Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Minnesota
Northwestern Emerges Triumphant, 62-55, On Senior Day
2/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2011
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: Northwestern 62, Minnesota 55
Records: NU (17-11, 6-9 Big Ten), Minnesota (11-15, 3-10 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011--at Penn State (Bryce Jordan Center), 11 a.m.
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern used a late second-half push to blow by Minnesota, 62-55, Sunday afternoon for Senior Day at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Senior Amy Jaeschke recorded a game-high 21 points while Kendall Hackney contributed 20 points in the winning effort. Defensively, Northwestern did an exceptional job converting 17 Minnesota miscues into 21 points.
"I think it was just a really emotional game being Senior Day and the last home game of the year, head coach Joe McKeown said. "You have three seniors that have been that committed to our program and completely helped change the whole culture of women's basketball again. I am really proud of our team and how we handled some adversity and the way we stepped up in the second half. I'm really proud of those three [seniors] and I can't even tell you what they mean to Northwestern basketball."
Minnesota hopped on the scoreboard first, jumping out to a 7-2 lead thanks to a 3-for-3 shooting clip in the first two minutes. Northwestern used several second-chance opportunities to inch its way back to 18-17 on a pair of free-throws by Hackney with 5:56 on the clock. But the Golden Gophers once again scooted ahead and refused to surrender the lead, Minnesota building a five-point cushion with 4:06 remaining in the frame. Over the next two minutes, a pair of Wildcat free throws and a triple by Brittany Orban deadlocked the game at 24 with 2:33 left to play.
Minnesota took a 26-24 edge into the break, but Jaeschke led all scorers with 10 points.
Coming out of intermission, Northwestern claimed its first lead of the game, 31-30, on a nice lay-in by Meshia Reed just two minutes into the stanza. UM continued to use a balanced offensive attack, however, building a six-point lead with 12:15 on the clock.
From that point, Northwestern went on a 20-6 run over the next 10 minutes to claim its largest lead of the game--an eight-point advantage, 57-49, with 2:36 left. From the eight- minute mark until there were :24 seconds left, the Wildcats held Minnesota without a field goal. Northwestern hit 5-of-8 from the free-throw line to earn its 17th victory of the season.
Northwestern receives a bye week Thursday before returning to action in the regular-season finale at Penn State. Tip is slated for 11 a.m. CT and will be carried live on the Big Ten Network.
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