FOOTBALL VS. DUKE, SEPT. 15
Lets's face it: pretty much everybody hates Duke. So when you have the chance to face them in football, which is their weakest sport, and at home, you try to take advantage. But when C.J. Bacher's desperation pass from the Duke 7-yard-line fell incomplete as time expired, the Wildcats managed to become the Blue Devil's first victims in 23 games, ending the longest losing streak in the nation. The 20-14 loss wound up stinging even more come November, when Northwestern finished the season at 6-6 - likely one win short of a bowl game.
BASKETBALL VS. INDIANA, FEB. 23
Everything about this games screamed "Upset!" Kelvin Sampson had just been fired as the Hoosiers' head coach for recruiting violations, and the Welsh-Ryan crowd was ready for the Wildcats' first Big Ten victory after stumbling to an 0-13 start. At one point in the first half Northwestern led by nine, but for the most part the teams traded the lead back and forth all night. In the end, NU's 3-pointer to tie at the buzzer was no good, and then-No. 15 Indiana held on for an 85-82 win. The Cats would beat Michigan in their next game for their only conference 'W' of the season.
WOMEN'S TENNIS VS. CALIFORNIA, MAY 17
They blew through the regular season, they blew through the Big Ten tournament and they blew through the early round of the NCAA tournament, but a first national title was not to be for the No. 1 Wildcats. After coming back to steal the doubles point, then-29-1 Northwestern looked poised to advance to its first ever NCAA semifinal. Instead, the Cats were denied in the quarterfinals by No. 8 California, who trumped NU 4-2 and wound up falling to No. 7 UCLA in the championship final. It looks like Claire Pollard and co. will just have to wait until next year.
Be the first to comment on this article!