Dec. 19, 2010
Box Score
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: Northwestern 88, Northern Arizona 70
Records: NU (10-2, 0-0 Big Ten), Northern Arizona (4-7, 0-0 Big Sky)
Next NU Event: Dec. 22 -- vs. Toledo (Evanston, Ill.), 3 p.m.
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern overcame eight first-half three pointers by Northern Arizona to run away with an 88-70 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena Sunday afternoon. NU shot a season-best 60 percent from the field as four Wildcats tallied double-figures. Senior Amy Jaeschke paced NU with 24 points while Brittany Orban chipped in 20. With the victory, Northwestern improves to 10-2 on the season.
The story of the first half was Northern Arizona's three-point shooting. The Lumberjacks, who entered the game shooting 33 percent from deep, scored 24 of their 35 points from beyond the arc. The game saw five ties and eight lead changes throughout the 20 minutes, but it was the Wildcats who took a 40-35 advantage into the locker room.
Jaeschke led NU with nine points and four assists while Orban and Meshia Reed added eight points each. Kendall Hackney added a game-high six rebounds.
The second half was a different story, as the Lumberjacks finally cooled down from three-point range and the Wildcats were able to make a run to finally pull away. Northwestern used a 19-5 run over a 6:30 period to build a 14-point lead at the 10:36 mark and never looked back.
Reed, Hackney and Allison Mocchi joined Jaeschke and Orban in double-figures with 14, 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Wildcats return to the hardwood Wednesday, Dec. 22, when they welcome Toledo to Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip is set for 3 p.m.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!