Fresh off a loss to in-state rival Illinois, Northwestern returned to home base at Welsh-Ryan Arena to take on Purdue, looking to return to the win column.
The Wildcats (8-16, 3-10 Big Ten) dropped their second consecutive loss, as the Boilermakers (11-13, 4-9 Big Ten) cruised to a dominant road victory. The hosts never led during Wednesday’s game.
Between NU’s failure to fight for the ball below the basket and poor shooting, Purdue built an 18-9 first-quarter lead. Graduate student guard Maggie Pina managed to sink a 3-pointer at the buzzer to close the quarter, but the hosts still faced a near-double-digit deficit.
The ‘Cats attempted to attack with junior guard Melannie Daley’s six points at the half, but their effort didn’t prevail. The margin continued to widen with the Boilermakers’ 19-point second-period lead compounding NU’s meager 17-point scoring output.
“I think we gambled too much,” coach Joe McKeown said. “We turned the ball over and we gave them easy transition buckets. We’re giving up layups that hit the ramp, and the Big Ten people make layups.”
Purdue returned to the second half dominating the court and manufactured a 57-30 lead entering the final frame and never looked back from that juncture.
McKeown’s team will look to regroup from another blowout loss in its home building, as the squad prepares for its next road spell. The ‘Cats travel to Minnesota Saturday for a promising game with the Golden Gophers. Minnesota’s 4-9 Big Ten record means a positive result for the ‘Cats may just be up for grabs.
“I think all of us over the next two weeks are just trying to not get ahead of yourself, play one game at a time. We got to be ready,” McKeown said.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s loss to Purdue Wednesday.
- The ‘Cats can’t fight under the basket
The rebounding battle has proven a tough area for NU throughout the campaign, especially in conference play. The disappointing trend persisted Wednesday night, and McKeown will hope to rectify the concern sooner, rather than later.
The Boilermakers’ 27 rebounds more than doubled the ‘Cats’ 13 rebounds in the first half. NU couldn’t generate anything on the offensive glass, hauling in just one offensive rebound. Meanwhile, Purdue grabbed 11 offensive boards during the frame, providing plenty of opportunities for second chance points.
To add insult to injury, the Boilermakers continued to abuse the hosts’ lack of rebounding in the second half, increasing their tally to 46 — compared to just 29 for the ‘Cats. The fight necessary to prevail in the paint was unfortunately amiss throughout the blowout loss for NU.
2. Field goal percentage takes a significant dip, reflecting another persistent problem
When McKeown’s squad faced Illinois in a pair of contests this season, the team never appeared a threat to take the lid of the basket.
And, with problems occurring on their rebounding effort, the ‘Cats ultimately didn’t have the opportunity to score the much needed baskets.
“We couldn’t get the first half shots to go in. We’re 4-of-20 from the three, you’re not going to beat many teams in this league” McKeown said.
Recording just a 32.8% shooting percentage that wasn’t in the same hemisphere as Purdue’s 46.0% conversion clip, the team’s ability to nab buckets was another telling factor.
Junior guard Melannie Daley led NU in the fight with 12 points, but it was hardly enough for the ‘Cats to contend in a one-sided affair filled with firepower on one end — and ice-cold shooting on the other.
3. A Pink Game rolls in contributions
Although NU didn’t put forth the performance it wanted on the scoreboard, Wednesday’s game was not all for naught — as both sides supported a worthy cause.
With cheerleaders, players and coaches adorned in pink getups,, this Valentine’s Day game was deemed the Play for Kay game as a memorandum to bring the community together to support women with all types of cancer.
The team contributed a generous $ 1,000 donation to the Kay Cancer Fund, and the fund continues to welcome additional contributions.
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Twitter: @betsy_lecy
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