Northwestern’s 74-34 drubbing of UW-Parkside in last Friday’s exhibition game was a strong signal that NU is making progress toward climbing out of the Big Ten basement.
But even more important than the final score, the new-look Wildcats seem to be picking up new coach Joe McKeown’s system quickly.
“Progress started off a little rough because it was so different from last year,” sophomore guard Meshia Reed said. “Offensively we went from standing around to constant movement. And on defense, we went from a (man-to-man) to a blizzard.”
The changes already have started to take effect. NU took control of the game almost immediately, winning the opening tip and taking the lead on Kristin Cartwright’s drive just five seconds in. After the basket the Cats unveiled McKeown’s signature full-court press, forcing a turnover in the backcourt.
The defense held UW-Parkside without a field goal for the opening five minutes, causing six turnovers as NU built an early lead. UW-Parkside looked overwhelmed by all the pressure – 20 of the Rangers’ 37 offensive possessions in the first half ended in a blocked shot or a turnover.
Though the Cats played much more aggressively than they have in the past, McKeown would like to see his team take it up another notch.
“Parkside did a good job of milking possessions,” he said. “We’ve got to be more aggressive when teams do that.”
McKeown said he thought the players were a little tentative shooting the ball at the start. The Cats shot just 35.7 percent en route to a 32-16 halftime lead.
NU’s offense looked better after the break, shooting 62.5 percent from the floor and running away from UW-Parkside with a 21-4 run in the middle of the half. The ball was worked inside with more regularity, and sophomore center Amy Jaeschke scored 11 points to bring her team-leading total to 18.
“Coach McKeown made a lot of really great adjustments at halftime and just showed us what parts of the zone were open to get our shots,” Jaeschke said.
The Cats featured a balanced offensive attack. Five players contributed eight points or more, and only one player who saw action failed to score. Meanwhile, the Rangers’ high scorer had just seven points and the team shot 24 percent overall.
One encouraging sign for NU was the role freshmen Brittany Orban and Maggie Mocchi played in the victory. The two combined to make more than half of their shots, scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds and five steals in just 32 minutes.
Neither girl appeared to be intimidated playing in her first collegiate game.
“At first I was a little nervous, but it kind of wore off quickly,” Mocchi said. “It’s just playing basketball, and that’s what I love doing.”
Another bright spot was Reed’s play. One of the Cats’ best shooters, she also proved she is a force on the defensive end by leading NU with six steals.
“We’re changing her name,” McKeown said. “I called her Meshia Ree – no ‘D.’ She’s accepted that challenge, so now we’re calling her Meshia D. That’s a big step for her.”
The team also gained a lot of confidence from seeing results in a competitive environment for the first time, even though it was against a Division II opponent and did not count in the standings. The blowout win only enhanced the players’ belief in the team’s new, attacking style.
The next step will be to do it again when the regular season opens Friday at Chicago State.
“We just need to take deep breaths and make a few more shots,” Jaeschke said.
