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No. 10 Arkansas 57, No. 7 Northwestern 55 Ferrell Center Waco, Texas Box Score | Box Score  |  Photo Gallery |
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WACO, Texas -- Seventh-seeded Northwestern surrendered a second-half lead to the 10th-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, falling 57-55 Friday. The Wildcats ended their unforgettable season with 23 wins, the most since the 1995-96 campaign.
Playing in their first game since March 7, and their first NCAA Tournament game since 1997, the Wildcats has to shake off a little bit of rust in the opening minutes of the first-round game. After falling behind 9-2, NU ripped off a 9-0 run in the quick span of 1:49 to grab its first lead of the game with 12:40 left in the first half.
The pace through the rest of the half favored the low-scoring style of Arkansas. The two teams combined for only 26 points the rest of the half. The 'Cats shot the ball fairly consistently (45 percent on 9-of-20) over the first 20 minutes, but the tenacious defense of the Razorbacks forced Northwestern into 10 turnovers. Arkansas was able to hold NU's top two scorers, Nia Coffey and Maggie Lyon, to six points on five field-goal attempts in the first half.
Northwestern found most of its success inside early. The 'Cats outscored the Razorbacks 14-0 in the paint with eight of those points coming on the fast break.
The start of the second half was a completely different story. Chicago's Big Ten Team used some swarming defensive pressure to create a few easy baskets. NU opened the frame on a quick 6-0 run to start the half, forcing the Hogs to use an early timeout. The Wildcats continued to play at an unrelenting pace and nearing the halfway mark through the second half, Northwestern had secured a 13-point lead, 48-35, after scored on four straight possessions from three different players - Lyon, Coffey and Christen Inman.
Arkansas methodically chipped away and just over two minutes later the deficit was single digits before NU's Ashley Deary racked up a 3-pointer to put her team ahead by 12 with 8:42 to go. The Razorbacks scored 10 unanswered points to make it a one-possession game with 5:48 remaining.
Lyon drained a couple of free throws to put Northwestern on top, 55-51, with 4:49 to go, but the Hogs would not back down. Their stifling defense held the Wildcats with out a point over the 3:59. Coupled with a few key offensive rebounds down the stretch, it was enough to send Arkansas on to the second round.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures in their NCAA Tournament debuts. Alex Cohen scored 13 points and added seven rebounds in her final game in the Purple and White, while Deary matched her with 13 points, adding four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Lyon finished with 12, including 10 in the second half and a team-high five assists, while Coffey had 11 points and seven rebounds Friday.
The 'Cats shot 44.9 percent for the game, while holding Arkansas to a mark of only 31.8 percent. The Razorbacks were able to advance thanks, in part, to 20-6 advantage on the offensive glass and a turnover margin of +9. NU was also held to its second-lowest point total of the year and under 60 points for just the third time in 32 games.
Though the season came to an end at the Ferrell Center, Northwestern can look back and reflect on a score of impressive accomplishments. The 2014-15 squad won more games, 23, than any team in 19 years and they earned the programs first NCAA Tournament bid in 18 years. This group also earned the first Associated Press poll ranking since 1996 and the first-ever acknowledgement in the USA Today coaches poll. Finally, the 'Cats posted two separate winning streaks of at least eight games, a feat that had not been accomplished since 1979-80.
Like Cohen, classmate Karly Roser ended her collegiate career in the Lone Star State. The invaluable pair was a part of 67 wins since 2011 and they leave with their names dotted through the program's record book. Cohen blocked a game-high three shots Friday to finish her tenure with 172, good for fourth place in program annals. Next month, she will represent the Wildcats at the Final Four in Tampa as a member of the 2015 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team.
Roser, a two-year captain, had two assists against the Razorbacks, brining her all-time total to 452, the sixth-most for a Northwestern player. She is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
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