Northwestern University Athletics
Top 10 Women's Basketball Moments From 2014-15
3/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
With the Big Ten Tournament in the books and Selection Monday set for March 16 at 6 p.m., NUsports.com will take a look back at the 10 most memorable moments from the 2014-15 season so far.
2. Despite never leading until the final four seconds, Northwestern downs Michigan in Ann Arbor
Northwestern led one time on Feb. 14, and it came when it mattered most, as the Wildcats knocked off the Michigan Wolverines, 63-62, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.Nia Coffey'slayup with 4.9 seconds left helped the 'Cats overcome a 13-point deficit and pick up their 19th win of the season.
With her team in the double bonus, Michigan's leading scorer Cyesha Goree had two free-throw attempts with 10.4 seconds left and her team clinging to a one-point lead. The senior missed both of them and Coffey hauled in the rebound from the second effort. NU's standout sophomore took the ball the length of the floor, crossed up Goree, stepped across and converted from in close to give the Wildcats a 63-62 lead with 4.9 seconds to go.
The Wolverines' Shannon Smith got a look from inside the 3-point line, but her shot fell way short and the 'Cats celebrated their fifth consecutive victory.
Coffey finished the game with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Maggie Lyon and Lauren Douglas also chipped in with 12 points apiece in Ann Arbor. Take a look back at the thrilling finish:
3. Wildcats down 18th-ranked Blue Demons, 97-91, in double-overtime thriller
One of the first true tests Northwestern faced this season came in a short trip to the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago to take on a nationally-ranked DePaul squad on Nov. 29. In a game that featured 188 combined points, 23 lead changes, 13 ties and two overtime periods, the 'Cats were the team left standing with a 97-91 triumph. As a team, NU shot better than 52 percent, while holding the high-powered DePaul offense to a mark of less than 38 percent.
Nia Coffey turned in a fantastic performance with 23 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Lauren Douglas also registered her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Douglas scored eight of her 15 points in the two overtime periods. Coffey would be named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 1.
This was the first win over a top-25 team this season and it was Northwestern's longest game since a triple overtime win against UIC in 2003.
4. Northwestern defeats No. 21/20 Nebraska at Welsh-Ryan Arena to secure 20th win
The Wildcats entered play on Feb. 18 with 19 wins, tied for the most ever in seven seasons under head coach Joe McKeown. The Wildcats led the Huskers by as many as 24 points that night before withstanding a furious rally and hanging on to win, 59-51. It was the third of five victories over a ranked team during the season and it helped Northwestern secure its first 20-win season since 1995-96.
Nia Coffey registered her sixth consecutive double-double behind 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Lauren Douglas added 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench for NU. Take a look at the highlights from the 20th win of the season:
5. Northwestern opens season on a 10-game winning streak
The Wildcats began the 2014-15 campaign by reeling off 10 consecutive wins, the longest streak for the program since the 1989-90 season. After beginning 5-0 at home and 4-0 on the road, the 'Cats played a neutral site game against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Dec. 20. With seven players scoring at least eight points, the 'Cats obliterated the Panthers, 92-44. NU shot just under 50 percent and scored 39 points off 31 EIU turnovers in the win. Christen Inman played an integral role behind 14 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds.
6. Wildcats win state title after sweeping Illini
Moment No. 9 covers Northwestern's Chicagoland crown and for top moment No. 6, we'll look at the Wildcats' season sweep over Illinois that led to a perfect 7-0 against teams from the Land of Lincoln. Northwestern won the first game in Champaign, 68-67, on Jan. 22 in Champaign and then the Illini made the trip from downstate on Feb. 8, the 'Cats notched a 64-58 triumph. NU averaged a margin of victory of 24.7 points in its seven contests against in-state foes, which was aided by a 54-point win at Chicago State on Nov. 14. This season marked the first time since the 1995-96 season that Chicago's Big Ten Team went 7-0 against teams from Illinois.
Maggie Lyon (pictured above) scored a game-high 17 points. As a team, NU scored a season-high 19 second-chance points on the strength of 15 offensive rebounds. The full highlights from the victory on Feb. 8 are below:
7. Northwestern stages wild comeback to topple Wisconsin in overtime
It's never an easy task to go on the road and play against another team on its Senior Day. For the first 30 minutes of the game on Feb. 22, the Wisconsin Badgers could do no wrong. The home team led by 15 points with 10:22 remaining and by 10 points with 4:21 to go, but the Cardiac 'Cats never stopped fighting. With her team down by two,Alex Cohen fell on a loose ball with 3.5 seconds to go and possession arrow favored the Wildcats. UW called a timeout to set its defense and NU used the stoppage to draw up a play that led to a short jumper from Maggie Lyon that fell with 1.8 seconds remaining to tie the game.
In overtime, the Wildcats raced out to an eight-point lead, which they held with less than a minute to go. Wisconsin buried a couple of long-range shots to stay in the game, but it never took the lead and Northwestern escaped with an 86-83 victory in overtime. It was NU's third win of the season that took longer than regulation to decide and the second in a four-game span. Take a look back at the highlights from this memorable triumph:
8. Wildcats complete season sweep of the Spartans
On Dec. 28, Northwestern opened Big Ten play at Michigan State, which was ranked 20th in the country at the time of the first meeting. The Wildcats won that game against the defending Big Ten champions, 61-57, to secure their first win in East Lansing since 1993. The victory was the first against MSU for head coach Joe McKeown and it snapped a 20-game skid against the Green and White. The Spartans made the trip to Evanston two weeks later, and after getting down 14-5 five minutes into the game, sophomore Ashley Deary spearheaded a spirited 20-0 run that put the 'Cats ahead for good. The second victory helped NU win back-to-back games in the same season against Michigan State for the first time since 1993.
Deary finished with a team-high 18 points on 87.5 percent shooting from the field in the second meeting to go along with a season-high 10 assists to record her second double-double of the season. That performance helped her to earn Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors on Jan. 12.
9. #B1GCats crowned Chicagoland Champs
Northwestern opened the regular season by playing four of its first seven games against teams from the Windy City. After toppling Chicago State by 54 points and UIC by 21, the Wildcats went to Lincoln Park and defeated an 18th-ranked DePaul squad in double overtime on Nov. 29. The 'Cats hosted Loyola on Dec. 7 and they completed the sweep of the city's teams by sharing the ball extremely well in a dominant 70-33 victory. NU shot 44.4 percent while holding the Ramblers to a mark of 19.1 percent from the field. Chicago's Big Ten Team accumulated assists on 78.5 percent of its made baskets that day. Check out the highlights below:
It was also Autism Awareness Day, an annual event designed to raise awareness while providing a fun atmosphere for familes to enjoy a college basketball game. Alex Cohen, who has done fantastic work with Autism Speaks U, scored a game-high 14 points for Northwestern while securing four steals and three blocks.
10. Joe McKeown nets career win No. 600
Entering his seventh season at Northwestern, head coach Joe McKeown needed only three wins to reach number 600 in his career. After collecting big wins against Chicago State and Hampton on the opening weekend of the season, fate brought the Kent State Golden Flashes, McKeown's alma mater, to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday, Nov. 21. Five Wildcats scored in double figures that night and the 'Cats cruised to an 18-point win (72-54), their third double-digit triumph in as many games. After the game, McKeown, his family and team enjoyed this video on the Welsh-Ryan Arena videoboards:
Honorable Mention
After putting together 22 wins during the regular season and reaching the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time in program history, this list could not be limited to only 10 moments. This morning we present those that received honorable mention.
- Lyon scores 1,000th career point:Junior Maggie Lyon entered Northwestern's game at Penn State on January 25 needing only three points to reach 1,000 for her career. The Wilmette, Ill., native wasted little time by burying a 3-pointer 71 seconds into the game to hit the mark. Lyon went on to hit five 3-pointers against the Nittany Lions that day, one shy of her career high, which came on Nov. 14 at Chicago State.
- Cohen named to 2015 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team:Not only was senior Alex Cohen successful on the court this season, but she also made a tremendous impact in the community. The Bayside, Wis., native was one of five Division I players named to the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team on Feb. 10. Cohen has worked intimately with Austism Speaks U, and in October, she served as the Chair of NU Goes Blue, an event that raised $20,000 for autism research and support.
- Coffey posts seven double-doubles in February:Sophomore Nia Coffey truly solidified her All-Big Ten selection by registering seven double-doubles in eight wins during the month of February. The Minneapolis, Minn., native averaged 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game during the month. The only time Coffey did not pick up a double-double during the month was on Feb. 22 when she scored 21 points and added five rebounds and three steals in an overtime win at Wisconsin.
