EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern continues their five-game home stand on Saturday as they face off with Southern Illinois at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip-off between the two teams is set for 2 p.m.
The Wildcats (1-2) will play their fourth non-conference game of the year, hoping to bounce back after falling to #9 Notre Dame on Wednesday. Both of Northwestern’s losses so far have come against ranked opponents, as they dropped their season opener to #20 Oregon on the road.
Despite the record, Northwestern has received strong performances from several players through their first three games. Sophomore Caileigh Walsh is pacing the team in points (31), field goals (13) and rebounds (16) after starting all three games so far. Senior Kaylah Rainey is also making an impact in her first season as a starter. She’s averaging 7.7 points per game so far this year, which nearly matches her previous single-game career high of eight points.
In addition to the starters, the ‘Cats have received a boost from their bench. Non-starters have scored nearly 38% of the ‘Cats’ points so far this season (69-of-178), led by Paige Mott, who has contributed 19. First-year Caroline Lau is leading the team in assists with seven, and Laya Hartman is averaging a three-point field goal a game off the bench. Mercy Ademusayo has also contributed, blocking three shots and nabbing six rebounds against Notre Dame.
Saturday’s game will be the first ever meeting between Northwestern and Southern Illinois (0-2). The Salukis will play on the road for the first time this season after opening their schedule with two straight home contests.
After Saturday, the Wildcats will remain in Evanston for the remainder of the month to continue with their non-conference schedule. The ‘Cats’ next game will be against Niagara on Tuesday, with tip-off at Welsh-Ryan Arena set for 7 p.m.
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