Women’s Basketball

Northwestern closed out its home slate Sunday afternoon by hosting No. 8 Maryland, which sought to spoil Senior Day for the Wildcats and run its conference record to a Big Ten-best 15-1.

The Terrapins did just that, holding off several NU comeback attempts to win a hard-fought 62-50 victory. Maryland led by just three at the end of the first half, but wore down the Cats in the second to secure the win.

NU was stagnant to begin the game, missing its first seven field goal attempts as the Terrapins built up an 8-2 lead. Maryland guard Ashley Owusu scored four points in the game’s first 28 seconds. The Cats recovered to narrow the margin to 16-12 by the end of the first quarter, with junior guard Veronica Burton assisting junior guard Sydney Wood’s layup in its waning seconds.

Both teams slowed down in an austere second stanza; a layup from Terps guard Diamond Miller represented the only basket by either team until senior guard Jordan Hamilton hit a jumper just over four minutes into the quarter. Maryland built a 28-19 lead, prompting coach Joe McKeown to call a timeout with 2:24 left in the half. NU regrouped and reeled off six straight points, culminating in senior guard Lindsey Pulliam’s three with 1:12 to play. Owusu and Burton traded buckets to create the halftime score of 30-27.

The Cats continued to gain ground on the Terps in the third quarter, as a pair of Burton free throws whittled Maryland’s lead to 32-31 after she was fouled by Terps guard Katie Benzan. Maryland offense soon kicked into gear, with five straight Miller points bringing the Terps’ advantage back to six. The situation was repeated later in the quarter, as NU cut the lead back to one but was met with a 9-0 Maryland run.

Four straight points by the Cats to start the fourth quarter forced Terps coach Brenda Frese to call a timeout. NU continued to battle, with Wood sinking two free throws with 5:29 left to draw the Cats within 49-45. Benzan responded with a three-pointer to put Maryland back up seven.

Pulliam and Hamilton each tried three-pointers after a media timeout with 4:55 left, but neither could connect. Miller laid the ball in on a fast break to give the Terps a 54-45 lead, and though Wood responded with a jumper, NU’s fate was all but sealed.

Takeaways:

1. NU stays close early with defense

The Terps entered the game sporting one of the most impressive offensive resumes in the country, having hit the century mark five times on the season and scored 80 points in each of their last eight games. The Cats pushed Maryland out of its comfort zone in the first half, however, as the Terps made just 13 of their 33 field goals in the first 20 minutes. Wood finished the afternoon with three blocks and Burton recorded five steals.

2. The seniors, led by Pulliam, take a bow

NU celebrated its senior class Sunday afternoon, which responded in kind with solid individual performances. Pulliam, though held to just six made field goals on 21 tries, tallied 13 points and pulled down six rebounds against her home state’s flagship program. Hamilton had four points, five rebounds and seven assists, guard Lauryn Satterwhite had a trio of boards, and reserve guard Brooke Pikiell saw two minutes of time after playing just 17 on the season.

3. Ice-cold shooting seals the Cats’ fate

Despite its defensive effort, NU couldn’t overcome a rough shooting day from the floor. The Cats’ 30 percent clip represented their worst outing of the season, and Pulliam, Burton and Hamilton combined to make just 12 of their 51 field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Miller made eight of her 17 attempts for the Terps, scoring 17 points and making up for her squad’s own 40 percent shooting performance.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @pandres2001