The month of January hasn’t been kind to the women ‘Cats, as they tallied their fourth straight loss to Wisconsin in a 62-50 loss at Welsh-Ryan Arena. With a tough February ahead and few home games remaining, chances of a tournament bid look slim. The ‘Cats need to pull out at least six more victories in their remaining seven to have a hopeful chance to dance in March.
Hero of the game | Meshia Reed
Shooting fifty percent, Reed was a huge offensive factor in the first half. Wisconsin put up seven threes in the first twenty minutes and threatened to take the game away. Several key baskets from Reed, including a three with seven minutes left in the half, kept the Badgers in check. With a late showing by Amy Jaeschke, Reed was the go-to player for the first 25 minutes of the game.
Stat of the Game | Attendance of 2,117
For the first time this season, the lower level of Welsh Ryan was filled to near-capacity. Instead of single fans heckling the refs, the crowd was loud enough to work as a unit. Getting into the quadruple digits was a big milestone and although the ‘Cats endured a loss, it was nice to see some support for a rather underappreciated sport at NU. Whether the high rate of occupancy was because of provided buses or Girl Scout Day remains to be seen.
Turning point | Brittany Orban’s Injury
With nine minutes remaining, Orban hit the floor attempting to snag a rebound. The resulting bloody lip took her out of the game for more than five minutes. The ‘Cats could not seem to pull themselves together, making only five more points and giving up 20 in the remaining minutes of play, including four turnovers. Orban’s disappearance from the game caused a momentum shift that the Cats could not rekindle.
Thing to improve on | Offensive turnovers
With 18 turnovers, the Cats continue to have trouble holding onto the basketball. Miscommunications on offense led to stray passes. Wisconsin’s tough defense, along with a lack of fundamentals, also caused several traveling calls. The Badgers capitalized on these gifts, scoring 17 points off of turnovers. Looking ahead to Illinois, Coach McKeown and his team have to put an emphasis on the passing game to ensure the ball remains in their possession.