CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Lawrence University women's basketball team used tough defense Saturday to carve out a 58-42 nonconference victory over North Park University in the season opener.
    Lawrence limited North Park to 26.3 percent shooting from the floor, and North Park hit just 5-of-21 shots (23.8 percent) from beyond the 3-point line. North Park was held to just 15 first-half points.
    Charlotte Brennan led Lawrence and all scorers with 13 points, and she added four assists, two rebounds and a pair of steals. Maggie Culver added 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Lawrence. 
    Lawrence's Caroline Sharpe and Sophie Morey had eight points apiece, and Morey pulled down seven rebounds. Mallory Meyer had six points and a team-best nine rebounds for Lawrence. 
    Lawrence took the lead for good on Culver's 3-pointer early in the second quarter, and the Vikings would push that advantage to 21-11 on Taylor Svoboda's layup with 1:24 left in the opening half. Lawrence led 22-15 at the half.
    Lawrence scored the first 11 points of the third quarter, including five by Brennan, to stretch the lead to 33-15. North Park never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.