Northwestern University Athletics

Friday, December 20
Philadelphia, Pa.
12 p.m. CT

Northwestern

6-5,0-1Big Ten

62
vs
68

Charleston

9-1,0-0CAA

1
2
3
4
F
Col. of Charleston
18
13
15
22
68
Northwestern
9
20
17
16
62
Caileigh Walsh
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern Drops Hawk Classic Opener To Charleston, 68-62

12/20/2024 3:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Walsh scores 20 points to lead quartet in double figures for ‘Cats

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (December 20, 2024) – Caileigh Walsh poured in a season-high 20 points as Charleston (9-1, 0-0 CAA) held off Northwestern (6-5, 0-1 B1G), 68-62, this afternoon as part of the Hawk Classic inside Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, Pa.
 

How It Happened
Offense came at a premium in the early stages, with the two teams combining to start 2-of-18 from the field.  Playing just 30 miles from her native Harleysville, Pa, Casey Harter opened the scoring 24 seconds in, knocking down a mid-range jumper to put the 'Cats on top, 2-0.  Northwestern went cold following Harter's bucket, going scoreless for over seven minutes.  Grace Sullivan finished inside to snap a 12-0 Cougars' run and trim the gap to 12-4.  Harter drilled a transition three on the Wildcats' next trip down the floor to make it a five-point game, 12-7, but Charleston scored six of the frame's final eight points to establish an 18-9 lead.
 
Walsh looked to spark the 'Cats on the offensive end as she scored on consecutive trips to open the second quarter, cutting the Charleston lead to 18-13.  A mid-range jumper from Melannie Daley brought Northwestern within three, 18-15, and prompted a Cougars' timeout at the 8:24 mark.  Charleston responded, pushing its lead back to double digits, 29-19, on a Jazmyn Stone make with 3:57 remaining.  Walsh sent Northwestern to the locker room with momentum, connecting on back-to-back treys to claw the Wildcats back within two at halftime, 31-29.
 
Coming out of the intermission, Taylor Williams collected an offensive rebound and finished through contact to trim Charleston's lead to 33-32, sparking a 9-0 Wildcat run that saw Northwestern take its first lead since the opening minutes.  Kyla Jones scored on the break to edge the 'Cats back in front, 34-33, before another Williams second-chance score pushed the lead to five, 38-33, and forced another Cougars' timeout with three minutes gone.  Charleston continued to hang around, pulling even at the end of the third quarter, 46-46, on a Taylor Barbot jumper in the closing minute.
 
Daley went back to work in the mid-range game to open the final frame, with her bucket only 12 seconds in propelling the 'Cats back in front, 48-46.  Williams continued to attack the offensive glass, putting back an attempt to push the lead to four, 52-48, with 7:42 to play in regulation.  Following a Jones' layup just past the midway point of the quarter that stretched the margin to five, 54-49, Charleston took off on a 10-1 run, with Taryn Barbot's triple at the 2:05 mark giving the Cougars a 59-55 advantage.  Harter hit on her second three of the day with only 54 seconds left to knot the game up at 60-60, but Charleston answered right back, taking a 62-60 lead on a Taylor Barbot floater.  After coming up with a key defensive stop on Northwestern's ensuing possession, the Cougars iced the game from the free throw line to punch their ticket to Saturday's championship game.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Walsh finished 7-of-12 from the field, a mark that included a 2-of-4 ledger from beyond the three-point arc, en route to reaching the 20-point mark for the 10th time in her career.
            - Walsh also ripped down nine rebounds, coming up just short of a second consecutive double-double.
- Williams scored 10 points (4-8 FGs, 2-3 FTs), all of which came in the second half, and came down with 11 rebounds to secure her team-leading fifth double-double of the season.  
- Daley reached double figures in scoring for the third time this season, finishing with 12 points (6-11 FGs).
- Like Walsh, Harter knocked down a pair of triples as part of a 10-point (4-10, 2-4 3FGs) showing.
- Taryn Barbot, the Coastal Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year, led all scorers with 24 points (7-21 FGs, 5-15 3FGs, 5-7 FTs) for Charleston.
 
Up Next
Northwestern closes out its stay at the Hawk Classic on Saturday, December 21 when it takes on Howard in the third-place game at 10 a.m. (CT).
 
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