Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
12-1 (2-0B1G)
Wisconsin
5-7 (1-1B1G)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 11 | 35 | 46 |
| Northwestern | 30 | 38 | 68 |
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Wildcats Blast Past Badgers, 68-46
1/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Five different Wildcats scored in double figures and Nia Coffey registered her fourth double-double of the season to help rv/No. 25 Northwestern pick up its second Big Ten victory of the season over Wisconsin on New Year's Day, 68-46.
The win was one with some historical significance. It marked the first time since the 1995-96 campaign that the Wildcats (12-1, 2-0 B1G) opened conference play with back-to-back wins. Additionally, Thursday's win over the visiting Badgers was the 100th for head coach Joe McKeown, who is now in his seventh season at the helm in Evanston. Earlier this season, McKewon notched the 600th win of his illustrious career with a victory over his alma mater, Kent State, on Nov. 21. He now has 609 career wins including stops at NU, George Washington and New Mexico State.
The Wildcats jumped all over the Badgers (5-7, 1-1 B1G) early on in the Big Ten home opener for Chicago's Big Ten Team. Nia Coffey scored the first two points in 2015 by sinking a pair of free throws a minute and a half into the contest and the home team took off from there. The lead reached double digits, 11 to be exact, at the 12:02 mark when Christen Inman stole the ball and went the distance to score two of her six first-half points.
With 4:21 remaining in the opening stanza, Inman scored again, this time off a feed from Lauren Douglas, to give Northwestern a 27-6 lead, their largest of the half.
The Badgers struggled to put the ball through the net in the first half, shooting 2-of-18 (11.1 percent). The Wildcats also pressured UW into 13 first-half turnovers with three players grabbing at least two steals. Ashley Deary, who ranked second in the NCAA entering the day, picked up three. NU had a 30-11 edge at the break.
Wisconsin scored first to open the second half, but a quick 8-3 that was capped by a 3-pointer from senior Alex Cohen put NU ahead 38-16 with 14:38 left. Cohen later started a fast break that gave the 'Cats their largest lead of the game. The Bayside, Wis., native blocked a shot and Coffey grabbed the loose ball, she fed the ball to Deary who found Douglas for an easy deuce that put Northwestern up by 29 points, 61-32 with 5:41 left to play. The Badgers would come no closer than 22 points the rest of the game and the final score was 68-46.
"In this league you can never get ahead of yourself," said McKeown after the game. "I'm really excited the way we're playing. It was fun today to be back at home where we haven't been for a while. We had a great crowd and it was a great win for our players."
After a slow start from the field, the Wildcats wound up making 56.5 (13-of-23) percent of their field-goal attempts in the second half. They also shared the ball extremely well, picking up 11 assists on 13 field goals. Deary handed out five of her season-high seven helpers in the second half alone.
Coffey notched her fourth double-double of the season, and first since Nov. 29 at DePaul, behind 12 and 13 rebounds. It was the 12th time in her career that the sophomore has accomplished the feat.
Inman finished the game with 12 points, four steals, four rebounds, three assists and no turnovers. Douglas chipped in with a team-high 13 points and a team-high two blocks in 20 minutes off the bench, while Maggie Lyon finished with 10 points and six boards. Karly Roser matched her season high with 11 points off the bench Sunday.
"We have seven, eight players who can score the basketball," said McKeown. "We're unselfish and when you play that way, you have a chance."
The Wildcats will hit the road this weekend to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. The contest tips off at 4 p.m. CT and it will air live on the Big Ten Network. Lisa Byington will handle the play-by-play and Katie Smith will provide analysis on the broadcast.
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