Northwestern
Cornell
Northwestern Back Home Sunday To Take On Cornell
11/30/2024 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
'Cats, Big Red to tip-off at 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
Three 'Cats scored in double figures as Northwestern dominated on the glass en route to a 73-64 victory over Loyola Chicago last Tuesday at Gentile Arena on Chicago's North Side.
Taylor Williams was outstanding in the win, finishing with game-high marks in both points (22) and rebounds (14) en route to her 30th career double-double. Williams, who also dished out a team-high five assists, was dominant in the second half, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds following the intermission. Led by Williams' effort, Northwestern owned a 52-40 rebounding advantage. The 'Cats hauled in 21 offensive boards, their most since collecting 22 caroms against Iowa on March 4, 2022.
Grace Sullivan flirted with a double-double of her own, adding 15 points and seven rebounds. Wednesday's showing marked Sullivan's third game in double figures in her brief time as a Wildcat. Caileigh Walsh also reached double figures in scoring, coming off the bench to add 10 points and six rebounds. Entering Sunday's matchup, Walsh sits just nine points shy of 1,000 for her career.
SCOUTING CORNELL
Cornell arrives in Evanston fresh off a thrilling 64-63 overtime win over Mercyhurst that brought the Big Red's record to 3-5 on the year. Tabbed seventh in the Ivy League's Preseason Poll after finishing 7-19 (1-13 Ivy) in 2023-24, the Big Red have struggled on the road early on this season, going just 1-4 away from Newman Arena.
First-year head coach Emily Garner's team boasts a trio of players averaging in double figures in scoring, a group led by Emily Pape. Pape, a local product out of nearby Park Ridge, Ill. who attended Maine South High School, leads Cornell in scoring, putting up 15.4 points per game. She has reached double figures in scoring six times, highlighted by a career-high tying 27-point showing against Rutgers on November 7.
The Big Red roster features five Illinois natives, a group that includes Pape, Paige Engels (Golf, Ill. / Loyola Academy), Rachel Kaus (Lake Bluff, Ill. / Lake Forest), Kelsey Langston (Wilmette, Ill. / Loyola Academy), and Summer Parker-Hall (Chicago, Ill. / Loyola Academy).
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Cornell will meet for the first time in Sunday's post-holiday clash. The 'Cats are 11-2 (.846) all-time against current Ivy League members. Northwestern will be facing off against an Ivy League foe for the second time in three games, having dropped a 75-50 decision to Harvard back on November 23.
UP NEXT
Northwestern turns its attention towards a local rivalry matchup on Wednesday, December 4 when it hosts DePaul in a 7 p.m. tip-off.
