EVANSTON, Ill. (November 14, 2025) – Casey Harter and Tayla Thomas both enjoyed career nights as Northwestern improved to 3-0 with a 69-54 win over Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) this evening inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
How It Happened
Harter knocked down her first three of the evening with just under two minutes gone, connecting on a corner trey that gave Northwestern a 5-4 edge. Grace Sullivan drained a pair of mid-range jumpers in short succession, the second of which knotted the score at 12-12. Sullivan and Xamiya Walton each hit a pair of free throws across the closing 90 seconds of the opening frame, as the 'Cats held a 16-14 lead heading to the second quarter.
Another Sullivan bucket sparked a 7-0 Wildcat run, a spurt punctuated by five straight points from Harter, the last two of which stretched the lead to 23-14. The visitors refused to go away, battling back to tie the game at 27-27 with three minutes remaining in the half. Triples on consecutive trips from Angelina Hodgens and Caroline Lau, respectively, laid the foundation for an 8-0 tear that saw Northwestern race into halftime with a 37-29 edge.
Northwestern wasted no time in pushing its lead into double digits coming out of the intermission. Buckets from Tate Lash and Thomas stretched the gap to 41-29 and prompted a UMES timeout. The Hawks again mounted a charge, closing back within six, 43-37, but another Harter triple ignited an 11-3 run that saw the lead balloon to 54-40.
The Wildcats took their largest lead of the night, 69-48, on a Thomas jumper in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, as Northwestern cruised to a third straight victory to begin the 2025-26 season.
Inside The Box Score
- Harter finished with a career-high 19 points (6-10 FGs, 5-7 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) and eight rebounds.
- Harter connected on a career-best five attempts from beyond the three-point arc.
- Thomas joined Harter in putting up a new career-best scoring output, adding 16 points (7-10 FGs, 1-2 3FGs, 1-2 FTs), in addition to 11 rebounds to pick up her second double-double of the year.
- Sullivan scored in double figures for a third straight game, matching Thomas with 16 points (7-13 FGs, 2-4 FTs) of her own.
- Lau put up her 42nd career outing with at least five assists, dishing out eight helpers as Northwestern assisted on 21 of its 24 made field goals.
- Hodgens provided Northwestern with a spark off the bench, adding five points (1-3 FGs, 1-2 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), three assists, and a steal.
- Ashanti Lynch paced UMES with 17 points (8-18 FGs, 1-1 FTs).
Up Next
Northwestern hits the road for the first time in 2025-26 on Monday, November 17, making the short trip south to Wintrust Arena for an 11 a.m. CT matchup with DePaul.
How It Happened
Harter knocked down her first three of the evening with just under two minutes gone, connecting on a corner trey that gave Northwestern a 5-4 edge. Grace Sullivan drained a pair of mid-range jumpers in short succession, the second of which knotted the score at 12-12. Sullivan and Xamiya Walton each hit a pair of free throws across the closing 90 seconds of the opening frame, as the 'Cats held a 16-14 lead heading to the second quarter.
Another Sullivan bucket sparked a 7-0 Wildcat run, a spurt punctuated by five straight points from Harter, the last two of which stretched the lead to 23-14. The visitors refused to go away, battling back to tie the game at 27-27 with three minutes remaining in the half. Triples on consecutive trips from Angelina Hodgens and Caroline Lau, respectively, laid the foundation for an 8-0 tear that saw Northwestern race into halftime with a 37-29 edge.
Northwestern wasted no time in pushing its lead into double digits coming out of the intermission. Buckets from Tate Lash and Thomas stretched the gap to 41-29 and prompted a UMES timeout. The Hawks again mounted a charge, closing back within six, 43-37, but another Harter triple ignited an 11-3 run that saw the lead balloon to 54-40.
The Wildcats took their largest lead of the night, 69-48, on a Thomas jumper in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, as Northwestern cruised to a third straight victory to begin the 2025-26 season.
Inside The Box Score
- Harter finished with a career-high 19 points (6-10 FGs, 5-7 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) and eight rebounds.
- Harter connected on a career-best five attempts from beyond the three-point arc.
- Thomas joined Harter in putting up a new career-best scoring output, adding 16 points (7-10 FGs, 1-2 3FGs, 1-2 FTs), in addition to 11 rebounds to pick up her second double-double of the year.
- Sullivan scored in double figures for a third straight game, matching Thomas with 16 points (7-13 FGs, 2-4 FTs) of her own.
- Lau put up her 42nd career outing with at least five assists, dishing out eight helpers as Northwestern assisted on 21 of its 24 made field goals.
- Hodgens provided Northwestern with a spark off the bench, adding five points (1-3 FGs, 1-2 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), three assists, and a steal.
- Ashanti Lynch paced UMES with 17 points (8-18 FGs, 1-1 FTs).
Up Next
Northwestern hits the road for the first time in 2025-26 on Monday, November 17, making the short trip south to Wintrust Arena for an 11 a.m. CT matchup with DePaul.