LAST TIME OUT
Taylor Williams posted her sixth double-double of 2024-25, highlighting a group of three Wildcats to score in double figures, as Northwestern dropped a tightly contested 68-64 decision to visiting Indiana back on January 8 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Williams impressed in her return to the Wildcat lineup, closing her night with 15 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. Melannie Daley extended her streak of double-figure scoring efforts to seven, as she finished with a team-best 17 points and a career-high tying six assists. Caileigh Walsh added 12 points of her own, reaching double figures in scoring for the ninth time in her last 10 outings.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Appearing in the Associated Press Top 25 this week for the first time since the 2019-20 season, No. 24 Minnesota sits at 16-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten Conference action following a 99-92 defeat at the hands of No. 8 Maryland this past Tuesday in College Park, Md. Prior to falling to the Terrapins, Minnesota had rattled six straight wins on its way to a 16-1 mark, the best 17-game start in program history.
Second-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit's team features one of the nation's top defenses. The Golden Gophers allow a Big Ten-best 53.4 points per contest, a mark that ranks ninth nationally.
2023-24 Big Ten All-Freshman Team pick Grace Grocholski has picked up right where she left off last season, averaging 11.0 points to lead a group of four active Golden Gophers in double figures. Annika Stewart has provided a spark of the bench for Plitzuweit, adding 10.8 points per game while operating at a blistering 59.7 percent clip from the field. Amaya Battle, an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection from a season ago, dishes out a team-high 4.3 assists per game, in addition to averaging 10.1 points.
SERIES STUFF
Sunday's matinee marks the 80th all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Golden Gophers, a series in which Northwestern owns a slim edge, 40-39 (.506). Northwestern has gained the upper hand in the series of late, winning four of the last six encounters, including back-to-back wins at Welsh-Ryan Arena. When the two teams last clashed in Evanston, Walsh poured in a game-high 22 points to lead the 'Cats to a 76-62 victory on February 18, 2023.
Minnesota snapped a brief two-game skid against the 'Cats last season, as it dealt Northwestern an 88-63 setback at Williams Arena on February 17, 2024. Walsh and Daley led the way for Northwestern in the defeat, each putting up 16 points.
UP NEXT
Northwestern closes out its current homestand by hosting Illinois on Thursday, January 23 in a 7 p.m. matchup that will be televised on Big Ten Network.