Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
'Cats Fall To Purdue In Overtime Heartbreaker, 67-57
1/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill.-- With tight scoring, overtime action and emotions running high, the match up between Northwestern and Purdue was, in the words of head coach Joe McKeown, "a great college basketball game." When the dust had settled, the Wildcats fell just short, as Purdue emerged with a 67-57 win in OT. Jenny Eckhart (Libertyville, Ill./Carmel) contributed a season-and game-high 12 points, while center Amy Jaeschke (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) recorded 11 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks. Freshman Maggie Mocchi (Wheeling, Ill./Buffalo Grove) contributed 10 points and six rebounds off the bench for Northwestern.
"I think our kids left it all on the floor, and Purdue played well at the end," said McKeown. " I was really proud of our team."
The `Cats opened the game tough on the glass, with Jaeschke putting in a second-chance bucket for the first score of the game. The Boilermakers decided to settle from the perimeter, knocking down two long shots to jump out to a quick 5-3 advantage.
Mocchi scored eight of NU's next 11 points, which fueled an 11-1 run and gave the 'Cats a 14-10 lead mid-way through the frame.
Though Jaeschke stayed quiet on the offensive front, her four first-half blocks helped spur the `Cats and keep them on top. Yet another Wildcat deep ball, this time from Eckhart, put the home team ahead, 23-14, with almost five minutes to go in the opening half. The Boilermakers steamed back into action, however, hitting two quick buckets to bring the game back to within five. Purdue senior Lindsey Wisdom-Hylton muscled her way into the paint for the last two baskets of the half to set the score at 26-25 in favor of the home team.
Both squads came out firing in the second half, hitting their first two shots apiece. Jodi Howell knocked down a pair of treys, but two Jaeschke free throws kept the `Cats ahead, 34-33, with 17:07 left in the game. The sophomore continued to demand the ball down in the paint, making a power move to the basket to edge ahead 38-36 with 13:32 to play. Unabashed, Purdue stayed calm and crept ahead to a 42-38 advantage. Wisdom-Hylton scored her ninth basket of the game, giving the Boilermakers a 46-41 edge. But Dickerson and Mocchi answered the call for the `Cats, scoring five quick points to close the gap to 48-46 with 8:23 on the clock.
With 5:36 to play, the score was close and tension was high in the arena. A Kristen Cartwright (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) steal and score tied the game at 51 with less than four minutes to go. Howell continued her near-perfect day from the floor though, knocking down her seventh shot to push the Boilers into the lead. But an Eckhart runner with the shot clock running low knotted the score again, this time at 53, with 65 seconds left in regulation.
Jaeschke poked the ball away on the ensuing Purdue possession, leaving the ball in the `Cats paws with 32 seconds to play. Northwestern was unable to force up a shot, and lost the ball on a shot clock violation. The Boilermakers drove down the court and fired up a last second shot, but the start to Sunday night dinner would have to wait. The shot bounced off the backboard, and the game headed into bonus time.
Howell missed her first shot of the day to open the third period, while a nasty Jaeschke reverse layup gave the `Cats the early lead. Jaeschke recorded her seventh block of the afternoon on an attempted Boilermaker layup, but Lakisha Freeman was able to answer on the following possession with a jump shot, putting Purdue up 57-55. Freeman hit another shot from the baseline, followed by a Wisdom-Hylton layup, giving Purdue a 61-55 lead with 1:34 left to play. Two Eckhart free throws brought the game closer, but another Freeman basket kept Purdue ahead.
The `Cats continued to battle, but could not overcome the difference and the Boilermakers hung on for the win.
"It's a tough one to swallow because we competed really hard," said McKeown. "When it's all said and done, I think we showed a lot of heart."
The Wildcats are next in action on Sunday, Jan. 18, when they travel to Iowa for a 2 p.m. contest with the Hawkeyes. The game will be streamed live by the Big Ten Network (www.bigtennetwork.com).
