Northwestern Edged by Purdue as Joe McKeown’s 18-Year Tenure Comes to a Close
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The mood inside Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday felt different. Yes, it was a Big Ten matchup between Northwestern and Purdue. But this one was about legacy. And ultimately, this was about goodbye.
Northwestern Wildcats' Senior Day Spotlight at Welsh-Ryan Arena
Purdue walked away with a 67-62 victory, playing spoiler in the regular-season finale. But the larger story was the conclusion of head coach Joe McKeown’s 18-year tenure at Northwestern. It was the end of his 40-year career in women’s college basketball.
FINAL | Purdue 67, Northwestern 62
— Northwestern Women’s Basketball (@nuwbball) March 1, 2026
McKeown, who guided Northwestern to a Big Ten regular-season championship in 2020, watched his team battle until the final buzzer. The loss dropped Northwestern to 8-21 overall and 2-16 in Big Ten play. It marked the program’s lowest win total since 2008-09 and capped an 11-game losing streak to close the season.
Before the game even tipped off, Northwestern honored five seniors. They were Grace Sullivan, DaiJa Turner, Sammy White, Tate Lash, and Caroline Lau. In a move that felt perfectly scripted for the moment, McKeown started all five seniors together.
Then came a touching scene. At the first dead ball, with the score still 0-0, McKeown subbed out White for Casey Harter. That allowed White to receive one final ovation from the home crowd.
The Boilermakers, 13-16 overall and 5-13 in Big Ten play, needed a win to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. They handled their business and secured their postseason spot. Northwestern committed 21 turnovers, and Purdue turned those mistakes into 32 points. The Wildcats, who average 15.6 turnovers per game, hit that average just 23 minutes into the contest.
Purdue did not dominate from three-point range, shooting just 5-of-23. The Boilermakers finished at 42 percent from the field overall. But they made up for it in other ways. Purdue grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and capitalized on nearly every Northwestern miscue. Extra chances piled up, and those extra chances turned into points.
Caroline Lau Delivers a Career Performance
The senior guard Caroline Lau delivered one of the finest performances of her time in purple. Lau recorded a double-double with a game-high 19 points and 13 assists. She knocked down a career-best eight three-pointers in the process.
By halftime, Lau already had 13 points and six assists. Before Grace Sullivan stepped to the line late in the second quarter, Lau had either scored or assisted on 18 consecutive Northwestern points. She turned it up even more in the fourth quarter.
On the opening possession, Lau drilled a stepback three, her fifth of the game at that point and already a career high. Moments later, she assisted Casey Harter on a transition-and-one opportunity that was sparked by a powerful Sullivan block. Lau either scored or assisted on Northwestern’s first 12 points of the final period. She nearly willed the Wildcats all the way back.
Grace Sullivan finished with 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting and added five rebounds. Her emphatic fourth-quarter rejection led directly to a transition score that brought the crowd to its feet. DaiJa Turner opened the game with Northwestern’s first four points and later added a crucial layup to cut the deficit to one. Harter chipped in five points during a key second-quarter run.
Purdue's Tara Daye led with 18 points. Kiki Smith added 17. Nya Smith scored 16 while playing all 40 minutes, contributing seven assists and five rebounds. Kiki Smith knocked down two early threes to set the tone. Nya Smith sparked a 9-1 run to open the second half that pushed the lead to double digits.
Northwestern led 7-5 early after a deep Lau three. Purdue closed the first quarter ahead 18-14. The Wildcats responded with a 10-2 run to close the first half, tying the score at 30-30 at the break.
Purdue opened the third quarter with a 9-1 surge. Northwestern answered with a 9-2 run of its own. In the fourth, the Wildcats trimmed a 10-point deficit to 57-56 after Turner’s layup with 4:14 remaining.
A 6-0 burst, highlighted by a Kiki Smith fastbreak layup off a turnover, stretched the lead back to seven. With 70 seconds left and a chance to tie, Sullivan had an open midrange look but airballed the shot. Forced to foul in the closing seconds, Northwestern watched Purdue convert 4-of-4 free throws to seal the 67-62 result.
When the buzzer sounded, it marked the end of the season and the end of Joe McKeown’s remarkable coaching career. It also marked Northwestern’s second straight year missing the Big Ten Tournament.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.