Northwestern
Purdue
'Cats Set to Battle Boilermakers at Welsh-Ryan Arena
1/14/2023 8:17:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: GAME INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | Opponent | TIME | LOCATION | Watch | Live Stats |
| Saturday, January 14 | Purdue | 2:00 p.m. | Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, Ill. |
B1G+ | Live Stats |
| Social: Twitter: @NUWbball | Instagram: @nuwbball | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern women's basketball returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena as the Wildcats prepare to take on Purdue on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off between the Wildcats and the Boilermakers is set for 2 p.m.
Northwestern (6-10, 0-6) will come back to Evanston after falling 93-64 to the No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday. Saturday's matchup will be the 77th all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Boilermakers (11-5, 2-4), with Purdue leading the overall series, 50-26. Northwestern has won its last four meetings against the Boilermakers, dating back to its Big Ten Championship season in 2020.
Caileigh Walsh comes into Saturday's bout as the Wildcats' leading scorer, with 12.6 points per game on the year. Walsh led both teams in scoring in Wednesday's game against the Hawkeyes with 22 points, just two points off of her career high. She also tied for a team-leading five rebounds. Walsh has also been dominant on the other end, as she's fifth in the Big Ten in blocks per game (1.3).
Graduate student Sydney Wood continues to lead Northwestern on the defensive end, tallying 41 steals and 16 blocks. Her 2.6 steals per game are currently second in the Big Ten, and Wood added to that total against Iowa with three.
Overall, Northwestern ranks as the best shot-blocking team in the Big Ten. The 'Cats average five per game, led by the efforts of Walsh, Wood, Paige Mott and Courtney Shaw.
Purdue travels to Evanston with an 11-5 record, but has lost its last two. Last time out against No. 17 Michigan on Tuesday, the Wolverines began the game on a 13-2 run and never looked back, winning 80-59. The Boilermakers are led by Lasha Petree, who had scored in double-digits in three consecutive games before being held to a season-low four points against Michigan. The Boilermakers rank fourth in the Big Ten in opponent field goal percentage.
In the 2021-2022 season, Northwestern swept Purdue in two meetings. When the Wildcats traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana on Feb. 4, Northwestern won 80-67. Veronica Burton starred with 26 points, six rebounds and six steals, and Shaw nearly added a double-double in the victory. Twenty days later, the Wildcats came out on top again 68-51, this time at home. Northwestern was powered by a dominant 20-point performance by Lauryn Satterwhite, while Burton contributed with 12 points and eight assists and Shaw totaled a double-double.
After hosting Purdue, the Wildcats will hit the road to take on Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Tip-off between the two teams is set for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19.
