Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
3-0
Kent State
0-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State | 25 | 29 | 54 |
| Northwestern | 38 | 34 | 72 |
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
McKeown Wins No. 600 as 'Cats Cruise Past Kent State
11/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nia Coffey registered her second straight double-double behind 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while four other NU players notched double figures in the scoring column. Junior Maggie Lyon led all players with 16 points, just ahead of Christen Inman who collected a season-best 15. Ashley Deary added her own season-hgih 12 points to go with three assists and three steals, while Lauren Douglas had 10 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
Northwestern got off to a solid start and built an 11-4 lead less than five minutes into the ballgame when Coffey wrestled down an offensive rebound and got the easy put-back with only 4:46 gone by.
NU's early lead reached eight points before a jumper from Kent State's Melanee Stubbs brought the visitors to within a basket with 8:38 on the first-half clock. The Wildcats turned on the jets and over the next 5:49, they built the lead up to 14 points when Deary connected for a three-point basket. The home team carried a 13-point cushion in the locker room at the break, leading 38-25.
Northwestern shot 46.4 percent in the first 20 minutes while hitting at a clip of 60 percent (6-of-10) from beyond the arc. Both Deary and Lyon collected a pair of triples in the first half.
Inman was instrumental in getting the Wildcats off to a quick start Friday night. The Katy, Texas, native started the game's scoring when she dropped in an easy bucket after her classmate Deary stole the ball and gave her a pretty pass. She also drained a three-pointer from the right corner when Coffey found her waiting. Inman finished the first half with nine points, which matched her season high through two games, and added three assists, a rebound and a block.
The Wildcats continued to dictate the tempo into the second half. With five points in the opening 4:12 of the second stanza, Lyon helped Northwestern secure its largest lead of the game thus far at 20 points. The advantage later blossomed to a game-high 25 points at the 3:28 mark after Deary converted a pair from the charity stripe.
Kent State never came closer than 14 points in the second half. The Golden Flashes shot only 34 percent in the final 20 minutes, including 1-for-7 from three-point land. Northwestern did its part defensively by picking up eight steals and five blocks in the second half.
The Purple and White blocked a season-high eight shots Friday, led by Alex Cohen's three. Coffey and Douglas also had multiple rejections against their foes from the Mid-American Conference. The 'Cats shared the ball well, too. Northwestern racked up 17 assists on its 23 made field goals with Coffey contributing a season-high four helpers.
After the victory, a special video was shown for Coach McKeown featuring many of his friends form his journey through the game of basketball. Check out the heartfelt tribute below and be sure to share your thoughts for the colorful coach on social media using the hashtag #McKeown600.
Northwestern wraps up its three-game homestand with a Holiday Week matinee against crosstown rival UIC on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The Flames, like the Wildcats, are unbeaten on the season with a game on tap at Miami (Ohio) Saturday. Wednesday's contest will tip at noon.
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