensively. The sophomore scored nine points total in the third quarter as Tech trailed 43-40 after three.
• Rowan hit a three-pointer off an O’Donnell pass to start the fourth, giving Tech its first tie since the first quarter. However, Rockford opened up a 13-0 run after and led 56-43 with 6:00 left in the game.
• Applying a press defense, the Scarlet Hawks cut the lead to single-digits with under four minutes to play. Down seven with one minute to play, Rowan hit a driving lay-up before Tech began putting the Regents at the line. Rockford was able to convert on those opportunities to hold the lead and go on to win the contest.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• O’Donnell had 24 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, playing all 40 minutes.
• Nelson also played the entire contest, hitting a career-high three three-pointers and scoring nine points. She also had eight rebounds.
• Rowan had 12 points and five boards.

Stats to Know

• Rebounding was in favor of Tech 44-34, the team’s largest positive rebounding margin of the season.
• Free throw attempts were dominated by the Scarlet Hawks 22-11.

Up Next

• Women’s Basketball will play at Alverno College in another NACC contest on Wednesday at 7 p.m.