Fresh off a dominant 76-62 home victory over Minnesota, Northwestern looks to protect its home court one last time Thursday and sweep the season series against Wisconsin.

While Welsh-Ryan Arena did not serve as a home fortress for the Wildcats (9-18, 2-14 Big Ten), coach Joe McKeown’s squad hopes to carry over momentum from its first home conference win this past Saturday and defeat the Badgers (9-19, 4-12 Big Ten).

Wisconsin enters the contest after trouncing Rutgers 88-62 Monday and seeks to pick up where it left off to seal a fifth conference win. Heading into the matchup, the Badgers are on the prowl, vying to split the series with NU.

Buoyed by five double-digit scorers last time out, Wisconsin’s offense appeared to be firing on all cylinders, and the Cats must stymie the Badgers’ attack to avoid a potential shootout.

Here are three takeaways to consider as NU aims for a Senior Night victory over its Big Ten opponent.
Takeaways:
1. Big Ten Tournament seeds are on the line
NU currently sits dead last in the conference standings with a 2-14 conference resume. The Badgers are two games in front at a 4-12 record.
With two games remaining in the season, the Cats could catch up to their Cheese State foe with a win this Thursday. McKeown’s team — currently sitting as the 14th and final seed — could shoot up as high as No. 12 in the Big Ten Tournament — a drastic turnaround for a team that dropped its first nine conference games.
On the other hand, a Badger victory would keep the Cats in the Big Ten’s basement. With a loss Thursday, NU could only reach as high as the No. 13 seed in the conference tournament if it wins its final regular season game at Nebraska on Sunday.
2. Can the Cats count on Caileigh?
Sophomore forward Caileigh Walsh leads the team in scoring, averaging 12 points per game.
Walsh carries game-changing potential but often disappears in contests due to a lack of efficiency. The sophomore forward sinks shots at just a 39.9% clip and hits from beyond the arc at a 27.6% conversion rate.
However, Walsh seemed to turn over a new leaf last Saturday, knocking down a team high of 22 points from 8-of-13 shots in the win against Minnesota. She used a flurry of post moves to create easy looks inside and didn’t try and force the action.
After the contest, Walsh said she put more of a focus on “playing inside-out” instead of taking low percentage three-point looks.
If NU is to win over Wisconsin for a second time this season, Walsh must carry over her dominant display against the Golden Gophers and continue to find high percentage post shots.
3. The best offense for the Cats continues to be a good defense
All season long, McKeown has emphasized how his squad carries a firm defensive mentality. For a team that consistently dropped conference contests by double digits, this seemed irregular.
However, NU’s defensive prowess came to fruition in its Minnesota matchup. McKeown’s team collected 18 steals, with sophomore guard Hailey Weaver racking up a career high of six. The Cats turned up the pressure late in the first quarter and forced the Golden Gophers into 25 turnovers.
The Cats must dial up the pressure and turn steals into points to close off their home campaign on a positive note. With the Badgers averaging 15.9 turnovers per game, expect NU to dial up its defensive pressure and attempt to force its opponent into mistakes.
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