Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Indiana
'Cats Fall to Hoosiers, 60-46
2/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Northwestern fell to Indiana 60-46 Sunday afternoon at the Assembly Hall. Sophomore Melissa Miller (Bloomington, Minn./The Breck School) led the 'Cats with nine points.
"We came out the way we needed to, but the heart, intensity and hustle wasn't there the rest of the game," head coach Beth Combs said. "Today was all about heart and hustle and we just didn't get it done."
The Wildcats came out on fire, knocking down seven of their first 10 shots to jump out to a 16-7 lead. Indiana answered with a run of its own, outscoring NU 9-3 over the next five minutes to take the lead, 20-19, at the seven-minute mark.
Miller scored a basket and hit a free throw and Nadia Bibbs (Chicago, Ill./Hillcrest/Boston University) nailed a three-pointer, helping the Wildcats to a 6-0 run to regain the lead, 25-21. Indiana's Cyndi Valentin ran off nine of her 18 first-half points, hitting back-to-back-to-back treys to boost IU to a 31-26 lead at the half.
The Hoosiers opened the second half on a 10-3 run, inflating the lead to 41-29 over the first three minutes. Northwestern kept fighting, shaving the lead to six on a three-pointer by Sara Stutz (Glenbrook, Ill./Glenview South) at the 13:42 point. The Hoosier defense held NU scoreless from the 10:23 mark until 4:27, allowing the lead to extend to 16 points.
Bibbs and Stutz both chipped in eight points. Kristin Cartwright (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) led NU with five rebounds.
Northwestern plays its final home game of the season at 7 p.m. Thursday against Illinois. Thursday is Senior Night.
