Northwestern Women's Basketball Close Non-Conference Play with Road Loss at George Washington

Northwestern Women's Basketball Falls at George Washington

Northwestern Women's Basketball | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Northwestern Wildcats closed out their non-conference schedule Sunday afternoon. And with a challenging road test in the nation’s capital, they fell 75-62 to George Washington at the Charles E. Smith Center.

Veteran Leaders Carry the Load for Northwestern

Northwestern leaned heavily on its experienced core, with junior guard Caroline Lau and senior forward Tayla Thomas leading the way offensively. Both finished with 17 points, anchoring the Wildcats on a day when scoring came at a premium.

FINAL | George Washington 75, Northwestern 62

'Cats resume @B1Gwbball play at No. 22 Washington on Monday, December 29.

— Northwestern Women’s Basketball (@nuwbball) December 21, 2025

Along with Lau's 17 points, she added eight rebounds and six assists, coming close to her second double-double of the year. Thomas continued her strong stretch of play, posting 17 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high three blocks.

The game opened with early promise for Northwestern. Thomas scored just 25 seconds into the contest with a mid-range jumper, setting an aggressive tone. The Wildcats battled through early swings and pulled even at 18-18 midway through the second quarter.

Momentum shifted when George Washington answered with an 8-0 run that allowed the Revolutionaries to regain control. Northwestern continued to battle, and Angelina Hodgens delivered a timely spark just before halftime, beating the buzzer with a contested finish. That basket trimmed the deficit to 32-24 and kept the Wildcats within striking distance heading into the locker room.

Northwestern carried that energy into the third quarter. Lau opened the half with five straight points, including a three-pointer, cutting the margin to 35-31 and briefly swinging momentum back toward the visitors.

Late Rally Shows Fight in Foggy Bottom

George Washington gradually built separation in the fourth quarter, stretching its lead to 63-46 with 5:56 remaining. Northwestern responded with a determined push from the perimeter. Three-pointers from Hodgens, Kat Righeimer, and Claire Keswick came in rapid succession. Especially with Righeimer’s triple, narrowing the gap to 66-55. Moments later, Keswick connected again from deep to make it 67-60 with just over two minutes to play.

The comeback attempt ultimately fell short, as George Washington closed out the game to improve to 8-5 overall and extend its winning streak to six games. Still, the stretch highlighted Northwestern’s resilience and the continued development of its younger contributors.

Hodgens turned in the most productive performance of her season. She finished with a season-high 12 points while adding five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Before tip-off, George Washington honored Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown with a banner recognizing his 441 career wins at GW, the most by any coach in school history across all sports. As McKeown prepares to retire at the end of the season, the ceremony served as a powerful reminder of his legacy in Foggy Bottom. That's where he compiled a 441-154 record.

Legend 🐐

Prior to tip-off, Head Coach @Joe_McKeown750 was honored in a special ceremony recognizing his time at George Washington. pic.twitter.com/5G5sTQOBUN

— Northwestern Women’s Basketball (@nuwbball) December 21, 2025

The win also marked George Washington’s first victory over a Power 4 opponent since defeating Wisconsin in November 2017.

With the non-conference schedule complete, Northwestern moves to 6-6 overall and now shifts its full focus to the Big Ten. The Wildcats return to action Monday, December 29, traveling to Seattle for a matchup against No. 22 Washington at 7 p.m. CT.

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