Northwestern University Athletics
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UNLV
'Cats Battle UNLV Wednesday On Field Trip Day
12/17/2024 9:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Northwestern goes after fourth straight win inside Welsh-Ryan Arena
LAST TIME OUT
Five Wildcats scored in double figures as Northwestern returned to action after final exams with a 67-57 win over in-state foe Bradley this past Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Taylor Williams finished with a team-high 13 points and 11 rebounds on the way to her team-leading fourth double-double of the season as Northwestern piled up a dominant 40-16 advantage in points in the paint. Caroline Lau turned in her top offensive output of the year, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, and a pair of steals. Grace Sullivan matched Lau on the offensive end, adding 12 points to reach double figures in scoring for the fourth time in five games.
Caileigh Walsh fell two rebounds shy of a double-double of her own, chipping in 10 points to go along with season highs in both rebounds (8) and assists (5), while Kyla Jones scored in double figures for the fifth time in 2024-25, scoring 10 points.
SCOUTING UNLV
Fresh off an 80-61 victory over DePaul this past Sunday at Wintrust Arena, UNLV, which has won three of its last four games, brings a record of 7-3 into Wednesday's clash with the 'Cats.
Now in her fifth season leading the Lady Rebels, head coach Lindy La Rocque has piloted UNLV to three consecutive sweeps of the Mountain West Conference's regular season and tournament titles. La Rocque's team collected 21 out of a possible 24 first-place votes to top the league's preseason poll ahead of the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Four Lady Rebels average in double figures in scoring for a UNLV offense that averages a Mountain West-best 74.2 points. Leading the way is two-time All-Mountain West honoree Kiara Jackson, who puts up 13.4 points per contest, in addition to dishing out a team-high 5.8 assists per game. Amarachi Kimpson (12.3 ppg), Aaliyah Alexander (11.4 ppg), and McKinna Brackens (11.2 ppg) also operate at north of 10-plus points per game. Alexander erupted for a career-high 25 points in UNLV's aforementioned win over DePaul, the top single-game output by a Lady Rebel this season.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and UNLV are slated to meet for only the fifth time on Wednesday, a series which the Wildcats lead, 3-1 (.750). After dropping the team's first-ever meeting, 84-74, back on December 2, 2000, the 'Cats have rattled off three straight wins over the Lady Rebels, with the most recent coming in an 88-84 triumph on December 17, 2014.
Northwestern's last matchup against a Mountain West Conference foe came on December 17, 2022 when the 'Cats grinded out a 64-58 win over Air Force inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Walsh put up 13 points in the victory for Northwestern, which sports a 4-3 (.571) record against current members of the Mountain West Conference.
UP NEXT
The 'Cats jet to Philadelphia, Pa. at the end of the week for a pair of games as part of the Jersey Mike's Hawk Classic. Northwestern will open play inside Hagan Arena on Friday, December 20 at 12 p.m. (CT) with a tilt against Charleston before battling either Saint Joseph's or Howard on Saturday, December 21.
