By Amit Mallik, Northwestern Correspondent
Ashley Deary turned in an outstanding performance in the Wildcats' 86-62 win over Western Michigan, showcasing a career highs in points and assists with 25 and 12, respectively.
Her dominant display drew the praise of her teammates and coach, and earned her second career Big Ten Player of the Week to cap off an impressive three-game stretch to open the 2015-16 season.
"She's one of the best point guards in college basketball," Coach Joe McKeown said in the post-game press conference. "I'm saying that objectively after thirty-some years in our game. She just does everything."
Deary's defense was still on full display as she added three steals. At one point toward the end of the contest, she literally took the ball straight out of the Broncos' point guard's hands and raced down the floor for an easy lay-up.
"She has that mentality that nobody is going to get past her," said senior guard Maggie Lyon. "In my opinion, she's the best defender in the country. I would not want to play against her ever."
Her previous season high was 17 points, which she surpassed just 18 minutes into Northwestern's matchup against Western Michigan. Deary scored with machine-like efficiency as she went 10-for-13 from the field and knocked down three shots from beyond the arc.
Her 12 assists also showed off her complete offensive game, as she played the role of a floor general. She started more than a few fast breaks with great transition passes, but also set up her teammates with open shots in the half-court offense.
"Here's what she does best: whatever she needs to do for us to win," Coach McKeown said. "She doesn't have to score, she'll get it done defensively sometimes. She'll get it to the right people at the right times and she'll take out the other team's best player."
Deary wasn't thinking about her career-highs during the game, and was instead focused on making her shots in the flow of play and feeding whoever was hot, including Lyon and junior forward Nia Coffey. Deary was instrumental in blowing the game open on a 22-0 run that started late in the third quarter after the Broncos closed the gap to within 10 points.
"Every now and then we just have to get each other going and build energy," Deary said. "I was really happy I could be that [sparkplug] and set my team up for a run."
Coach McKeown offered Deary some of the highest praise by comparing her to former point guard Dawn Staley and discussing how he talked to Staley before the season.
Dawn Staley was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, voted onto the list of 15 greatest WNBA players of all time, and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. McKeown called her "maybe the greatest point guard in women's basketball."
"Dawn and I were talking about how she [Deary] needs to be Dawn Staley," McKeown said, recounting his preseason conversation with Staley. "She needs to elevate and she's capable of doing that, of elevating the team to the next level."
McKeown described how Staley called Deary before the season just to give her some advice and how it has started to reflect in Deary's play.
"Dawn has won at every level and just understands what it's like to win championships," Coach McKeown said. "I think Ashley has some of that in her and we're starting to see it."
Ashley Deary turned in an outstanding performance in the Wildcats' 86-62 win over Western Michigan, showcasing a career highs in points and assists with 25 and 12, respectively.
Her dominant display drew the praise of her teammates and coach, and earned her second career Big Ten Player of the Week to cap off an impressive three-game stretch to open the 2015-16 season.
"She's one of the best point guards in college basketball," Coach Joe McKeown said in the post-game press conference. "I'm saying that objectively after thirty-some years in our game. She just does everything."
Deary's defense was still on full display as she added three steals. At one point toward the end of the contest, she literally took the ball straight out of the Broncos' point guard's hands and raced down the floor for an easy lay-up.
"She has that mentality that nobody is going to get past her," said senior guard Maggie Lyon. "In my opinion, she's the best defender in the country. I would not want to play against her ever."
Her previous season high was 17 points, which she surpassed just 18 minutes into Northwestern's matchup against Western Michigan. Deary scored with machine-like efficiency as she went 10-for-13 from the field and knocked down three shots from beyond the arc.
Her 12 assists also showed off her complete offensive game, as she played the role of a floor general. She started more than a few fast breaks with great transition passes, but also set up her teammates with open shots in the half-court offense.
"Here's what she does best: whatever she needs to do for us to win," Coach McKeown said. "She doesn't have to score, she'll get it done defensively sometimes. She'll get it to the right people at the right times and she'll take out the other team's best player."
Deary wasn't thinking about her career-highs during the game, and was instead focused on making her shots in the flow of play and feeding whoever was hot, including Lyon and junior forward Nia Coffey. Deary was instrumental in blowing the game open on a 22-0 run that started late in the third quarter after the Broncos closed the gap to within 10 points.
"Every now and then we just have to get each other going and build energy," Deary said. "I was really happy I could be that [sparkplug] and set my team up for a run."
Coach McKeown offered Deary some of the highest praise by comparing her to former point guard Dawn Staley and discussing how he talked to Staley before the season.
Dawn Staley was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, voted onto the list of 15 greatest WNBA players of all time, and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. McKeown called her "maybe the greatest point guard in women's basketball."
"Dawn and I were talking about how she [Deary] needs to be Dawn Staley," McKeown said, recounting his preseason conversation with Staley. "She needs to elevate and she's capable of doing that, of elevating the team to the next level."
McKeown described how Staley called Deary before the season just to give her some advice and how it has started to reflect in Deary's play.
"Dawn has won at every level and just understands what it's like to win championships," Coach McKeown said. "I think Ashley has some of that in her and we're starting to see it."