As the seasons change, so do the sports. This week marks the start of men’s basketball, while others approach the end of their seasons. With more, here’s Gabe Shumway and this week’s NU Sports Report.
Photo by @NUMensBball on Twitter/X.
Hello, I’m Gabe Shumway, here with your NU Sports Report on everything from this past week.
The women’s field hockey team had a huge week, winning the Big 10 tournament in a double overtime thriller against Maryland. Alongside another win at Ohio State, the ‘Cats extended their winning streak to 18 games. This cemented them as the #2 ranked team entering the playoffs. With this, they receive a bye in the first round. Now they’re set to face the winner of California and Miami, Ohio in the second round this Friday.
Moving over to Volleyball, there were two matchups this past week, against Minnesota and at Illinois. While at Illinois, the ‘Cats went down in 3 sets. Upon returning back home for Minnesota, they put up a stronger fight. But alas, they were still unable to close it out, falling to the Golden Gophers in 4 sets. They have a rematch with Nebraska tonight at 7.
On the football field last Saturday, Northwestern was up against Iowa at Wrigley Field. This was slated to be a tough matchup, with Iowa being ranked at several points this season. After a first half strewn with offensive failures for both teams, they entered halftime in a 0-0 tie. However, Iowa mustered up more scoring in the second half. They relied on Running Back Leshon Williams who rushed for 79 yards. While Northwestern managed a touchdown of their own, it was not enough, as Iowa pulled off a 10-7 victory. Next Saturday, the ‘Cats will be at Wisconsin for a showdown with the Badgers.
The Big 10 tournament took place for men’s soccer this past week. Northwestern entered as favorites in their match against Michigan. However, they were unable to close out a win, losing a 1-0 match to Michigan on Friday. The team had been one the nation’s best earlier in the season, but will now miss out on the NCAA tournament. They finish up with a record of 10-4-3 overall, which is well above their preseason projections. They’ll look to build on this performance next season.
We also saw the beginning of basketball season on Monday, as they hosted Binghamton. The ‘Cats started slow out of the gate, but came on strong in the second half. Point Guard Boo Buie delivered a strong offensive performance, with 27 points. Brooks Barnhizer delivered on both sides of the ball, with a double-double. He netted 18 points alongside 13 rebounds. Princeton Transfer Ryan Langborg also cemented his value to the team early on. After exiting in the first half with an apparent injury, he returned for a 13-point performance. This culminated in a 72-61 victory for Northwestern. They’ll be back in action Friday against a strong mid-major team in Dayton.
That wraps up your NU Sports report for this week. For more information about upcoming games, as well as how you can watch the Wildcats live, visit www.nusports.com. I’m Gabe Shumway, WNUR News.
