In the final game of the regular season, Northwestern fell to Penn State on Sunday afternoon by a score of 66-56, failing to avenge a previous home loss last month. Center Amy Jaeschke recorded a double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds, her 13th of the season, but only Brittany Orban managed to reach double-digits, scoring 11 points. The loss leaves Northwestern at 17-12 overall and 6-10 in conference play, and enters the Big Ten tourney this Thursday having lost four of their final five games.
Hero of the game | Amy Jaeschke
Game in and game out, Jaeschke is the steady, consistent force that guarantees Northwestern an inside presence and a headache to opposing defenses. But despite another 20-10 effort, the points were harder to come by; half of her 24 points came from a 12-of-15 free throw effort, while shooting 6-of-17 from the field, including 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. In fact, Orban was the only player who made at least half of her shots (3-of-6). The offense began with Jaeschke’s position in the paint; unfortunately, it rarely ended away from there.
Stat of the game | 21 turnovers
Say what you will, 21 turnovers is grossly negligent for a team that has struggled to protect the ball this year. A putrid offensive performance was mitigated by the loss of possessions, but the blame goes around to all. Seven Wildcats finished with two or more turnovers, and five of them finished with more fumbles than assists. For a team that’s headed by a coach who’s renowned for his offensive schemes, the Penn State defense did enough to shut down any rhythm and minimize collateral damage from Jaeschke’s performance.
Turning point | 14:48 in the second half
Almost right out of halftime, the Wildcats struggled to maintain their one-point margin, and eventually gave it up against a Renee Womack layup that started a 9-0 run to put the ‘Cats in a hole and unable to shoot out of it. PSU would never surrender the one-point advantage, watching it balloon to as much as 13 points before the buzzer. Coach McKeown remarked on the change in demeanor, calling it a “tale of two halves.”
Where to improve | Killer instinct
We’re not saying Northwestern is so dominant that it needs to learn to put people away; we’re suggesting that come tourney time later this week, Northwestern will need to learn to play with a chip on its shoulder, pissed off, fire in their eyes — pick your cliche. It’s ultimately win-or-go-home, so Northwestern will have to learn how to gut its opponents fast and efficiently in Indianapolis for any chance at the Big Dance.