Northwestern marched to a comprehensive 69-54 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore Friday night.
Junior guard Casey Harter led the game with a career-high 19 points, followed by senior forward Grace Sullivan and sophomore forward Tayla Thomas.
The Hawks (2-2, Mid-Eastern Athletic) from the eastern shores of Chesapeake Bay initially gave the Wildcats (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) from the western shores of Lake Michigan trouble, but the hosts pulled away in the second quarter. Five points from Harter fueled a 9-2 NU run to open the quarter, and five from freshman guard Angelina Hodgens drove a 10-2 run to close it.
NU’s ball movement was on full display as it padded the lead in the third quarter. As the rock zipped around the Wildcat perimeter, it found the open woman in Harter time and time again, and the three-point specialist took full advantage for a career-high five buckets from behind the arc.
Even Thomas got in on the action from downtown, sinking a three of her own to start the fourth quarter. With under four minutes to go, junior guard Caroline Lau found Harter on the left wing once again. No. 12 made no mistake, securing her best college points total to date.
The Wildcats will travel down the lakeshore to face DePaul on Monday at 11 a.m.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s third win of the season:
1. ’Cats find their rhythm despite scrappy Hawks
UMES opened the game with six personal fouls and 11 rebounds in the first quarter. Coach Joe McKeown said he anticipated the visitors’ physical and aggressive defense, adding that they beat NU to most of the early loose balls.
As the game progressed, though, he said his team started chasing down long rebounds, which led to opportunities in transition. Those easy buckets made a big impact down the stretch, he added.
Although the Hawks outrebounded the Cats 20-13 in the first half, NU ended the game with 34 boards to UMES’ 33.
“Over the years, when we’ve been great, we’ve been able to turn those into offensive efficiency at the other end,” McKeown said.
2. Hodgens steals the stage in second-quarter cameo
Checking with just three minutes left in the first half tied 27-27, freshman guard Angelina Hodgens swished a three from the top of the key for the first points of her college career. Over the next 90 seconds, Hodgens contributed to a steal that led to a knockdown three from senior guard Caroline Lau on the other end of the court, then coolly dished to Sullivan to finish off a fast break on the next possession.
The Staten Island, New York, native’s hot streak forced the Hawks to suddenly call timeout, staring down an eight-point deficit. She tacked on another two from the free-throw line out of the huddle, sending NU to the locker room up 37-29.
“(She) gave us that little shot in the arm that we needed,” McKeown said.
Harter said she knew the opportunity would come for Hodgens, calling her a “spark” in team practices. The freshman ended the night with five points, three assists, one rebound and one steal in just six minutes on the court.
3. Harter shoots the lights out for career-high night
In its last game against SIU-Edwardsville, NU did not shoot a single three-pointer in the first quarter, with McKeown saying afterward that he emphasized “pounding the paint” for the matchup.
On Friday, it was NU’s opponents that did not attempt a three-pointer for the entire first quarter, and Harter drained shots from deep. While she went 5-for-7 from downtown, none of her teammates made more than one.
When Thomas and Sullivan are productive in the paint — the duo combined for 32 points — it opens up opportunities on the perimeter, Harter said.
“If we get doubled, we know we have someone on the outside like Casey to knock down the shots or drive and finish through contact,” Thomas said. “That’s very important because that opens up the floor for us.”
To add to her shooting, Harter pitched in eight rebounds — just one short of a career high she set in her freshman season. A Philadelphia native like himself, Harter’s hustle and heart made her a team captain, McKeown said.
Although she stands at 5-feet-11 inches tall, McKeown said she is probably the most physical player on the roster. In a game like Friday night’s contest, she relaxed, he said.
“She tries to do everything right. Some days I’m like, ‘I’m going to take you back (to) the playground in Philly, just drop you off and say, come back in two weeks,’” McKeown said. “It was great to see her relax and play loose a little bit.”
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