With 13.2 seconds left and Northwestern clinging to a two-point lead, coach Beth Combs told the Wildcats to allow a 2-point shot and play for overtime.
After Illinois’ Lori Bjork missed a layup, Chelsea Gordon grabbed an offensive rebound and made the put-back with only 2.6 seconds remaining.
But she was fouled by A.J. Glasauer as she tied the game, setting up the worst possible scenario for NU.
Gordon, a sub-par free throw shooter – the forward had made just 11 of 22 free throws on the season – released a shot that bounced high off the rim before falling through the net to give Illinois a 60-59 lead.
NU senior Ifeoma Okonkwo launched a desperation 3-pointer from half-court as time expired, but it was well off line.
“At the end of the game its just a mistake we’ve been doing all season, it’s box out,” an emotional Glasauer said after the game. “It’s right there. It comes down to that one situation, win or lose. We’re not boxing out. Game over.”
It was a disappointing end to an emotional senior night for the Cats (6-19, 2-12 Big Ten). NU trailed by nine in the first half before closing the lead to one at halftime. The team fell behind again in the second half as the Illini (13-12, 5-9) jumped out to an eight-point advantage.
NU went nearly six minutes before recording its first field goal in the second stanza, but a jumper by Sara Stutz sparked a 27-10 run for the Cats, giving them a nine-point lead with 6:07 to go. From there the lead slowly dwindled, and NU slowly unraveled.
“We were (nine) up with six minutes to go and we got nervous,” Glasauer said. “We didn’t score anymore, we got hesitant, we let them drive, we didn’t execute D as well, and they made their run and we didn’t stop them.”
Illinois’ Janelle Hughes scored four points and grabbed two boards down the stretch for the Illini as they mounted their comeback.
Hughes had been a problem all night for NU, going 9 for 17 from the field for 21 points while registering five rebounds, six assists and two steals. Three of Hughes’ baskets came from behind the arc.
“I was pretty much trying to make sure that she goes baseline,” said point guard Nadia Bibbs, who was a high school teammate of Hughes’ at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Ill. “When she goes middle it’s easy to score. We had a scout on her that said let her shoot the 3, and (look) how well that turned out.”
Bibbs was one of many players to have a solid performance nullified by heartbreak. She finished with 12 points, six boards, three assists and two steals. Glasauer also scored 12 while grabbing seven rebounds and recording four assists and three steals.
But no one outperformed Okonkwo. The lone senior on the roster finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, a block and a steal in 29 minutes on the floor.
Illinois had three players in double figures, including Erin Wigley, who scored 12 to go with her five rebounds and two blocks. Bjork, who scored 13, put on a show from behind the arc, knocking down three 3-pointers.
The game saw its fair share of pile-ups, as scrappy defense forced a number of players to fall to the floor and scramble for loose balls and rebounds.
The teams combined to produce 20 steals.
“Our girls played hard, and this one hurts,” Combs said. “This one hurts because we played a good game. It was a fun game, it was an exciting game, and we just couldn’t finish it tonight.”
Reach David Kalan at [email protected].
