Northwestern heads into a battle of in-state rivals in need of a big win.
After falling to Minnesota on Sunday, NU (11-5, 1-2 Big Ten) is set to host Illinois (7-9, 0-3) on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game, originally scheduled for Jan. 6, had to be postponed due to inclement weather and will be played immediately after the men’s basketball game against Michigan State.
Despite the delay, coach Joe McKeown is confident in his team’s preparation.
“I think what it’s done is given us a chance to refocus,” McKeown said. “I think we’ll be ready to play.”
All stats point to an NU victory. Despite being just 1-2 in conference play, the Cats sport an impressive 9-1 record in front of their home crowd. The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, have dropped all three of their Big Ten contests and have not won any road games this season. NU and Illinois have both matched up against Nebraska this season; the Cats lost on a last-second shot, whereas the Fighting Illini were soundly defeated by 19 points.
But even if it is the better team on paper, NU knows it will need improved production from its star players to avoid another big loss. One of those players is freshman guard Ashley Deary, who, after setting a career high with 11 assists in Thursday’s win over Purdue, had a quiet game against Minnesota with just six assists and 4 points. Despite her status as a true freshman, Deary has quickly earned the trust of McKeown.
“She’s fearless,” McKeown said. “You want to keep giving her things that play to her strengths.”
As director of the offense, it’s Deary’s job to adjust to the flow of the game. Sometimes that means compensating for the struggles of two of the team’s top scorers, as happened against Minnesota.
Freshman forward and Minneapolis native Nia Coffey, first on the team with 15.2 points per game, had trouble finding her shot in her homecoming and missed her first nine attempts. Freshman guard Christen Inman, third on the team with 13.2 points per game, was limited by foul trouble and played only 21 minutes despite starting the game.
To Deary, helping out her teammates is as simple as sticking to the game plan.
“I try to get them open shots in transition,” Deary said. “That usually gets people going. Easy shots, layups, and then you move on from there.”
Because of the rescheduling, the Cats are in the middle of a three-game stretch in seven days. Bench players like sophomore forward Lauren Douglas are likely to see increased playing time to help keep NU’s starters fresh.
“Coming off of last year where I started every game, I have experience,” Douglas said. “I think that I’m able to come in and give experience on the floor if we’re playing too quickly or playing out of control.”
But, like many conference rivalry battles, the game will probably come down to which team executes more successfully.
“We have to handle their pressure and limit our turnovers,” Deary said. “Just run our offense and play our kind of basketball.”
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @BobbyPillote
