Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Wildcats Battle Badgers in Road Matchup
1/28/2023 3:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
| NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: GAME INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | Opponent | TIME | LOCATION | Watch | Live Stats |
| Sunday, January 28 | Wisconsin | 1:00 p.m. | Kohl Center Madison, Wisconsin |
B1G+ | Live Stats |
| Social: Twitter: @NUWbball | Instagram: @nuwbball | |||||
MADISON, Wis. – Northwestern women's basketball resumes conference play, this time on the road, as the Wildcats prepare to take on Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. Tip-off between the Wildcats and the Badgers is set for 1 p.m.
Northwestern (7-13, 0-9) will head north to Madison after defeating Chicago State, 87-64, in a rescheduled match Wednesday. Sunday's matchup will be the 77th all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Badgers (7-14, 2-7), with NU leading the overall series, 44-32. Northwestern has won its last six meetings against Wisconsin, dating back to 2018.
On Wednesday against the Cougars, the 'Cats were led by first-year Caroline Lau, who notched 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Each of those were career highs for Lau, who surpassed double digits in scoring for the second time in three games. Her scoring behind the arc has been a huge part of her game, as Lau has shot 6-of-11 from deep in the last three games.
Caileigh Walsh comes into Sunday's bout as the Wildcats' leading scorer on the season, fresh off a double-double against Chicago State. Walsh scored 17 points to go with 10 rebounds, her fourth game this season with 10 or more boards. The sophomore's performance on the glass contributed to a program-record 62 rebounds, helping outpace the Cougars by 22. 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 side, tallying 45 steals and 20 blocks. Her 2.4 steals per game are currently second in the Big Ten.
Overall, Northwestern ranks as the best shot-blocking team in the Big Ten. The 'Cats average 4.85 per game, led by the efforts of Walsh, Wood, Paige Mott and Courtney Shaw.
Wisconsin hosts Northwestern coming off a non-conference win against Valparaiso, as the Badgers defeated the Beacons 59-44. Valpo started with a 12-2 lead after five minutes of play, but Wisconsin reeled its way back in with 11 straight points to end the quarter with the lead. To open the second, UW scored nine consecutive points, capping off a 20-0 run. It was then the Beacons who went on a run, outscoring Wisconsin 10-2 to close the half trailing by two. However, the Badgers outscored Valpo 35-22 in the second half to close out the win.
Prior to Wednesday's win over the Beacons, Wisconsin had lost three consecutive Big Ten matches. In the 2021-2022 season, Northwestern defeated Wisconsin 61-49 in an early December meeting. The Wildcats held the Badgers to just 3-of-14 shooting from deep and led by 15 at the half en route to a big victory. The duo of Walsh and Veronica Burton combined for 33 points, with Burton also adding six assists and four steals.
After traveling to Madison, the Wildcats will continue their road trip next week by taking on Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania. Tip-off between the two teams is set for 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Feb. 2
