Northwestern’s Defense Looks to Lock in Third Straight Win Saturday Against Delaware
On Saturday, Dec. 11 the Northwestern women's basketball team will host the University of Delaware at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 2 p.m. C.T. The Wildcats will be aiming to win their third straight game and fifth straight home game.
After reviewing how Northwestern has played in recent games, here’s who we can expect to start and what we should see in the game.
Northwestern starting five last game:
G - Veronica Burton
G - Jillian Brown
G - Melannie Daley
F - Courtney Shaw
F- Caileigh Walsh
Delaware starting five last game:
G - Tee Johnson
G - Tyi Skinner
F - Jasmine Dickey
F - Ty Battle
F - Makayla Pippen
Defending Home Court
The Wildcats have been literally unbeatable at Welsh-Ryan Arena after beating the breaks off of Clemson, Loyola, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) by an average margin of victory of 19 points.
Delaware on the other hand is entering this matchup after losing their last two games, both of which were on the road, pointing towards Northwestern having all the momentum heading into Sunday. Let’s delve a little deeper into why the Wildcats have been so good at home.
A High Level of Defensive Intensity
The Wildcats’ defense has been showing out all year, but they play at an even higher level in their home games against non-conference opponents. In the three such games that Northwestern has had, they’re holding their opponents to 30% from the field and 28% from three. We should expect Northwestern to do more of the same against a struggling Delaware offense.
The defense has also been disruptive in those games, forcing an average of 23 turnovers per game. Typically the Wildcats have won the turnover battle at home against non-conference opponents as well, turning the ball over on average eight fewer times than their opponent.
Hot Hand: Burton in Her Bag
Senior guard Veronica Burton has easily been Northwestern’s best offensive player this season, and it’s not close.
In their wins at home over UIC, Loyola and UCSB Burton has averaged 19.3 points, 6.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds. But what was most impressive about her play during those games was her efficiency. She shot 55% from the field and a blistering 69% from three.
Expect Burton to have another big game Saturday afternoon.
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Jonathan Fernandez is a reporter and writer for Wildcats Daily Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Fernandez is also pursuing his master's degree in sports media at Northwestern Medill.