Hero of the game | Brittany Orban
She didn’t have the most points, but forward Brittany Orban’s 17 rebounds and physical dominance on defense helped the ‘Cats defeat the top-tiered LSU Tigers 71-62. With 12 defensive rebounds, Orban’s ability to box out and remain strong under the rim forced LSU to transition back on defense.
“Coach really emphasized rebounding and boxing out this week,” Orban said. “He told us to think about boxing out while we were eating dinner the night before.”
Orban was the second highest scorer with 18 points and achieved her first double-double of the season. It was her physicality and ability to make the big plays down the stretch that helped the ‘Cats maintain momentum when LSU strove to go on a run.
“I think Brit made a big play every time she got the ball,” center Amy Jaeschke said. — K.F.
Stat of the game | 5 blocks
Northwestern’s defense shined against LSU’s physical play. With a size advantage underneath, Jaeschke was able to deny 4 shots against LSU. But even this statistic isn’t totally representative of the Wildcats’ aggressive defense.
“In the locker room we were all comparing our bruises and scratches,” Jaeschke said on the physical play.
The ‘Cats frustrated LSU into shooting a dismal 35 percent on field goals. The shots put up that weren’t blocked were at least heavily contested. Pressure on every shot made LSU miss and forced them to look for outside shots.
“We stayed between them and the basket pretty well,” Coach McKeown said after the game. “It was physically good for us to play through that.” — K.F.
Momentum Shift | Three-pointer
The turning point in the game was Brittany Orban’s three-point play with 7:07 left to go in the game. LSU had overcome a 10-point deficit to tie the game at 49 when Orban knocked down a tough layup while being fouled by Adrienne Webb. Orban made the free throw to give the ‘Cats a three-point lead, and Northwestern never looked back after that.
“They made a tremendous run and we answered it. I think it showed a lot of heart by our team,” said Northwestern Head Coach Joe McKeown.
Last year, one of Northwestern’s biggest problems was closing out games. When LSU tied it up, it looked like they might go on to take one from the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The ‘Cats stepped up thanks to a big play by Brittany Orban who finished the game with 18 points and 17 rebounds.
“We had a tough time with finishing last year,” Orban said. “It showed us today that we are able to be composed in big games.” — B.L.