 Senior Sarah Kwasinski scored 15 points including only the fifth 3-pointer of her career Thursday night against Michigan. |
'Cats Come Up Clutch Against Michigan, 66-59
Jan. 6, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Three Wildcats scored 15 points and Northwestern got
a clutch 3-pointer late from an unlikely source in defeating Michigan,
66-59, Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena for NU's first Big Ten win under
first-year head coach Beth
Combs.
Holding tight to a one-point lead with the shot clock running down,
6-foot-4 senior center Sarah
Kwasinski (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) hoisted a 3-ball from the top of the
key that found nothing but net to stake NU to a 60-56 lead with 56 seconds
remaining in the game.
The 3-pointer was the fifth of Kwasinski's career and her first since
Feb. 15, 2004 against Purdue.
"It feels fantastic to get that first win," Combs said. "We had several
players step up and make big plays and that is what it is all about."
Senior Samantha
McComb (Farmington Heights, Mich./North Farmington) then hit a pair of
free throws to extend the Wildcat lead to six before Michigan's Becky
Flippen hit her fifth 3-pointer of the game to draw the Wolverines within
three with 30 seconds to play.
Freshman Sara
Stutz hit 3-of-4 free throws and made a key steal to halt any thought
of a Michigan comeback. McComb added another from the stripe with eight
seconds remaining to make the final 66-59.
The points were the first of the second half for Stutz, who scored 12
in the first half and finished with a career-best 15. McComb and Kwasinski
also finished with 15 for the Wildcats.
Defensively Northwestern forced 24 turnovers with 16 steals while
committing only 15 miscues of its own. The plus-nine turnover margin is
the best of the season for the 'Cats.
"Our players are getting better every single game," Combs said. "This
is about them putting it together and playing with emotion, playing with
intensity, which is what they did to finish the game."
McComb finished with five steals while Kwasinski, sophomore A.J.
Glasauer (Freiburg, Germany/Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium) and junior Ifeoma
Okonkwo (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak) all had three thefts.
Okonkwo also led NU on the boards with nine for the game.
Michigan (4-10, 0-3 Big Ten) led for much of the game, with its largest
lead of the second half at six points with 19:19 remaining. The Wildcats
whittled away at the advantage, taking it for good with 1:57 to go on a
Kwasinski jumper that put NU up 57-56 and set the stage for the senior's
big trey.
Northwestern (4-12, 1-2 Big Ten) returns to action at 2 p.m. Sunday
hosting Illinois in the final game of NU's current three-game home stand.