PHILADELPHIA— Riding the momentum of an overtime win over UNLV on Wednesday and victories in five of its last six games, Northwestern travelled to Philadelphia for two games at the Hawk Classic and came away with a 1-1 split.
In their weekend opener against Charleston on Friday, the Wildcats (7-5, 0-1 Big Ten) mounted a late rally after trailing early, but NU couldn’t quite finish it off, falling 68-62. Despite a strong second-half effort, the ‘Cats came up short as the Cougars (9-1, 0-0 CAA) executed down the stretch to secure the win.
“We had so many chances in that game to take the lead and win the game and we didn’t complete that,” sophomore guard Casey Harter said. “We had to have more grit, more toughness.”
Coach Joe McKeown’s squad struck first, as Harter drained a mid-range jumper to open the scoring and give NU the early lead. Charleston, however, quickly found its rhythm, going on a 10-0 run to take a 12-2 advantage. The ‘Cats struggled offensively during that stretch, but senior forward Caileigh Walsh came off the bench to spark a comeback, scoring 14 of her 20 points in the second quarter.
NU closed the gap to two by halftime with a 10-2 run of its own to end the half.
Out of the break, McKeown’s squad surged.
Graduate student forward Taylor Williams scored six quick points to help secure the lead for the first time since the game’s opening moments. The ‘Cats pushed their advantage to five at 38-33, but Charleston responded with key baskets from its sophomore twin duo, Taylor and Taryn Barbot, who combined for 39 of Charleston’s 68 total points.
The game was tied 46-46 headed into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, NU briefly regained a 52-48 lead, but Charleston responded with an 8-0 run to take a four-point advantage. With two minutes to play, freshman guard Kyla Jones found Walsh at the rim and Harter tied the game at 60 apiece with a triple, but the Cougars responded with a layup and two free throws to pull ahead with a two-possession advantage. A turnover by Harter with 12 seconds left sealed the win for Charleston.
Walsh — who has worked her way back into the rotation following a preseason injury — led the way for NU Friday with 20 points and nine rebounds and Williams added 10 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
“She was our leading scorer coming out of last year, scored her 1000th point a couple weeks ago,” McKeown said of Walsh. “We’re really getting her back to the end of last year, where she was playing just as well as any player in the Big Ten.”
Following the loss, NU faced Howard in a snowy Saturday morning matchup for third place in the multi-team event. After a few early shots rimmed out to open the contest, Lau drained a deep three-pointer — the team’s first field goal — two minutes into the game.
The first quarter saw slow starts for both teams, but NU found its offensive rhythm when Walsh entered the game, scoring a quick layup before Harter hit a three-pointer to give the ‘Cats a two-basket lead for the first time all day. By the end of the quarter, Walsh had seven points and NU led 19-15.
With 6:22 left to play in the half, NU had extended its lead to seven, after Harter made another shot from beyond the arc and freshman forward Tayla Thomas found the rim after an offensive board.
The ‘Cats maintained their lead deep into the second quarter, but Howard capitalized on late opportunities, sinking a three-pointer and converting an and-one layup in the final seconds to take a 33-28 lead at the break.
NU came out of halftime with renewed energy, opening the third quarter with a 14-0 run to take a nine-point lead. Lau recorded two steals early in the period and connected with Harter on a fast break, shifting the tide in NU’s favor.
But Howard responded with a run of its own, taking advantage of continued ball security issues from the ‘Cats. By the end of the third, NU’s lead had been trimmed to just one point.
The game stayed tight throughout the final frame, with the lead flipping back and forth in the last few minutes. Tied with two minutes to play, senior guard Melannie Daley hit her signature mid-range jumper to give NU a 65-63 lead. A Howard free throw cut it to one point, but Daley responded with another clutch floater to put the ‘Cats up by three.
Junior forward Grace Sullivan sealed the win with a free throw, and NU hung on for a 68-66 victory.
Despite the win, McKeown highlighted ball security and rebounding as key areas for improvement as his team prepares for Big Ten play, which begins next Saturday when the ‘Cats host Washington. In the win over Howard, NU committed 20 turnovers and allowed 20 offensive rebounds.
“That’s been our Achilles in the nonconference,” McKeown said. “We just gotta take better care of the ball.”
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