As Northwestern’s 67-64 nail-biting Wednesday win over IU-Indianapolis came down to the wire, sophomore guard Xamiya Walton’s breakout performance played a crucial role in the Wildcats’ (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) success.
The key moment came with under 20 seconds left in the game, as the ’Cats went down 63-62, despite only trailing for one minute and 49 seconds the entire contest. With the game on the line and the clock ticking down, graduate student transfer guard Tate Lash found Walton, who sank a 3-point jumper from the left wing.
Walton posted 17 points, only behind senior forward Grace Sullivan, who had 18. It was a career-best performance for Walton, who only recorded six points in her best scoring performance against DePaul last season.
Though Walton saw limited playing time during her freshman season at NU, she came to college with ample accolades accompanying her name. In high school, she was a state champion and set an Illinois state record for most 3-pointers in a game with 15.
“In high school, I was a more high-percentage 3-point shooter,” Walton said. “I want to show that in college as well.”
The sophomore shot 4-of-9 from beyond the arc Wednesday, while the rest of the team shot an abysmal 1-of-16. 3-point shooting has been a major struggle for NU in recent years. The ’Cats were the only Big Ten squad to shoot less than 30% from deep last season.
Although the Jaguars trailed for a large majority of the game, they kept the hosts on their toes, keeping the deficit to one or two possessions for the bulk of the contest.
Relinquishing the lead with less than a minute to go didn’t shake the ’Cats, who remained calm and collected when they needed it most. After Walton’s clutch shot helped NU regain its lead, Lash made two free throws, extending the team’s advantage to three points.
Walton was one of four players in the game to score double digits. Another player to accomplish that feat was sophomore forward Tayla Thomas, who put up 13 points and 13 rebounds. After averaging just 1.4 points per game last season, her Wednesday performance, much like Walton’s, indicated she may be due for a second-year jump.
Thomas and Sullivan were the two players in the game who posted double-doubles, with Sullivan tacking on 18 boards in addition to her team-leading scoring.
Beyond her 17 points, Walton also notched five assists and three rebounds.
“It shows all the work I’ve put in in the offseason and coming up through the season,” Walton said.
She attributed her success to individual workouts and training with her dad, specifically focusing on things she struggled with last season.
Following Walton’s game-saving shot, coach Joe McKeown was quick to call her one of the team’s hardest workers.
“She’s doing a great job, and I feel like her confidence level is really good,” McKeown said.
He added that playing point guard, scoring off the ball and defending bigger players is asking a lot of Walton.
Standing at only 5-foot-7, Walton didn’t struggle to keep up Wednesday, despite being one of the smallest players on the court.
After averaging less than 10 minutes per game last season, Walton’s performance in NU’s season-opening win demonstrated her readiness for a bigger role this season.
As the ’Cats look ahead to their next game against SIU-Edwardsville, Walton’s performance and the team’s resolve in the face of late adversity could provide a hopeful glimpse of what’s to come.
“Some of these games last year, we might have let that slip,” McKeown said. “This year, I think they’re feeling like we want to find ways to win these games.”
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