Huskies hold All-American candidate under average
UW-Milwaukee’s Viall scores 14 as NIU holds on for win
Article by:
Adam Zolmierski - Sports Reporter
• azolmierski@northernstar.info
NIU women’s basketball coach Carol Hammerle wanted to hold Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s
All-American candidate Maria Viall to under 20 points Saturday.
The Huskies used a plethora of defenders to hold her to 14 points,
eight under her season average, in the win.
Viall shot 5-of-12 from the field and grabbed 14 rebounds. She averaged
9.3 rebounds a game coming into Saturday’s game.
“Northern executed their game plan to perfection,” UWM coach
Sandy Bothman said. “They did a great job taking out Maria Viall.
We rely on her a lot and that showed tonight. Our kids have to look
to score more.”
At halftime, Viall had seven points and six rebounds.
The rest of the Panthers combined to shoot 12-for-47 from the field,
including 1-of-17 from behind the three-point line.
The Huskies double- and triple-teamed the Panthers’ center the
whole game, with freshman Kristin Wiener and senior Jennifer Youngblood
guarding her for most of the game.
“We focused on keeping her away from the basket because once she
gets low, you’re getting scored on,” Youngblood said.
Viall had scored 20 or more points in five straight games.
“Any time she got the ball, she had to work hard,” Hammerle
said. “Maria Viall is just an awesome post player. We felt we had
to win the battle on the block and we did that.”
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