CHAMPAIGN — Looking at the stats, the Northwestern women’s basketball team had the win in the bag. The Wildcats notched a higher field-goal percentage than Illinois, sank their free throws and outrebounded the Fighting Illini.
But in the end, the numbers didn’t matter. With the Assembly Hall crowd cheering for the orange and blue, Illinois’ freshman Janelle Hughes scored the winning bucket with less than three seconds left.
With Illinois’ 60-58 victory, the Cats lost their best opportunity all season at winning their first conference road game since Jan. 20, 2000.
And the Cats aren’t going to forget this loss any time soon.
“Frankly, I’m not over it,” NU coach June Olkowski said. “I don’t think the kids are over it, either.”
With Thursday’s opportunity lost and only one more game left — a rematch against Michigan State on Sunday — the Cats are in position to return from all their road trips empty-handed.
The loss was made more difficult to swallow because the Cats held the lead or at least a tie throughout most of the contest. Even Illinois’ coaches and players thought the contest was heading NU’s way.
Something must click in all of the NU players’ minds when they compete at home. In the comfort of Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Cats are able to rebound, score and defend better than they have in recent seasons.
But on the courts of other schools, NU plays like a completely different team. Maybe the Cats suffered from edgy nerves stemming from the boisterous 50-person Illini band, the Big Ten champion banners hanging from the eaves of the building, or the television cameras of Fox Sports Net.
Turnovers have plagued the Cats all season. NU’s problem area was obvious Thursday it gave the ball up 19 times, as compared to just six times for the Illini.
Heading into Thursday’s game, NU had a 17.6 turnover average to its name, allowing for a negative five margin.
Even though Illinois’ 6-2 home and 3-4 away conference record indicates otherwise, Grentz said overall, her team turns in higher-quality performances on the road, making the Illini’s win tonight all the more frustrating for the Cats.
“Here’s the thing, our team plays better on the road,” Grentz said. “We’re more focused. When we’re at home, (the players) are all talking to their friends.”
Thursday’s game illustrated Grentz’s case as Illinois shot 35.5 percent from the field.
The loss was unacceptable to the Cats, who now look to bank on their last road game against the Spartans.
“As a team, we have do what we can to put this behind us and focus only on what lies ahead,” senior Natalie Will said.
