Jan. 22, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -
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NU takes to the road in conference play for the fourth time this season, traveling to Michigan to take on the Wolverines at Crisler Arena. NU is coming off a 63-42 defeat at the hands of Ohio State while Michigan enters tonight's contest after beating Indiana 71-68. Both games were played on Jan. 19.
The Wolverines' last opponent, Indiana, is the only common foe between the two teams. The Hoosiers defeated NU (62-52) in Bloomington on Jan. 9.
So far this season the road has not been kind for NU. In all, the Wildcats are 0-7 away from Welsh-Ryan Arena, including a 0-3 conference mark. On the other side, the Wolverines have played tough at home this season, boasting a 7-1 record, with the only loss coming to Illinois (89-57) on Jan. 5.
The Wolverines are led in scoring by 6-foot-4 center Jennifer Smith who averages 13.3 points per contest. NU counters with the equally tall Sarah Kwasinski who averages 13.5 PPG. Beyond that, U-of-M has three more players who average double figures, with the team putting up 70.9 PPG. The Wildcats average 55.2 PPG and have sophomore Samantha McComb (10.5 PPG) putting up more than 10 points a game. Freshman Ifeoma Okonkwo has come on strong of late, averaging 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in the last five games.
'Cat Nips
* Sarah Kwasinski is NU's leading rebounder (7.6 pg). Michigan is led by sophomore Tabitha Pool (7.4). The two rank fifth and sixth in the latest Big Ten rebounding stats.
* Opponents hit only 39 percent of their shots when playing the Wildcats, a mark good enough for second in the Big Ten (all games). The 'Cats are fourth (.310) in three-point field goal per- centage defense and fifth in scoring defense (62.6). Michigan ranks 10th in field-goal defense (.421), sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.335) and 10th in scoring defense (68.7).
* Sarah Kwasinski cracked the top 10 in rebounding according to the Jan. 22 Big Ten stats. She currently averages 7.6 caroms per game. The Chicago native is seventh in Big Ten-only statistics with 7.5 rebounds per contest. Freshman Ifeoma Okonkwo is 18th on the conference rebounding chart (5.7 per game).
* Senior Natalie Will leads the Wildcats with 10 steals in six con- ference games. Three Wolverines have eight steals in four Big Ten games. Will also leads NU with 15 conference assists, one more than Samantha McComb and Kristin Ambrose.
* Sophomore center Sarah Kwasinski is averaging 14.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in her last four contests, including 15 rebounds- tying a career high-against Ohio State.
* NU averages 15.3 fouls per conference game compared to 18.5 for Michigan.
* NU is shooting 73 percent (181-for-248) from the free-throw line overall and 59 percent (43-for-72) in Big Ten action.
* Sarah Kwasinski is fourth in blocked shots in conference action with 10. Michigan is led by Tabitha Pool with three.
* Melissa Culver and Leslie Dolland teamed up with Michigan guard Stephanie Gandy over the summer on the Big Ten Women's Basketball Foreign Tour team. The squad went 5-0 traveling through the Netherlands and Belgium.
* Sarah Kwasinski leads the team in rebounding in conference action. After tying a career-high with 15 rebounds vs. Ohio State (1/19/03), Kwasinski is averaging 7.5 caroms a game.
* Wildcat guard Samantha McComb reached 300 points in her career when she scored 10 points vs. Penn State on Jan. 12.
* Sarah Kwasinski reached the 600 career-point mark and 300 career rebound mark when she scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds vs. Ohio State on Jan. 19. She now has 608 all-time points and 311 career rebounds.
* Samantha McComb and Sarah Kwasinski are the only two Wildcats to start every game this season.
* Three of NU's four coaches have Div. I head coaching experience.
-Olkowski at Arizona, Butler and Northwestern
-Darling at the Air Force Academy
-Grennan at St. Joseph's (Pa.)
* Sue Darling spent two years (1996-97) working for the Seattle Reign (ABL) as an assistant coach.
* The eight three-pointers NU hit against Michigan State (1/2/03) is a season high.
* In their Big Ten home opener, the Wildcat defense held Michigan State to season lows in points (46), field goals made (16), field goal percentage (.281), free throws made (seven) and free throw percentage (.500).
* Northwestern has held three of its 17 opponents under 30 per- cent shooting from the field and 10 teams under 40 percent.