Seniors Amy Jaeschke and Meshia Reed took it to the court one last time at Welsh-Ryan Arena while fellow senior Beth Marshall sat on the sidelines, wearing shades because of an eye injury, to watch her fellow ‘Cats defeat the Minnesota Golden Gophers 62-55. Breaking a three-game losing streak, the ‘Cats will have a week off before they head to Happy Valley to take on Penn State in their final regular season appearance.
Player of the game | Kendall Hackney
Hackney’s career performance started even before the tip off with the singing of the national anthem.
“She should be on American Idol,” Coach Joe McKeown said of her performance after the game.
On the court, Hackney would have made it to Hollywood with her 20 points and two blocks. With her double digit performance, Hackney combined with Jaeschke’s 21 for two thirds of the ‘Cats points. This victory goes to show that having another player step up besides the All-American center is vital for a victory.
Stat of the game | Zero Minnesota field goals in 7:30 stretch of the second half
With eight minutes left, McKeown posed a challenge to his team during a media timeout. He wanted five stops in a row from the ‘Cats. Northwestern’s defense exceeded his expectations, not allowing a field goal until 54 seconds remained on the clock. The ‘Cats defensive performance, especially down the stretch, allowed the momentum to shift their way and created an impossible deficit for the Gophers.
Turning point | Jaeschke’s screen for Allison Mocchi’s 3-pointer
In the postgame press conference, Jaeschke said she knew before this game started that was going to be physical. Emulating that mentality, she set a screen on Gopher guard China Antoine to set up a three-point basket by Mocchi with nine minutes left in the second half. Not only did the basket start the ‘Cats run down the stretch, but it shook up Antoine, affecting her play for the rest of the game. The basket tied the game 46-46 and the ‘Cats went on to outscore the Gophers 16-9 to finish the game.
Ways to improve | None
In the three previous losses, consistency was a major issue for the ‘Cats. Against the Gophers, however, the ‘Cats made huge strides defensively, pulling together a complete 40-minute game. While their transition offense needs work and a few passes were slightly out of control, this game was a step in the right direction for McKeown’s crew. This game was not about what needs to be worked on, but rather a pivotal moment in the season which showed vast improvement in the ‘Cats’ play. This win is a huge confidence boost for the ‘Cats and should be considered a stepping-stone as they look forward to the Big Ten tournament.