Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
6-0
Virginia Tech
4-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 40 | 30 | 70 |
| Virginia Tech | 22 | 23 | 45 |
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Wildcats Hammer Hokies in ACC/Big Ten Challenge, 70-45
12/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Northwestern rolled into Blacksburg, Va. for its ACC/Big Ten Challenge affair with the Virginia Tech Hokies Thursday night and the Wildcats thumped their hosts, 70-45. NU has won three of its last four contests during the annual showcase between the two talented conferences going back to 2012.
The 'Cats played suffocating defense for most of the game, forcing the Hokies into 26 turnovers. Not only did NU force the turnovers, but it converted them into a ton of points on the scoreboard. The visiting team held a 27-0 lead in points off turnovers until Virginia Tech got a layup off an NU miscue with 10:50 left in the game. When the final horn had sounded, Northwestern outscored the hosts 29-8 off turnovers. The 'Cats had 16 turnovers in the game, which matched a season low.
"We were able to get out and run," said head coach Joe McKeown after the game. "I thought our pressure was pretty good and we blocked some shots, but mostly we were in good position to take away some of their driving lanes. We talked [on defense] and when we could get out we did a good job attacking.
"We did a good job contesting shots," McKeown added in reference to his team holding the Hokies to 30 percent from the field. "We took away some of their post play. Nothing spectacular, but fundamentally we did a good job."
The Wildcats got off to a fast start at Cassell Coliseum. Maggie Lyon drained a three-pointer, her first of the game off a feed from Christen Inman, to give NU an 11-3 edge just over three minutes into the ballgame. Later, just into the game, Lauren Douglas notched an easy lay-up, got fouled and scored from the stripe to give Northwestern a 19-8 lead with 13:47 left in the period.
Once the 'Cats had that double-digit advantage, the Hokies became to battle back. The home team went on an 8-0 run that spanned a quick 3:11 to get its deficit down to three points. McKeown called a 30-second timeout and his team responded with authority. The Purple and White launched into a 15-2 run that culminated with another Douglas bucket in the paint and gave NU a 34-18 lead with just under six minutes to go in the first half. In fact, Northwestern closed the first stanza on a 21-6 surge that ended when Lyon buried her third three-point field goal of the half with two second left on the clock.
Lyon led all players with 11 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes of first-half action. As a team, Northwestern outscored Virginia Tech 24-8 in the paint and 14-0 on the fast break. The 'Cats also had eight steals, led by Ashley Deary who recorded four thefts.
The visiting team continued to dictate the run of play during the second half. The Wildcats pushed the lead to 27 points at 57-30 following another three-point conversion by Lyon with 14:53 left in the game. Freshman Lydia Rohde buried a triple of her own with 4:52 to go that gave Northwestern its largest lead of the night at 33 points.
Lyon and Nia Coffey paced the Wildcats with 14 points apiece, while Lyon added a season-high eight rebounds. Alex Cohen netted nine points, her highest output since opening night at Chicago State, while Rohde collected five points, one shy of her career high. Deary finished with five steals and five assists to lead all players and she did not commit a turnover all night.
In addition to controlling the points off turnovers, Northwestern outscored Virginia Tech 26-2 on the fast break and 42-14 in the paint.
The Wildcats will return home Sunday, Dec. 7 for the sixth annual Autism Awareness Game when they will welcome the Loyola Ramblers to Welsh-Ryan Arena at 2 p.m. The afternoon will feature a ceremonial tip-off with Autism Speaks, an available quiet room, face painting, postgame autographs and more. Group tickets are available for only $3. For more information, CLICK HERE.
The first 250 fans in attendance Sunday will also receive an exclusive Northwestern Women's Basketball holiday ornament. The gates open at 1 p.m.
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