Blockbuster win highlights IUN's history-making season

GARY | Making history has been a large part of Merrillville graduate Sharon Houston's repertoire ever since joining Indiana University Northwest's women's basketball program at the beginning of the 2009-10 season.

She helped the program execute a complete 180-degree turn, going from 0-24 in the 2007-08 season to 20-12 in the 2009-10 campaign. She was instrumental in helping IUN qualify for its first NAIA Division II tournament two seasons ago.

Chalk up Wednesday's 78-77 win over NCAA Division I Chicago State University as another etching in the RedHawks' history book, as Houston's monstrous 32-point, 13-rebound effort headlined the blockbuster win -- the first over a NCAA Division I opponent in program history.

"It was very exciting for me, especially because it's my senior year," Houston said. "This is what comes from working hard together and never giving up on each other. Our team has a lot of little fighters."

Kouts grad Annmarie Keller had 19 points in the game, including two key 3-pointers that kept IUN in the game during the first half.

However, it was Hebron grad Brittany Dewell's lone point of the game -- the back end of two foul shots -- that allowed IUN to walk away victorious.

"It was an amazing game. It really was," IUN coach Ryan Shelton said. "I told the girls if they play hard for 40 minutes and don't give up on any one play, no matter what the circumstances are, we'll win. Ninety-five percent of the crowd was our people. It almost turned into a home game for us."

IUN (15-10), which won its school-record 13th consecutive game Saturday with a rout of Kuyper College, had a bevy of complications to start the season. Houston was suspended for eight games due to a minor violation of team rules, and injuries spread throughout the roster like wildfire early on.

However, a 76-75 win over Bethel College on Dec. 20 shifted the RedHawks to a higher gear, and Shelton couldn't be more pleased with the way his team is playing.

"We are the team now, that we were expecting to be at the beginning of the season," Shelton said. "We can beat any team in the country. We've just got to get to our conference tourney, which we should with the strength of this win."