Northwestern Dominates Rutgers in Home Finale

2/23/2017 7:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern closed out the 2016-17 home season in style, beating Rutgers 60-38 in what was the final women's basketball game at Welsh-Ryan Arena before the venue undergoes a complete $110 million renovation during the next year.

The Wildcats have won two in a row and are now 19-9 overall and 8-7 in the Big Ten.

Nia Coffey had a monster game, scoring 27 points. It was the 13th time she has scored over 20 points in a game this season and the third time in the last four games.

Amber Jamison led the way on the boards, grabbing a career high 13. Ashley Deary made the offense click as usual, dishing out eight assists, while causing mayhem on the defensive side with three steals.

The Northwestern defense held Rutgers to just 26-percent from the field and forced 17 turnovers.

For their own part, the Wildcats shot 50-percent (22-for-44), the best mark since a 69-60 win over Virginia on Dec. 1, when the 'Cats were at 51.1 percent.

Senior Allie Tuttle blocked two shots early in the first quarter of her final game at Welsh-Ryan Arena, matching a career high and helping the Wildcats out to an early 14-8 lead before the first media timeout of the game.

Northwestern went on an 11-0 run over the final 7:19 of the quarter to grab a 16-8 lead after the first 10 minutes. All told, the Wildcats' defense held the Scarlet Knights scoreless for a stretch of 7 minutes and 57 seconds in the first half.

Coffey scored 14 of her points in the first half, and the Wildcats shot 52 percent from the field to take a 31-21 lead into the locker room at intermission.

Both teams came out cold in the second half with neither making a field goal for the first three minutes. Coffey quickly changed that with a fastbreak layup and a three-pointer to put the 'Cats up 11 midway through the frame. She continued her barrage, scoring all 13 of the team's points in the third quarter. Northwestern led 44-29 after three.

The 'Cats continued to extend the lead in the fourth as Coach McKeown gave some of his younger players extended minutes. That group outscored the Scarlet Knights, 16-9, in the final 10 minutes to give Northwestern its final margin of victory.

Chicago's Big Ten Team goes for 20 wins and wraps up the regular season at Purdue on Sunday. The game at Mackey Arena is set to tip at 3 p.m. CT and will be televised live on Big Ten Network.

NOTES

Team
• Northwestern improved to 19-9 overall and 8-7 in the Big Ten.
• The Wildcats finish the year with a 15-2 record at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
• Northwestern is 18-4 when it scores 60 or more points in a game.
• The 'Cats held Rutgers below 40 points for the second time this year.

Individual
• Nia Coffey scored in double figures for the 23rd time this season and the 102nd time in her career.
• Coffey recorded her 13th 20-point game of the year and the 45th of her career.
• Coffey went over 2,200 points in her Northwestern career. She is now at 2,213 and trails Anucha Browne (1982-85) by 94 for the program record.

• Ashley Deary has started all 128 games in her Northwestern career.

• Amber Jamison grabbed a career high 13 rebounds, breaking her previous mark of six.

• Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah scored a season high six points.

• Allie Tuttle blocked a career high three shots.