Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Harvard
Northwestern Hosts Harvard On Saturday In Homestand Finale
11/22/2024 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
'Cats look to improve to 12-1 all-time against Ivy League foes
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern shot just over 50 percent from the field as it roared back from a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat Utah, 71-69, back on November 14. Melannie Daley led the way for the 'Cats, pouring in a game-high 23 points, 21 of which came after the opening frame. The senior guard has now surpassed the 20-point mark nine times in her career. Caileigh Walsh made an impact in her first appearance of 2024-25, finishing with seven points, none bigger than her layup in the closing seconds that provided the final margin of victory.
Grace Sullivan continued the impressive start to her Wildcat career, scoring in double figures for the second time in three games as she put up 16 points. Caroline Lau again orchestrated the Northwestern attack, dishing out a game-high 10 assists, her second consecutive outing with 10-plus helpers. Through the season's first three games, Lau is averaging 9.0 assists, a mark that leads the nation.
SCOUTING HARVARD
Already with six games under its belt in 2024-25, Harvard rolls into Evanston on a three-game win streak that has run the Crimson's record to 5-1. Second-year head coach Carrie Moore's team boasts a pair of impressive early-season road wins, having knocked off No. 25 Indiana, 72-68 (OT), and Boston College, 78-70. The Crimson are coming off dominant victories over Maine, 83-41, and Northeastern, 89-37, respectively.
Harmoni Turner is in the midst of a red-hot start to her senior campaign, currently averaging 23.8 points per game, a mark that leads the Ivy League and has her seventh nationally. The senior guard has scored 20-plus points in three games, highlighted by a 41-point outburst in Harvard's win over Boston College. Turner, a three-time All-Ivy League pick, has also been a threat on the defensive end of the floor, piling up an NCAA-best 23 steals (3.83 spg).
Elena Rodriguez has also emerged as a valuable scoring option for Moore's team, averaging 11.0 points. Rodriguez finished with 18 points in a season-opening 71-58 triumph over Massachusetts on November 4.
SERIES STUFF
Saturday's tilt marks only the second all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Crimson on the hardwood in women's basketball. Northwestern won the only previous meeting by a final count of 94-38 on November 28, 1981.
The 'Cats are 11-1 (.917) against current Ivy League members, most recently picking up a 63-55 win over Penn on November 13, 2022. Walsh fell just short of a double-double in the victory, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Northwestern hits the road for the first time in 2024-25 on Tuesday, November 26 when it makes the short trip south down Sheridan Road to battle Loyola Chicago in a 6 p.m. tip-off at Gentile Arena.
