The Dominican University women's basketball team picked up their first win of the season, a 62-49 victory at the Illinois Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon.  The Stars, paced by Shamia Clark's (Rock Island, Ill.) 21 points, never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 20 points in their final game of 2014.
 
With the scored tied 23-23 with less than six minutes to play in the first half, Jasmyn Hardin (Cincinnati, Ohio) sparked a 10-3 run to close out the half.  Hardin bookended the run with lay ins while Claudia DeNigris (Addison, Ill.) scored four straight on the run and finished the afternoon with 11 points and 12 rebounds for her first career double-double.
 
Clark set her career-high in points for the third time in the last four games, going 6-for-13 from the field and 9-for-10 from the foul line.  The Stars' freshman has logged four straight double-digit games including Saturday's 21-point effort and has scored in double-figures in five of the Stars' last six games to close out 2014.
 
Allie Tapanes (Winfield, Ill.) added 11 points while Hardin and DeNigris each recorded a double-double off the Dominican bench.  Hardin finished with 13 points and pulled down 12 boards in 24 minutes.
 
Dominican shot just under 33 percent from the field and pulled down a season-high 24 offensive rebounds, leading to 22 second chance points.
 
The Stars return to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action on Saturday, January 3, hosting the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff in the Igini Sports Forum.