Jan. 19, 2012
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Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: Michigan 58, Northwestern 48
Records: Northwestern (12-7, 2-4 Big Ten), Michigan (15-4, 4-2)
Next NU Event: Sunday, Jan. 22 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.) 2 p.m. CT
EVANSTON, Illinois-- Northwestern narrowed a 12-point margin to one multiple times in the second half, but could not get over the hump against a deep Michigan team, ultimately falling 58-48 Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. In total, eight different Wolverines connected from deep. Kendall Hackney led the `Cats with 15 points, while Dannielle Diamant and Morgan Jones both notched 12 points.
"I'm just disappointed in the way we played the last eight or nine minutes of the first half. We turned it over, couldn't hit a shot, and weren't even looking for our shots," head coach Joe McKeown said after the game. "Defensively, we did a great job. We battled back - got it down to one - but we're playing shorthanded, and I think we just ran out of gas."
The `Cats jumped out to a 6-0 advantage over the first three minutes, and seemed in control, but miscues on the offensive end prevented them from extending the lead. Although the NU defense was able to hold the Wolverines to 1-of-8 shooting over the first seven minutes, the Wildcats gave the ball up eight times over that stretch, allowing the visitors to remain in striking distance at 9-4.
Michigan took its first lead of the evening, 14-13, on a three with 6:22 remaining in the half, which would jump-start a 13-0 scoring run. After being held scoreless for over eight minutes, NU found its response in freshman Karly Roser's dish to Diamant for a layup in the final seconds to break the drought. The Wolverines took a 24-15 advantage into the break.
Michigan opened the second half with a three, but the Wildcats responded with a 15-4 run over the next six minutes to get within one point, 31-30, at the 12:42 mark. The `Cats shot 4-of-5 from three during the stretch, with Hackney, Morgan Jones and Diamant hitting from deep before Jones sank another, firing up the home crowd and bringing NU within a basket of taking the lead for the first time since the first half.
The two squads would go back-and-forth, as a pair of Hackney free throws again brought the `Cats within one, 37-36, with just 8:32 to play. However, the visitors shot back with a 5-0 spurt, and used 8-of-8 free throw shooting down the stretch to ice the Wildcats' attempt at a comeback.
Roser, Diamant and Hackney posted three steals apiece, while Morgan Jones sank four treys on the night.
Northwestern wraps up its run of three games in six days on Sunday, heading to Madison, Wisconsin for a Big Ten showdown against the Badgers at 2 p.m. CT.