Northwestern
7-9,2-3Big Ten
Wisconsin
8-7,1-4Big Ten
Lau's Double-Double Lifts 'Cats Past Badgers
1/10/2024 9:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MADISON, Wis. -- Caroline Lau collected her third career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Northwestern women's basketball team past Wisconsin on Wednesday in Madison. The 'Cats beat the Badgers 74-69 en route to their first conference road win of the season.
In addition to Lau's double-double, the Wildcats (7-9, 2-3) were led by Caileigh Walsh, who put up 19 points and eight rebounds, and by Paige Mott, who tacked on 10 points.
Northwestern utilized fantastic ball movement in Wednesday's game, piling up 17 assists on 27 made field goals. Lau's six assists were the most for the Wildcats.
The Northwestern defense was also a problem in Wednesday's game, forcing 13 Wisconsin turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 13 points on the other end of the floor. Hailey Weaver led the way individually for the Wildcats with two steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 11-4, Northwestern went on an 11-0 run with 5:02 left in the first quarter to take a 15-11 lead. Wisconsin then responded to tie things up at 20-20 heading into the second quarter. Northwestern did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 20 points close to the basket.
The second quarter went back-and-forth, with Wisconsin taking a 24-22 lead before Northwestern responded by going on a 5-0 run to take a 27-24 lead. The Badgers finished the half strong, however, coming back to take a 36-35 lead heading into the break.
Northwestern came out of halftime rallying and had constructed a 50-49 lead before going on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Weaver, to expand its lead further to 57-49 with 45 seconds to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Badgers had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Wildcats still entered the fourth quarter with a 57-52 edge. Northwestern knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter to score 12 of its 22 total points.
Wisconsin proceeded to take a 64-63 lead before Northwestern went on a 7-0 run to seize a 70-64 lead with 3:46 to go in the contest. The Badgers narrowed the margin a little before the game was over, but the Wildcats still held on for the 74-69 win.
Game Notes
» Caroline Lau notched her third career double-double for the Wildcats with 11 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first double-digit rebounding performance of her career.
» The Wildcats shot well from three point range, knocking down seven of 15 long range attempts.
» Northwestern recorded 17 total assists in the game.
» Northwestern had a 43-36 edge on the boards in the win - the third straight contest to see them win the rebounding battle.
» Northwestern cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Caileigh Walsh led the Wildcat offense for the fourth straight game with a game-high 19 points.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
