Northwestern
1-1,0-0Big Ten
Penn
1-1,0-0Ivy League
'Cats Beat Quakers in Home Opener
11/13/2022 2:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern picked up their first victory of the season in their home opener on Sunday, defeating the Pennsylvania Quakers 63-55 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Caileigh Walsh paced the Wildcats with her first career 10-rebound game and fell just shy of her first career double-double. Courtney Shaw led the scoring for Northwestern with 12 points, while Sydney Wood helped out with nine points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Northwestern continued to share the ball well, racking up 17 assists on 22 made field goals. Individually, Kaylah Rainey led the way for the Wildcats with four assists - a new career high for the senior.
The 'Cats' defense was solid as well, holding Pennsylvania to only 34.4 percent shooting from the field, including 23.1 percent from beyond the arc. The Quakers did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with nine offensive rebounds compared to Northwestern's 30 defensive boards.
How It Happened
Northwestern scored the game's first five points to take an early lead in the first few minutes of the first quarter. They kept adding on throughout the period and entered the quarter break with a 20-13 advantage. The 'Cats did most of their early damage in the paint, scoring 10 of their 20 points close to the basket.
The Wildcats opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run starting at the 9:18 mark, increasing their lead to 29-15. The Quakers cut into that lead throughout the period, but the 'Cats still enjoyed a 34-23 advantage heading into halftime. Northwestern was strong from deep in the period, knocking down two three-point shots to account for six of its 14 points.
Northwestern continued to roll throughout the third, expanding their lead further to 52-36 with 1:43 to go in the period. The Quakers began to cut into that lead toward the end of the quarter, but the Wildcats still entered the fourth with a 54-42 edge.
Though Penn battled back, the 'Cats sealed the deal with a three-point shot and a pair of free-throws to grow their lead 63-55 with 43 seconds to go in the contest. That score would hold for the rest of the game, and Northwestern evened their record at 1-1.
Game Notes
» The Wildcats held the Quakers to only 34.4 percent shooting from the field.
» The Wildcats never trailed after taking a 20-13 first quarter lead.
» The Wildcats shared the ball well, recording an assist on 77 percent of made baskets.
» Northwestern had a 46-34 edge on the boards in the win.
» Northwestern cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Courtney Shaw led the Wildcats with 12 points.
» Northwestern got a game-high 10 rebounds from Caileigh Walsh, a new career high for the sophomore.
» Kaylah Rainey hit career highs in points (11), assists (4) and minutes (28) and tied her career mark with two three-point makes.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
