The Wildcats started slow, but the defense took over the game in the second half.
In a game where points were at a premium, Northwestern found just enough. The Wildcats (2-3, 0-0 B1G) took down Loyola Chicago (4-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10) 73-64 on Tuesday night behind utter dominance in the post.
Taylor Williams led the way in almost every facet, scoring 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting while adding 14 rebounds and five assists — all of which were team-high marks. Grace Sullivan added to the transfer triumph, scoring 15 points and snaring seven rebounds. Williams and Sullivan also combined to convert 13 of their 16 attempts from the free throw line. Despite shooting just 37.9% from the field and making just two of its 20 three-pointers, Northwestern survived thanks to a 52-40 rebounding advantage.
For the Ramblers, four players scored in double figures, led by Kira Chivers’ 17 points. Emma Theodorsson added 12, Naelle Bernard chipped in 11 and Jess Finney scored 10. Loyola Chicago canned 11 of its 30 three-pointers but converted just 13 of its 38 two-pointers, and also committed 15 turnovers to the Wildcats’ 12. A 28-point second half sealed the home team’s fate in a tough loss.
However, that loss didn’t seem likely in the first quarter. While Northwestern jumped out to a 6-2 lead behind some fast break layups from Williams and Sullivan, the Ramblers quickly responded. Chivers converted back-to-back fast break threes to push her squad ahead 10-6 at the media timeout. Things only got worse for the Wildcats after the break, as they committed five turnovers in the final four minutes of the opening frame.
The saving grace for the quarter was that Loyola Chicago also struggled to hold onto the ball. The Ramblers committed six turnovers, which Northwestern scored four points off of. But even with Williams and Sullivan combining for 10 points in the opening quarter, the Wildcats trailed 19-13 at the break. Chivers’ six in the frame led the way for the home side, but five of her teammates also scored in the quarter.
Northwestern quickly struck in the second frame, with its forwards once again leading the way. After back-to-back layups from Caileigh Walsh, the Loyola lead had been trimmed to 24-22 with just under seven minutes to play in the first half. But the Ramblers continued to ramble on from downtown, and a deep ball from Finney pushed the lead back to five halfway through the second quarter.
The Wildcats responded fiercely, taking the lead on a Xamiya Walton triple with two minutes to play in the opening half, but Loyola Chicago still had plenty of counterpunches in its arsenal. An Audrey Deptula trey gave the home team the lead back, and Chivers pushed the lead to three with a tough layup. Walsh answered back with a layup of her own, but a buzzer-beating attempt from Walton rimmed out.
The first half was marked with rough shooting and lots of paint scoring. Both teams shot 39% from the field, and the two combined for 28 points in the paint. The 36-35 lead for the home side was primarily due to hot shooting beyond the arc — the Ramblers canned seven of their 12 three pointers in the first 20 minutes. Northwestern, meanwhile, was just 1-for-8 from deep, but converted 12 of its 14 free throws in the first half. Williams led all scorers with 10 points, but Chivers had eight for Loyola Chicago.
It was Williams who would take over the action in the third quarter. While the Ramblers briefly pushed the lead back to six early in the frame, Williams attacked the hoop with aplomb to get her squad back in it. By the midway point of the third quarter, the Wildcats had trimmed the lead back to 42-41, with Williams responsible for five of Northwestern’s seven post-halftime points.
Shortly thereafter, Sullivan and Kyla Jones took the wheel for the Wildcats. Jones earned a pair of layups off turnovers, and Sullivan’s offensive rebounding prowess led to a pair of second-chance paint buckets. All of a sudden, a 42-36 Loyola lead with 6:55 left in the frame had turned into a 49-42 Loyola deficit with 3:31 left. The Ramblers punched back once more, but Williams and Sullivan refused to let up. A big-time three from Caroline Lau pushed the lead to 58-50, which was the margin heading into the final frame.
The third quarter was tough sledding for Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers made just six field goals and committed five turnovers, and were also outrebounded by a ludicrous 17-5 margin in the frame. Williams had as many rebounds in the third quarter as the entire Loyola Chicago team, and added seven points to boot. Her all-around dominance combined with Sullivan and Jones’ scoring punch had turned a six-point deficit into an eight-point lead.
That lead extended to 11 less than three minutes into the final quarter, as Sullivan and Williams continued to torch the nets from the free throw line. But resilience had been the Rambler way all night long, and that trend continued in the fourth frame. Chivers hit a big-time three shortly before the four-minute mark to cut the deficit to just five, and Northwestern fans all over started sweating.
Luckily, five points was the closest the Wildcats would let the game get. In fact, after Chivers’ bucket with 4:16 remaining, Loyola Chicago scored just two more points on the night (coming, of course, off a Chivers layup). Over the final three minutes, the Ramblers missed five three pointers. Northwestern, meanwhile, kept feeding the post, to great success. Walsh and Williams closed the deal, and a pair of Casey Harter free throws pushed the final margin to 73-64.
The win is especially notable given that it’s the first time the Wildcats have won the rebounding battle this season (52-40). It’s also the first time this year Northwestern has had a free throw advantage, with the squad converting 21 of 33 attempts from the charity stripe. The Ramblers, meanwhile, attempted just eight free throws over the course of the game, converting five.
This game was far from perfect — just look at the Wildcats’ shooting splits. But it’s also the first contest in which the team committed under 11 fouls since January 10 (last season) against Wisconsin. And it’s the first game Northwestern’s won the rebounding battle by double digits since last November 19 — over 365 days ago. With five players tallying over five rebounds, the success on the boards seems sustainable. If it is, then the Wildcats might have a chance to make some noise this season.
Their next chance to do that will come this Sunday, when they take on the Cornell Big Red in Welsh-Ryan Arena at 1 p.m. CST.