February is shaping up to be a good month for the women ‘Cats as they tallied their second victory in a row, against Ohio State in Columbus, winning 74-68. This is the first time the ‘Cats have swept the Buckeyes in regular season play since 1997 and the first time in the team’s history to win in the Value City Arena. With five more regular season games and the Big Ten tournament left, Northwestern is still in the hunt for a tournament bid.
Hero of the game | Amy Jaeschke
At the peak of creativity, the Big Ten announcers summed up Jaeschke’s performance by saying “it’s good when your good players are playing good.” That’s exactly what Jaeschke did. Some might even say her 29 points were better than “good.” Scoring 19 in the second half, Jaeschke’s dominant performance on both ends of the court kept fellow star center Jantel Lavender and the Buckeyes in check.
Stat of the game | 25-3 second half run
The Buckeyes led by two coming out of the locker room and threatened to take the game out of reach leading by seven in the first five minutes of the second half. Led by three pointers from Beth Marshall and Meshia Reed, along with Jaeschke’s inside play, the ‘Cats not only came back into the game, they garnered the largest lead by either team. This run proved to be crucial down the stretch when Ohio State tried to muster a comeback.
Turning point | Beth Marshall’s 3-pointer with four minutes left
Marshall helped to cap off the 25-3 run down the stretch when she connected from beyond the arc at the four-minute mark. This key basket proved to be an essential factor in keeping the Buckeyes from coming back into the game. Ohio State simply ran out of time when they came within five points with only a minute left. Without Marshall’s bucket, this game could have had a very different outcome.
In need of improvement | Finishing
The ‘Cats certainly pulled together a strong game but they struggled late to hang onto their momentum. Ohio State’s Samantha Prahalis drained several key threes within the two-minute mark, shrinking NU’s 11-point lead to five. The clock favored McKeown’s crew, seeing as it was the only factor stopping the Buckeyes from staging a comeback. On the individual level, the ‘Cats struggled to finish on many fast breaks. Potentially easy buckets turned into turnovers from inaccurate passes and out-of-control players.