For a team looking to break its losing streak, Northwestern’s bout with Indiana couldn’t have started much worse.
After conceding an early 30-0 scoring run, the Wildcats (8-14, 2-9 Big Ten) were unable to come back despite a strong second half and fell 89-75 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers (12-11, 1-10 Big Ten) snapped a nine-game losing streak with their win Sunday afternoon.
Despite an uncharacteristic first quarter in which senior forward Grace Sullivan shot 0-for-6, she ended up posting a team-high 35 points, her second-highest total of the season. She wasn’t the only NU player with a poor opening quarter as the team shot 1-for-17 from the floor as a collective, going 0-for-4 on 3-pointers and committing four turnovers.
After nabbing a 3-2 lead in the game’s first minute, the ’Cats faltered almost immediately. When the first quarter came to a close, NU had not added to its point total, and Indiana led 30-3. The ’Cats had no answer for the Hoosiers on defense, who shot 13-for-16 from the field and outrebounded NU 15-4 in the first frame.
By the time NU broke its scoring drought, which lasted over 10 minutes of game time, the contest was almost out of reach. The ’Cats were able to stack together some points, courtesy of Sullivan. She hit nylon for the first time three minutes into the second quarter and finished the first half with 17 points.
No one else on NU tallied more than three points during the first 20 minutes of play. On the defensive end, the ’Cats held Indiana to just 41.2% from the field, just over half the percentage it posted in the first quarter.
Despite a more even quarter than the first period, the Hoosiers still outscored NU by two, giving them a 55-26 lead at the half.
Even with the massive deficit, the ’Cats weren’t going down without a fight. As coach Joe McKeown decided to put on a full-court press in the second half, forced 10 turnovers and scored 10 points on the ensuing possessions during the final 20 minutes.
Senior guard Caroline Lau was responsible for five of those 10 turnovers, posting a career-high five steals. She also tallied 10 points and eight assists.
The ’Cats’ offense also stepped up during the third quarter, and a few players gave Sullivan some help. In the middle of the third quarter, NU went on a 10-0 scoring run, cutting the deficit to under 20. All four baskets during the run came from players other than Sullivan, including a 3-pointer and a layup from Lau on back-to-back possessions.
During the third period, the ’Cats shot 53.6% from the field, including 3-for-5 from long range. After winning the quarter by six, NU trailed 75-52 but wasn’t done yet.
In the fourth quarter, the ’Cats stepped up on both sides of the ball, and the fans in Assembly Hall started to sweat. NU went on a 15-2 run in the period’s first six minutes, taking advantage of numerous turnovers by the Hoosiers. Trailing 77-67 with under four minutes remaining, the game seemed in reach for the ’Cats for the first time since the opening tip-off.
However, there was little time to complete the comeback, and Indiana answered back on nearly every NU bucket. As the final buzzer sounded, the Hoosiers secured the 89-75 victory, sending the ’Cats back to Evanston with thoughts of a few more first-quarter points that could have changed the contest.
After dropping 10 games in a row earlier this season, NU has now lost four consecutive games. The ’Cats will look to break the streak against USC at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Thursday.
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