Northwestern
9-1
UIC
2-6
'Cats Dominate UIC 88-44 on Field Trip Day
12/13/2016 1:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern put on a defensive clinic Tuesday afternoon as the Wildcats topped UIC, 88-44, on Field Trip Day at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The 'Cats improved to 9-1 with their sixth straight win.
Senior forward Nia Coffey scored a game-high 19 points and classmate Christen Inman chipped in 16. Coffey has reached double-figures in 58 consecutive games, dating back to Jan. 22, 2015.
Senior guard Ashley Deary stuffed the stat sheet, falling just short of a triple-double with nine points, nine assists and a season-best eight steals, despite only playing three quarters.
As a team, Northwestern shot 46 percent from the field on 31-of-68 shooting, while UIC was held to just 31 percent from the floor.
The Wildcats played host to more than 5,000 Chicagoland youth as part of the team's annual Field Trip Day. The day aspires to help students understand the value of higher education and learn more about Northwestern University and experience a college atmosphere. For many students, it is their first visit to Northwestern.
After a back-and-forth opening that pulled both teams even at 7-7, Northwestern used a 17-4 run, which included a stretch of 12 unanswered points, to take control of the contest and end the opening quarter ahead, 24-11. Coffey and Inman combined to score 16 in the first frame.
Northwestern maintained its defensive pressure in the second quarter, forcing six turnovers in 10 minutes. The Wildcats blew the game open with three 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the second frame as NU took a 44-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
UIC shortened the gap to 21 in the third quarter, but that is the closest the Flames would come for the remainder of the game. The Wildcats 44-point margin of victory is the highest since Field Trip Day last year against Alcorn State on Dec. 15, 2015.
Chicago's Big Ten Team heads west for a two-game road tour at Santa Clara and Gonzaga. NU will tip off against the Broncos on Saturday, Dec. 17, before facing the Bulldogs on Dec. 19.
