EVANSTON, Ill. (November 19, 2023) - Paced by a career-best outing from Caileigh Walsh, Northwestern battled its way to a 76-68 victory over Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) this afternoon inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Today's win sees the 'Cats improve to 3-1 on the young season.
Took the Dub ?? pic.twitter.com/92Av72YKmL
— Northwestern Women's Basketball (@nuwbball) November 19, 2023
How It Happened
Walsh got off to a red-hot start, accounting for 10 of Northwestern's first 12 points on the afternoon. The 6-foot-3 forward knocked down a corner trey just over a minute in to give the 'Cats a 5-2 edge before converting on a conventional three-point play at the 5:30 mark, putting Northwestern back on top, 10-9. A Jasmine McWilliams baseline drive sparked a quarter-ending 7-0 spurt, capped off by a Maggie Pina three that staked the Wildcats to a 25-16 lead.
SEMO caught fire from beyond the arc in the second quarter, hitting on six of its 11 attempts from distance in the frame as it took off on a 17-2 run. The Redhawks opened up a 33-27 lead on a Jaliyah Green triple at the 5:33 mark. Walsh countered with her third make of the afternoon from outside just 30 seconds later, trimming the gap to 33-30, but the Redhawks kept their feet on the gas, racing into halftime with a 40-34 edge.
Hailey Weaver looked to spark the Wildcats coming out of the intermission, draining a corner three just 10 seconds in to trim the visitors' lead to 40-37. Melannie Daley connected on a baseline jumper to pull the 'Cats level at 40-40 before Caroline Lau found Walsh for a layup that vaulted Northwestern back in front, 44-42, with 5:56 to play in the third quarter. Lau hit on a three of her own with just under three minutes to play in the frame, laying the foundation for a 7-0 spurt that stretched the gap to 57-48 and prompted a SEMO timeout. Walsh added another bucket inside with 1:16 remaining as the Wildcats took a 59-52 lead into the final frame.
Following a Daley jumper that pushed the lead into double digits, 66-56, SEMO looked to mount a rally, rattling off eight unanswered points to claw back within two, 66-64, on an Alecia Doyle triple just before the midway point of the fourth quarter. Northwestern responded, taking off on an 8-0 run of its own that was capped off by threes from Daley and Walsh, respectively, to put the game out of reach.
Game Notes
» Walsh was terrific, finishing with 27 points (9-15 FGs, 4-7 3FGs, 5-5 FTs) and 14 rebounds, both career-high marks.
» Today marked Walsh's fourth career double-double.
» The junior also added two steals and an assist.
» Daley erupted in the second half, scoring 15 of her 17 points (7-11 FGs, 3-4 FTs) across the final 20 minutes of play.
» Daley stuffed the stat sheet, also adding six rebounds, a career-best six assists, a block, and two steals.
» Weaver rounded out a trio of Wildcats to score in double figures, chipping in 10 points (3-10 FGs, 2-3 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), a career-high seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
» Led by 10 assists from Lau, Northwestern piled up 23 helpers in the victory, assisting on just over 85 percent of its made field goals.
» Lau has posted 10-plus assists in three of Northwestern's first four games in 2023-24.
» Paige Mott narrowly missed out on a double-double of her own, finishing with seven points (3-9 FGs, 1-2 FTs) and 10 rebounds.
» Led by Walsh and Mott's efforts, the Wildcats were dominant on the glass, winning the rebounding battle by a 47-29 margin.
» Northwestern closed the afternoon with a 14-2 advantage in second-chance points.
» Green paced SEMO with 22 points (8-19 FGs, 4-10 3FGs, 2-3 FTs).
Up Next
Northwestern will now turn its attention to two matchups as part of the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev. The Wildcats will open play in the event at 1 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, November 22 against No. 12 Florida State inside The Dollar Loan Center.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.