Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
8-15,3-9Big Ten
Illinois
11-11,5-7Big Ten
Northwestern Falls 82-71 to Illinois
2/8/2024 8:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Northwestern women's basketball fell 82-71 to the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road Thursday.
The Wildcats (8-15, 3-9) had three players score in double figures, led by Maggie Pina, who had 15 points. Paige Mott added 13 points, nine rebounds and two steals and Hailey Weaver helped out with 10 points.
Led by Mott's three offensive rebounds, Northwestern did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 12 boards that resulted in 18 second chance points.
The Northwestern defense caused its share of mistakes in Thursday's game, forcing 13 Illinois turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 11 points on the offensive end of the floor. Melannie Daley's two steals led the way individually for the Wildcats.
How It Happened
Northwestern struggled out of the gate, falling behind 20-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 41-26 halftime deficit.
After intermission, Northwestern cut its deficit to 49-37 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Pina, to trim its deficit to 49-43 with 4:15 to go in the third. Illinois countered and stretched its lead to 63-44 heading into the fourth. Northwestern played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 18 points in the paint.
Northwestern narrowed its deficit to 78-60 before going on a 5-0 run to shrink the deficit to 78-65 with 2:21 to go in the contest. The Wildcats kept their comeback going, but Illinois managed to hold on for the 82-71 win.
Game Notes
» The Wildcats shared the ball well, recording an assist on 69 percent of made baskets.
» The Northwestern bench scored 29 of their points.
» The Northwestern defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Northwestern cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Maggie Pina led the Wildcats with 15 points, her second game this season as leading scorer.
» Northwestern got a team-high nine rebounds from Paige Mott, who fell just one shy of her second straight double-double.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
