Going into last Sunday’s game against Minnesota, Northwestern (6-12, 2-14 Big Ten) had built a source of momentum by taking Illinois and Penn State down to the wire before losing in consecutive games.
But 10,273 Golden Gopher fans and a 21.3 percent mark from the field conspired to hand the Wildcats a 71-33 loss in their last tune-up before the Big Ten tournament.
NU coach Beth Combs said the loss was a product of a number of circumstances and shouldn’t do much to hinder her team’s drive.
“It was their Senior Day, they had been struggling, they had lost four straight, it was one of those days that was meant to be for them,” she said. “I don’t think whatever we would have done that day would’ve made a difference at Minnesota. We have to take what we’ve done as a whole the last three or four weeks in getting ready for the Big Ten tournament. We can learn from not being ready on Sunday, bit we’re going to be ready on Thursday.”
The Cats open up Thursday against Illinois (14-13, 6-10), a team they’ve lost to twice this year by a combined 10 points. The last loss, Feb. 16 at Welsh-Ryan Arena, came on an Illinois free throw with 2.6 seconds left in the game.
“Our team’s goals are very clear,” Combs said. “We’re looking to beat Illinois and get a chance at a rematch with Purdue.”
No. 14 Purdue, the second-ranked team in the Big Ten, has beaten NU once this year, a 71-63 victory in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Boilermakers have the second-stingiest defense in the conference, giving up only 55.7 points per game. While the Cats are next to last in the conference in scoring offense, they are one of only seven teams to put up more than 60 points against Purdue this year.
With a 2-14 conference mark, the Cats are not in much of a position to make a run for the Big Ten title. The Boilermakers, along with Ohio State and Michigan State, last year’s runner-up for the national championship, all could figure into the mix.
The Buckeyes and Spartans both rely on their post players to win games. Ohio State is led by Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport, who averaged 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this year. Liz Shimek, who has been at least an honorable mention all-Big Ten player for the last four years, paces Michigan State with 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
Purdue gets the job done with its guard play and defense, leading the conference in steals and turnovers forced.
Another team to watch is Indiana, which is fresh off its first winning conference season in five years. The Hoosiers have two viable scoring options in guard Cyndi Valentin, who set the Division I record for consecutive free throws made earlier this season, and forward Jenny DeMuth. The two average a combined 32.0 points per game.
Even though the Cats don’t figure to cause much of a fuss in the tournament, Combs said the team is excited for the opportunity to turn a few heads.
“I don’t know how many people are going to expect us to be in the (Purdue) game, but we’re going to be there,” she said. “The Big Ten tournament is going to be a great venue for us.”
Reach David Morrison at [email protected].
