Coach Joe McKeown summed up his team’s second half performance of the 86-75 loss to Iowa after the game by saying, “I’m embarrassed.” For the first time in over a decade, the ‘Cats have put themselves in the position to make February matter. In previous seasons, the NCAA tournament wasn’t on the radar after December. This season, the ‘Cats still have a shot at the tournament but this heartbreaking loss won’t do them any favors.
Hero of the game | Beth Marshall
As a fifth-year senior, Marshall has just one more opportunity to lead her team to a postseason in the NCAA tournament. Late in the second half, she showed that she wants it. Her senior leadership and hustle remained consistent, even when her team’s performance wasn’t.
“We need to get back in the gym, watch film and prepare for Michigan State,” she said after the game.
Marshall put up two 3-pointers down the stretch that kept the game interesting. Even with her efforts, the team’s defense and Iowa’s hot streak took the victory away from the ‘Cats.
Stat of the game | Iowa’s 63 points in second half
McKeown called this game a “tale of two halves.” Iowa scored only 23 points the first twenty minutes, but coming into the second half, however, they couldn’t miss. Every single shot the Hawkeyes put up in the first seven minutes fell, ending the half with a 70.4 percent shooting clip in the last 20 minutes.
“Everyone wearing an Iowa uniform was making shots,” McKeown said expressing his frustration after the game.
McKeown blamed this WNBA-worthy statistic on a lack of defense. “In 30 years of coaching, I’ve never given up that many points in a second half before,” he said. “It was just sloppy.”
Turning point | 16-0 run by Iowa in the second half
Northwestern’s defense was almost perfect in the first half. They forced desperation shots and kept the ball out of the paint. At the start of the second half, however, Iowa started draining shots and the ‘Cats looked like they did not know what to do. NU’s 12-point lead disappeared into a five-point deficit in the first seven minutes. The ‘Cats got “comfortable” with their lead, according to Marshall. That comfort turned into frustration as Iowa pulled away.
What to improve | Consistency
This season so far has been a game of inconsistency for the ‘Cats. Their outstanding road victory against Ohio State on Feb. 6 gave the impression of a matured team. The losses to Wisconsin and now Iowa show their inability to pull together a 40-minute game however. The ‘Cats face an uphill battle on the road against 15th-ranked Michigan State next. Consistent play needs to be a focal point if they want to get the victory.