Jan. 20, 2011
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Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: Michigan 76, Northwestern 67
Records: NU (14-6, 3-4 Big Ten), Michigan (11-7, 4-2 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Thursday, Jan. 27--at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7 p.m. CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Amy Jaeschke poured in 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds but it was not enough as Northwestern's second-half push fell short and Michigan came away with a 76-67 win Thursday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Kendall Hackney and Allison Mocchi joined Jaeschke in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
After struggling from the floor in the early going, Northwestern put together a 5-0 run to notch the tally at seven just three minutes into the game. But Michigan responded with a 7-0 spurt, courtesy of consecutive Wildcat turnovers, to pull ahead 14-7. UM capitalized on four turnovers in six-straight trips down the court to open up a 10-point lead, 21-11, with 12 minutes remaining in the half. The Wolverines shot nearly 60 percent through the first 10 minutes, including 50 percent from deep.
It seemed as though everything was going in favor of the visitors, as everyone who set foot on the court found the scoring column, boasting their stellar marksmanship. For the Wildcats, meanwhile, Jaeschke scored 15 of NU's first 18 points. Finally, Meshia Reed and Hackney found their rhythm, combining to spearhead a 7-0 run and pull NU to 32-23 with 4:27 remaining in the frame.
Michigan took a 37-25 advantage into the locker room, thanks to a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer. Jaeschke led all scorers with 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field.
Michigan picked up where they left off, extending its lead to 15 and maintaining a healthy distance throughout most of the second frame. UM shot a steady 45 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes while limiting the Wildcats to a sub-40 percent performance.
A three-pointer from Mocchi cut Michigan's lead to 13, 57-44 with eight minutes remaining, and Northwestern continued to apply full-court pressure, forcing two turnovers, but Michigan seemed to always have an answer. The Wolverines kept their lead at double-digits, leading as much as 18, until the 4:14 mark when Northwestern came alive. The Wildcats outscored UM 17-5 over the next 3:45 to make it a 70-65 game with :40 remaining. But it was a little too late, and a trio of triples by Marshall and Reed within a minute of each other was not enough to overcome the deficit. Michigan hit five free-throws in the final half minute to seal the deal.
Northwestern receives a bye this weekend before returning to the hardwood at 7 p.m. CT at Minnesota.
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