After a season-saving victory against No. 10-ranked Iowa, IU will look to maintain momentum Tuesday when the Hoosiers get their rematch with the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois.
The first time these two teams met was Jan. 16, and it turned into IU’s first home loss of the season after starting out 8-0 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
That game was all about the start, as IU shot just 3-of-15 in the first quarter and trailed 19-10. The Hoosiers outscored the Wildcats 27-18 in the fourth quarter, but in the first three quarters they dug themselves in too deep of a hole to crawl out of, losing 75-69.
Sophomore guard Lindsey Pulliam is Northwestern’s leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points per game. In the win against IU earlier this year, Pulliam scored a game high 27 points. In her career against IU, she is averaging 30 points per game.
“Pulliam is a very difficult young lady to guard,” IU Coach Teri Moren said after the game Jan. 16.
Alongside Pulliam is freshman guard Veronica Burton, who is averaging just 7.7 points per game, but scored 19 points against IU after hitting five 3-pointers. Down low, Northwestern has senior forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah and junior forward Abi Scheid, both are 6 feet, 2 inches and average 11 points per game.
“They’re great players,” junior guard Ali Patberg said after the first meeting with the Wildcats.
IU was outrebounded 42-29 in the first game and allowed 15 offensive rebounds to Northwestern. It was the first time this season that Moren said her team wasn’t the toughest one on the floor. Even junior forward Brenna Wise said after the game that the Wildcats were just tougher and grittier, two characteristics the Hoosiers have liked to hang their hat on this season.
After that game, IU lost seven of nine and began to fall to the bottom of the Big Ten standings. Its biggest stretch of losses was four, and they were all without Patberg, the team’s leading scorer at 15.6 per game.
But Patberg returned last Thursday night against the Hawkeyes and was possibly going to be on a minute restriction, but received just three minutes of rest as she helped IU overcome a 16-point deficit while scoring 21 points, defeating Iowa 75-73.
The victory snapped IU’s four-game skid and improved the team to 18-10 overall and 7-9 in the conference. IU is currently 11th place in the Big Ten standings, but a win against Northwestern could boost the team to as high as tied for sixth.
The toughness and grit of the Hoosiers were back on display against Iowa, and Moren stressed the importance of maintaining it with just two games remaining in the regular season.
“We still have a lot of season left for us,” Moren said after the Iowa game. “We’ve gotta have no hangover when we go to Chicago.”
