Alabama Escapes With 72-70 Victory Over Tenacious 'Cats

3/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

March 20, 2011

Box Score | Photo Gallery

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: Alabama 72, Northwestern 70
Records: NU (19-14), Alabama (18-14)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern fought valiantly against a high-powered Alabama squad Sunday afternoon, but the Wildcats fell short 72-70 in the WNIT's second round. A lay-in attempt by senior Meshia Reed as time expired was no good, which preserved the win for the Crimson Tide.

Senior Beth Marshall led the Wildcats (19-14) with 20 points, including a 4-of-6 effort from downtown, while classmate Amy Jaeschke scored 19.

"It was unbelievable to end the season like that," head coach Joe McKeown said after the game. "It's heartbreaking for those seniors. As a coach, it's hard to look at the big picture, but what those three (Beth Marshall, Amy Jaeschke, Meshia Reed) did for this team was unbelievable -- bringing young players in here and being leaders, it's something we will never forget."

Alabama used its speed and athleticism to induce a trio of turnovers and establish a commanding 11-4 lead just three minutes into the game. But a triple from the corner by Allison Mocchi made it a four-point affair with 16:14 on the clock. Four minutes later, a reverse lay-in by Mocchi and a jumper by Kendall Hackney capped off a 7-0 run and gave Northwestern its first lead of the contest, 14-13.

After applying full-court pressure and causing four Crimson Tide turnovers to claim the lead, Alabama turned around and forced four of its own, resulting in an 8-0 run of its own and a 21-14 edge. Alabama extended its lead to 10 -- 30-20 -- but back-to-back three-pointers by Marshall slashed the lead to four with just over five minutes remaining in the frame.

Alabama built a nine-point lead but Northwestern scored the last seven points of the half, including a three-pointer by Marshall from the WNIT decal near half court as the clock hit zero, to cut UA's lead to just two, 38-36 at half.

Backed by three triples, Marshall led Northwestern with 11 points while Jaeschke added nine at the break. Arkansas shot 51 percent from the field, but more importantly scored 20 points off NU miscues.

A hard-fought lay-in by Meshia Reed deadlocked the game at 38 two minutes in. Back-and-forth it would go over the next nine minutes, until Alabama used three triples on three-straight possessions to seize a 56-50 edge midway through the half. The Crimson Tide maintained the lead, but Northwestern slowly and patiently chipped away at the deficit, coming to within one, 62-61, with five minutes left.

`Bama extended its lead to 68-63, but a three-pointer from the wing by Marshall -- her fourth -- pulled the 'Cats to within one possession with 2:51 remaining. Two minutes later, with Alabama up 70-68, Northwestern called timeout and drew up a play for Marshall, who delivered again, this time with a pull-up jumper from the corner to deadlock the game at 70 with 23 seconds left.

After a quick `Bama timeout, the Crimson Tide marched down the floor and took the lead on a tip-in with six seconds remaining. Without a timeout of its own, Northwestern was forced to drive the length of the court. Tailor Jones pushed the ball up-court to Reed who drove one-on-one for a left handed lay-in, but could not get it to fall as time expired.

The Wildcats finish the season with a 19-14 record, their most wins since the 1995-96 season.

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