Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder women's basketball team fell to 8-4 on the season with a 71-58 loss to North Park on Saturday. Wheaton also falls to 1-2 in the CCIW while the Vikings improve to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The loss wraps up Wheaton's 2019 portion of the schedule as the Thunder will not be in action again until a January 4 trip to North Central College.
 
North Park was white-hot from the field, shooting 42% in the win and making 57.1% (8-14) from beyond the arc. The Vikings were able to ice the game away from the free throw line, making 8-11 in the fourth quarter to finish 21-28 from the line. Wheaton shot 32.2% from the field and 40% (6-15) from the three-point line while shooting 77.8% (14-18) at the free throw line.
 
After a back and forth first quarter saw the Vikings use a late run to take a 18-12 lead, Wheaton opened the second quarter on a 12-0 while holding the Vikings scoreless for just under five minutes. Leading by a game-high six points, The Vikings stopped the Thunder run with a three-pointer by Angelina Villasin and held Wheaton without a field goal for nearly four minutes until a Hannah Williams three-pointer with 96 seconds left in the half. A pair of free throws would give North Park a 31-28 halftime lead.
 
Wheaton would not catch the Vikings in the second half as North Park gradually extended the lead behind the sharp-shooting of Emily Czuhajewski who finished the game with six three-pointers. Trailing by as many as eight in the third quarter, Wheaton pulled within three on a Hannah Williams three-point play but Czuhawjewski answered with a three on the ensuing possession to give North Park a 49-43 lead after three quarters.
 
Czuhajewski also opened the fourth quarter to push the lead to nine points. Wheaton would pull back within three points at the 7:30 mark after consecutive three-pointers by Kirsten Madsen and Kristi Demski made it 54-51. A lay-up by Jordan Myroth made it 57-55 but once again it was Czuhajewski who answered with a triple that started a 13-3 Viking run to close the game over the final 3:34 to ice the 71-58 victory.
 
Czuhajewski finished with a game-high 21 points. Hannah Williams led the Thunder with 17 points and Hannah Frazier and Kirsten Madsen added 10 points. Myroth tied for a game-high nine rebounds to go with six points and five assists.