Northwestern
16-9,11-7Big Ten
Louisville
25-3,14-2ACC
Northwestern NCAA Tournament Run Ends in Second Round
3/24/2021 6:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Wildcats battled No. 2 seed Louisville to the end.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex. – Northwestern's run in the NCAA Tournament came to an end in the second-round after a hard-fought 62-53 battle with No. 2 seed Louisville on Wednesday.
Senior Jordan Hamilton had a show-stopping performance, leading the court with 17 points in addition to five rebounds and a steal. Juniors Veronica Burton and Courtney Shaw also posted double digits, recording 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Hamilton was the offensive spark for the 'Cats early, rattling off seven straight points which culminated in a long 13-2 run forcing a Louisville timeout. The Cardinals were absolutely stymied by Northwestern's blizzard defense in the first quarter. The Wildcats also found huge success from beyond the arc with Hamilton, Lauryn Satterwhite and Burton each nailing a three.
Louisville found a 6-0 run to start the second quarter, but the 'Cats responded with a 7-0 run of their own at the end of the quarter. Throughout the half, NU kept up their strong defensive effort, allowing them to maintain their lead going into the second half, 32-20.
Once again, Hamilton was the engine of the Northwestern offense to start the second half after putting up an early bucket. However, Louisville's offense finally started to pick up at the end of the third and they managed to tie it up going into the final frame.
Louisville opened it up in the fourth quarter and took their first lead of the game. Senior Lindsey Pulliam found her first field goal of the game in response, but the Cardinals were able to maintain their slim lead and close out the game.
Northwestern will end its historic season with a 16-9 overall record.
