Jan. 13, 2011
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
|
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: Northwestern 64, No. 24 Ohio State 53
Records: NU (14-4, 3-2 Big Ten), Ohio State (10-6, 1-3 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Jan. 16 --at Purdue (Mackey Arena), 1 p.m. CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Amy Jaeschke turned in a workmanlike 15-point, 12-rebound performance to spearhead a 64-53 triumph over No. 24 Ohio State Thursday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena, knocking off the Buckeyes for the first time since 1999. Brittany Orban contributed 13 points and nine rebounds while Kendall Hackney chipped in 11 points.
It was Northwestern's first defeat of a ranked opponent since Nov. 24, 2009, when it upset then-No. 15 DePaul, 59-55. With the victory, the Wildcats improved to 14-4 overall and 3-2 in conference action.
"I think our players really responded to the challenge our staff put out there," head coach Joe McKeownsaid. "I know Ohio State has been struggling lately but they're a great team. I thought we competed and played with some confidence and poise. When they had their run at the end, I thought we got a little sloppy with the basketball but other than that we did a pretty good job contesting. It really shows what we're capable of, so it was a really solid win for us."
Northwestern's defense kept All-American Lavender in check in the early going, limiting her to 1-of-7 from the field in the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Buckeyes turned to Samantha Prahalis to guide Ohio State to an early 11-4 lead with 13:40 in the game. Northwestern responded with a 9-2 run to make it a one-possession contest with just under eight minutes remaining. Three minutes later, a three from the corner by Allison Mocchi deadlocked the game at 15.
The Wildcats closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 23-16 into the locker room. NU held the Buckeyes to just a 21 percent shooting effort
Ohio State missed its first three shots out of halftime while Northwestern resumed its offensive stride, connecting on four of its first six attempts to gain a 32-21 lead. Inspired by the efforts down low of Jaeschke, Orban and Hackney on the defensive end, Northwestern utilized an all-around team effort on offense. Five Wildcats found the basket to contribute to the `Cats extending their lead to 43-26 when Dannielle Diamant cut to the basket and finished a feed from Hackney with 12:14 to play.
Northwestern continued to score almost at will, extending the lead to as much as 20 with under 10 minutes remaining. Ohio State slowly chipped away at what seemed to be a comfortable Wildcat lead, but was kept at bay when Orban scored five straight points that included a hard-fought rebound and put-back.
After Hackney got ahead of the pack and put away a nifty fastbreak layup with 2:10 to go, Ohio State managed to cut the deficit to seven before the Wildcats calmly iced the game by hitting 7-of-8 at the free throw line.
Northwestern returns to action in a 1 p.m. CT matchup at Purdue Sunday.
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!