Wildcats Stumble at Penn State, 66-56

2/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Feb. 27, 2011

Box Score

Site: University Park, Pa. (Bryce Jordan Center)
Score: Penn State 66, Northwestern 56
Records: NU (17-12, 6-10 Big Ten), Penn State (22-8, 11-5 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: 5 p.m. CT • Thu., March 3 -- at Big Ten Tournament vs. TBA (Conseco Fieldhouse)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Northwestern battled hard, but couldn't withstand a significant second-half Penn State run, falling to the Lady Lions, 66-56, at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday afternoon. Amy Jaeschke turned in her 13th double-double effort of the season, providing 24 points and 14 rebounds. Brittany Orban added 11 points and seven boards for the Wildcats (17-12, 6-10).

"It was really a tale of two halves," head coach Joe McKeown said after the game. "In the first half, we did everything we needed to do. They had that run in the middle of the second half and that really was the difference."

The run was a 13-point explosion over a four-minute span that put Penn State up by nine, 49-40, with 11:19 left to play. The Wildcats cut the lead to five three minutes later, but the Lady Lions never allowed NU to within less than seven the rest of the way.

Early in the game, Northwestern used a pair of threes to hop out to a 10-7 advantage, but eight unanswered points by the Lady Lions, aided by three Wildcat miscues, quickly made the score 15-10 with 13:18 on the clock. Penn State continued its full-court pressure, but the Wildcats slowly clawed their way back and a triple from the corner by Allison Mocchi deadlocked the game at 19 with 9:14 remaining. Two minutes later, another trey from Mocchi, this time from the top of the key, once again notched the game at 22.

Northwestern took a 31-30 edge into the locker room, thanks to a conventional three-point play from Jaeschke with five seconds remaining. The senior led all scorers with 15 points and six rebounds at the intermission.

Penn State's Nikki Greene got the home team on the board coming out of the break, but Orban answered on the other end to re-gain the lead. Northwestern held the upper hand until the 16-minute mark when the Lady Lions began the unanswered spurt. The Lady Lions held a healthy lead from that point forward until Northwestern cut the difference to seven 59-52, with 2:25 to play. A three-point dagger by Zhaque Grey with 1:53 left stifled any run Northwestern had brewing.

Next up for the Wildcats is the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday, March 3. The Wildcats have secured the eighth seed in the event and will play at approx. 5 p.m. CT on Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The official pairings will be announced later this evening. Check back to NUsports.com for the announcement.

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