Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Houston Baptist
Northwestern Rolls By Houston Baptist, 68-60
11/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill, -- Northwestern forced 28 Houston Baptist turnovers and took care of business on the offensive end, shooting nearly 50 percent, to secure its first victory of the season with a 68-60 win over the Huskies. Sophomore center Amy Jaeschke (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) dominated in the post, exploding for 19 points while wrestling down a career-high 15 rebounds.
"Amy did a better job sealing and we did a better job getting her the ball in the second half," said head coach Joe McKeown. "I really liked how aggressive she played in the second half."
Freshman Brittany Orban (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) continued her solid play, shooting 70 percent from the field (5-of-7) and 3-of-4 from the free throw line en route to a career-high 13 points.
Orban exploited her newly-found spot in the starting lineup by registering the four points of the game. A quick pair of buckets by Jaeschke put NU ahead 8-0 on the early going. The Huskies couldn't seem to find a rhythm, succumbing to the Wildcat defense and turning the ball over six times in the first five minutes. It wasn't until Raquel Jones connected on a long three at the 15:26 mark that Houston Baptist found the scoring column.
A second Jones long ball brought the visitors within four points with 14:26 remaining in the half. But two Erin Dickerson (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) treys gave the `Cats a healthy 17-8 advantage midway through the opening stanza. The Huskies would not fold, however, responding with four points and keeping Northwestern scoreless for a little more than three minutes.
And then the Wildcats found their stride. Meisha Reed (Country Hills Club, Ill./ Stockbridge (Ga.)) powered Northwestern's offense over the next four minutes, scoring six of the Wildcats' next 10 unanswered points to take a 15-point advantage with just under five minutes remaining. Reed finished with 10 points and eight rebounds on the night.
Dickerson paced her team in the first half, scoring eight points, while Orban and Reed each earned six. Plagued by 20 turnovers in the first half, the Huskies were only able to find the hoop four times in the last 8:09 minutes of play. Northwestern led 30-21 at the break.
The teams traded baskets for the first three minutes out of halftime, bringing the score to 39-30 in favor of the home team. Jaeschke kept up her down-low dominance, scoring eight points in the first five minutes. The Huskies wouldn't go away though, scooping up lose balls and finding the tough way to score. Jones threw in two more long balls, keeping Houston Baptist within 10 points.
Junior Kristin Cartwright (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) recorded 11 of her career-high 14 points in the second half to keep the Huskies at arms-length. The forward also anchored the defense, swiping a career-best six steals on the night. Maintaining the theme of the evening, the Huskies battled back to a 60-53 mark with 2:35 remaining. Both teams entered the bonus with a little over 1:20 left and the game turned to the charity stripe where Northwestern was able to connect when it counted, earning their first win of the season.
The Wildcats pack their bags and head to Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday, Nov. 29 when they take on the Bulldogs of Western Illinois in the first game of the Doubletree White Invitational. Tip is set for approx. 2 p.m.
