EVANSTON, Ill. -- Even after losing four of their previous six games, the Northwestern Wildcats believed they could beat No. 5 Ohio State on Thursday night.
Turns out they were right. A big first half on offense and stout defense down the stretch propelled the Wildcats to an 86-82 victory over the Buckeyes, stopping Ohio State's winning streak at eight games.
"The coaches really challenged us this week," said guard Maggie Lyon, who led the Wildcats with 24 points. "We responded to it, played how we knew we could play."
One of those coaches was a visitor, Northwestern women's lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, whose teams have won seven NCAA championships.