It's been a rough month for Northwestern's women's basketball squad. The Wildcats came into their matchup at home today with Rutgers hoping to avoid 11 straight losses after a brutal December which saw no wins.
Today, though, Northwestern's defense finally showed up, and it managed to beat the Scarlet Knights handily by a score of 73-54.
The 'Cats won today because they did some things they don't normally do. For one, they absolutely dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 45-33. They also played really good team defense, despite turning it over 19 times to Rutgers' 14.
Northwestern also shot the ball better, finishing with a 46% mark from the field and 25% from three. Rutgers was significantly worse, at 29% and 21%, respectively.
Casey Harter had a fantastic day for Northwestern, finishing with 21 points. Grace Sullivan, as consistent as ever, finished with 20 points and three rebounds. Tayla Thomas chipped in with a big day on the boards, corralling 16 rebounds on the afternoon.
In the first quarter, Northwestern and Rutgers played a tight game that sat at 19-15 in favor of the road team when the first buzzer sounded. Caroline Lau came out of the gates doing what she often does for the Wildcats -- setting up teammates at an elite level while also taking a few too many risks and turning the ball over.
In the opening period alone, Lau had a whopping five assists and two turnovers, both of which occurred in the opening two minutes of the game. She'd finish the game with a career high 16 assists.
It was the second quarter when Northwestern turned it on, playing about as good of a complementary offensive/defensive quarter as we've seen all year. The 'Cats went into the locker room up 39-31 after outscoring the Scarlet Knights 24-12 in the second.
Offensively, Northwestern was in rhythm. Sullivan and Harter were doing their thing, but NU actually got production from other players like Lau, Thomas and even a three-ball from Amparo Lopez. Buried in the middle of the second, Tate Lash also reached the 500-career assist mark.
Defensively, it was clear the Wildcats were in a good spot with their communication. Even from the press box, they were audible down on the court figuring out switches and close outs. As they started to flip the script on Rutgers, you started to see the hunger of a team on a long losing stretch.
In the second half, Northwestern's defense continued to be stifling. After allowing 12 points in the second quarter, the 'Cats one-upped themselves, surrendering just 10 points in the third.
Rutgers didn't shoot the ball well, and maybe if they had this game would have gone differently. But the Wildcats absolutely deserve credit for what they were doing on the defensive end. It was starkly different than what's been on display during the losing stretch.
The Scarlet Knights were never really able to solve their problems, and the margin continued to grow in the second half. By the fourth quarter, Northwestern's win felt like a foregone conclusion.
On Thursday, the 'Cats will be back in action, taking on Wisconsin at Welsh-Ryan Arena.