With both Northwestern and Rutgers jockeying for a chance to play in the Big Ten Tournament, Monday’s East Coast showdown held major implications for two teams who have struggled to break into the top 15 in a fierce conference field this season.
The Wildcats (9-15, 2-11 Big Ten) got off to a hot start, racing out to a 25-point first quarter and extending their advantage to a game-high 16 points early on in the second frame en route to a 69-59 win.
Coach Joe McKeown’s squad thrived in transition early on, leaving the Scarlet Knights (10-16, 2-13 Big Ten) scrambling.
But as the tempo increased, the ’Cats couldn’t retain the dominance they displayed in the opening 10 minutes. What started as a smooth offensive execution began to falter, and by the final minutes of the half, their rhythm was off-kilter.
With just under two minutes to go, junior guard Caroline Lau found herself scrambling through a chaotic possession. After dishing the ball to freshman forward Tayla Thomas from under the basket, Thomas’s airballed attempt was grabbed by junior guard Melannie Daley, whose quick pass back to Lau led to another miss, which clanked off the front of the rim.
Lau fought for the rebound, only for her follow-up to be swatted away. The series of frantic missed opportunities allowed Rutgers to seize momentum as it cut what had been a convincing NU lead down to just five points less than a minute later.
The ’Cats hit just one of their final 12 attempts to close out the half, but they still managed to hold on to a nine-point lead heading into the break.
After halftime, NU and its opponents played a neck-and-neck third quarter, with the Scarlet Knights barely pulling ahead with 16 points in the period, compared to NU’s 15.
With both teams facing significant foul trouble as the clock wound down, NU capitalized on late trips to the charity stripes to shore up the victory.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s road win over Rutgers Monday:
1. Dominant first quarter sets the tone early
After Monday’s opening 10 minutes, NU was on pace for a 100-point game, pouring in 25 points — the team’s highest-scoring quarter of the season.
Even with shifted travel plans and the challenges posed by unexpected wintry weather on the East Coast, McKeown’s group arrived ready to compete from the opening tip. The ’Cats hit the ground running, forcing five turnovers in just three minutes of game time and converting them into 10 points quick points to start the game.
In the opening quarter, Northwestern thrived in transition, creating fast-break opportunities off Scarlet Knight miscues and pushing the pace in a way that’s not typically their style.
2. NU overcomes late game foul trouble
With just over six minutes left to play in the second half, senior forward Caileigh Walsh earned her fourth foul of the game and joined Lau and graduate student forward Taylor Williams on the bench.
At that point, the Scarlet Knights had cut the deficit to just five points — the closest they had come since the first quarter.
But the ’Cats weren’t the other ones facing foul trouble late in the contest — three Rutgers players had also racked up four personals and one more had three.
After sitting out for a few minutes, all three NU players checked back in as the visitors relied on the connection between Lau and Williams on three consecutive possessions to help extend their lead back to double digits with 2:47 left to play.
No NU players fouled out in the game’s closing minutes.
3. The road ahead
Following a rare conference win over Rutgers, NU will return home for its first of its final three regular season games against No. 21 Maryland Thursday.
Though their victory in Piscataway kept them in contention for a Big Ten Tournament bid, the ’Cats will need to win at least one more game down the stretch to keep their postseason hopes alive.
NU’s best shot at another victory may come on the road Sunday against Wisconsin.
The Badgers have struggled in conference play, recording just three Big Ten wins this season — two of which came against teams the ‘Cats have also defeated, Penn State and Rutgers.
Email: audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu
Twitter: @AudreyPachuta
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