In its first road game of the season, Northwestern started strong and survived a late scare, continuing its hot start with a 79-72 win over DePaul.
Despite surrendering their early lead, the Wildcats (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten) showed up down the stretch to take down the Blue Demons (1-3, 0-0 Big East) in Monday’s midday contest between the two Chicago squads.
NU was led by senior forward Grace Sullivan and senior guard Caroline Lau, who scored 26 and 20, respectively. Lau added nine assists and sophomore forward Tayla Thomas logged a double-double with 11 points and 18 rebounds. The ’Cats shot a season-high 53.7% from the field during the contest.
NU got out to a hot shooting start, and after conceding the first basket of the game, it went on a 10-2 scoring run. DePaul tacked on a few baskets down the stretch, but the ’Cats held a 29-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
NU and the Blue Demons traded buckets throughout the second quarter, with the former unable to put the game out of reach while the latter could not cut the deficit. The ’Cats’ lead sat at 14 points at halftime.
In the third quarter, Lau and Sullivan continued their strong games, scoring 15 points on a combined 7-of-7 shooting in the quarter’s first six minutes. With four seconds remaining in the quarter, Sullivan made a layup to give NU 67 points, causing an eruption from the crowd. The visitors led by 19 at the end of the quarter.
Out of the break, the ’Cats’ offense looked out of sync and DePaul took advantage, venturing on a 16-1 scoring run to open the quarter. With under five minutes remaining in the contest, NU led by just four. After allowing a free throw, the ’Cats made their first field goal of the quarter with just over three minutes remaining to give them a 70-65 lead. After a Thomas layup, the Blue Demons answered back with their own layup and a free throw to go.
The teams traded free throws, and with under a minute remaining, NU called timeout with possession and a five-point lead. Sullivan received a pass from Lau, and after spinning away from the basket she drained a hook shot to give the ’Cats a 76-69 lead. Both teams sat in the bonus, so the final 30 seconds contained a number of fouls followed by free throws.
With 11 seconds to go, junior guard Casey Harter sank a free throw to give NU a seven-point lead and put the game out of reach for good. DePaul attempted a final three-pointer but missed, and when the final buzzer sounded, the ’Cats claimed victory.
Here are three takeaways from Monday’s morning win:
1. Strong scoring through paint prowess
Of the ’Cats’ 79 points, 48 came from inside the paint. They took efficient looks throughout the contest, playing heavily through Sullivan, who created space in the post on many occasions.
The ’Cats weren’t afraid to bunker down and get their points at the free-throw line. With over three minutes remaining in the first quarter, NU drew its fifth foul. The ’Cats took advantage of their ensuing trips to the line, drilling all of their seven attempts in the period.
On top of Lau and Sullivan, NU looked for production from Thomas and graduate student guard Tate Lash. The combination of speed from the guards and size from the bigs allowed the ’Cats to spread the floor.
Though NU continued to take shots from near the hoop, its efficiency dropped off in the fourth quarter. The ’Cats shot just 33.3% from the field and committed 10 turnovers during the final period.
2. Resilient defense despite subpar rebounding
On top of stacking baskets in the paint, NU built its early lead through strong defense. The ’Cats held the Blue Demons to 37.8% shooting from the field and 2-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half.
DePaul grabbed 10 offensive rebounds during the first half, but it was only able to take on eight second-chance points. NU stood strong despite getting beaten on the boards, working across the floor to maintain its lead.
The ’Cats logged three blocks and four steals during the first half, playing aggressively on the paint and the post just as they had on the offensive side. They tallied 12 points of turnovers during that span.
During the second half, NU’s defense began to falter, as they allowed DePaul to close the gap.
3. Lau breaks out while Sullivan continues hot start
After a series of up-and-down shooting performances since last season, Lau found a groove during Monday’s game. She has built her reputation as a three-point shooter while running the point, but during the contest, she took advantage of open lanes for more efficient shot attempts.
Lau drained her two three-point attempts of the first quarter, helping to build an early lead, but she took just three shots from long range in the following three quarters, sinking one. DePaul bolstered its perimeter defense as a result of those makes, and she changed her approach. In the middle of the second quarter, Lau received a pass, and her defender stepped up quickly. This allowed Lau to break down the baseline, speeding toward the hoop for an open layup.
Her abilities as a passer complemented her scoring at both levels. On multiple occasions, Lau sprinted down the court after the inbound, but instead of taking it herself, she dished it to one of her teammates who sat unguarded in the paint.
If Lau can find a consistent groove from the field and with her passing, it opens the door for NU to add more layers to its offensive game.
Sullivan has been utterly dominant to open this year’s campaign. She has now scored at least 15 in each of the ’Cats’ first four games. Her size gives her an advantage in paint, where she can make layups with ease and grab rebounds over her opponents. Sullivan’s height plays a significant role for her in the post, as she relies on the pull-up jumper for some of her points.
During Monday’s contest, Sullivan served as an outlet for her teammates, a reliable option when NU’s smaller players don’t have an open shot.
The ’Cats take on Cleveland State back at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
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