Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Charleston
Northwestern Heads To Philadelphia For Hawk Classic
12/19/2024 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
'Cats open play at event on Friday against Charleston at 12 p.m. (CT)
The 'Cats will open action on Friday afternoon at 12 p.m. (CT) against Charleston inside Hagan Arena on the campus of Saint Joseph's University before taking on either the host Hawks or Howard on Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT
In a game that featured 17 ties and 18 lead changes, Northwestern picked up its fourth straight win at home in thrilling fashion, defeating UNLV in overtime, 79-76, this past Wednesday on Field Trip Day at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Melannie Daley paced the attack for the 'Cats, pouring in 21 points while also collecting a career-high seven rebounds as she led a group of five to score in double figures for Northwestern. Caileigh Walsh posted her sixth career double-double, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Grace Sullivan reached double figures in scoring for the seventh time this season, putting up 14 points. Casey Harter and Taylor Williams added 12 points apiece, with Harter's pressure-packed free throws with just one second left in overtime ultimately providing the final margin of victory.
On the defensive end, Northwestern held UNLV, the three-time defending Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament champions, to a season-low 17.6 percent (3-for-17) mark from beyond the three-point arc.
HAWK CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, December 20 – vs. Charleston | 12 p.m. (CT)
Saturday, December 21 - vs. Howard / at Saint Joseph's | 11 a.m. (CT) / 1 p.m. (CT)
SCOUTING CHARLESTON
Charleston has raced out of the gate to begin to the 2024-25 season, surging to an 8-1 start with an average margin of victory of just under 36 points. Most recently, the Cougars rolled to an 83-47 win over Appalachian State last Tuesday at TD Arena. Guided by sixth-year head coach Robin Harmony, Charleston is coming off a 22-10 (13-5 CAA) finish in 2023-24, the program's first 20-plus win campaign in a decade. The Cougars advanced to the Second Round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
Harmony's team is led by Coastal Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year Taryn Barbot, who averages a team-high 16.3 points, in addition to collecting 7.0 rebounds per game. Barbot poured in a season-best 35 points in an 86-45 rout of Charleston Southern on December 3.
SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
Picked second in the Atlantic 10 Conference's Preseason Poll, Saint Joseph's, which sits at 7-2 on the year, is coming off a historic 2023-24 season in which it won a school-record 28 games and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). The Hawks are led by head coach Cindy Griffin, who has amassed over 400 wins during her stay at Hawk Hill. Saint Joseph's enters its home tournament having won three of its last four games, most recently racing past Maine, 74-48, on December 9.
The Hawks feature a trio of high-powered scorers in Laura Ziegler (17.7 ppg), Talya Brugler (17.0 ppg), and Mackenzie Smith (17.0 ppg), all of whom were tabbed Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference honorees. Ziegler boats the top single-game scoring output by a Hawk this season, a 30-point showing on November 20 as part of an 82-53 road win at Southern Utah.
SCOUTING HOWARD
Howard makes its way to the City of Brotherly Love at 6-6 following a 75-58 setback at the hands of Old Dominion last Tuesday. The Bison fell just one win shy of a spot in the NCAA Tournament last season, falling to top-seeded Norfolk State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament title game, 51-46, as they finished the year 15-16 (10-4 MEAC).
Under the leadership of veteran head coach Ty Grace, the Howard attack is fueled by Destiny Howell, who averages a team-high 16.3 points. The 2022-23 MEAC Player of the Year, Howell, who missed all of the 2023-24 season due to injury, has scored in double figures in all but one game this year for the Bison, pouring in a season-high 30 points in Howard's aforementioned matchup with Old Dominion.
UP NEXT
Northwestern resumes Big Ten Conference play when it welcomes league newcomer Washington to Welsh-Ryan Arena at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 28.
