Wearing Jordan Hankins’ No. 5, Amber Jamison plays defense. The sophomore has emerged as a key contributor for Northwestern over the past two games.
For Amber Jamison, Tuesday’s win was more than just a game.
The sophomore guard was a close friend of Jordan Hankins, who died last week. Jamison roomed with Hankins their freshman season and wore Hankins’ No. 5 jersey in Northwestern’s game against Indiana on Saturday, the team’s first game since the death of Hankins.
Jamison has started back-to-back games — the first two starts of her career — since Hankins’ death, scoring a combined 35 points over the Wildcats’ last two wins. Her 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists against the Spartans were all career highs as well.
Coach Joe McKeown did not provide an update on senior guard Christen Inman, who missed Tuesday’s game with an injury, so it remains to be seen how many more starts Jamison will get. But in the two games since Hankins’ death, Jamison and the rest of her team are keeping their teammate in their minds while on the court.
NU as a whole will need Jamison, and other role players, to continue stepping up if Inman misses extended time. However, Tuesday’s win was a good sign that the Cats’ depth may not be a problem in Inman’s absence, especially considering senior forward Nia Coffey’s rare off-night.
Coffey scored just 7 points against Michigan State, the first time she’s been held under 10 points in nearly two years. With Coffey struggling and Inman out, Jamison and senior forward Lauren Douglas combined for 35 points.
McKeown said having a versatile player like Douglas makes life difficult for other teams.
Senior forward Allie Tuttle and junior guard Maya Jonas also contributed, each notching their season high in points with 6 and 4, respectively.
But it appears that Jamison will be tasked as the primary backup to Inman for the time being. Despite her improved stats, McKeown said he hasn’t seen anything different of Jamison in practice.