Feb. 10, 2006
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Feb. 11, 2006 - Noon
Northwestern (11-10, 4-6 Big Ten)
vs. IPFW (7-15, Independent)
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)
Evanston, Ill.
The Broadcasts
Radio--WGN 720 AM
(Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Nate Pomeday analyst)
Television--None
The Game
Northwestern takes on its final nonconference opponent of the season when they welcome the Mastodons of IPFW to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a Saturday matinee.
The 'Cats are riding high after a thrilling 51-48 win over No. 18 Iowa Wednesday night at home. Vedran Vukusic carried the 'Cats on his back, scoring 15 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to give NU the victory, its fourth in five tries against Iowa.
No player in the Big Ten has meant more to his team than Vukusic who has accounted for 35 percent of NU's scoring this season. He has a chance today to add two more milestones to his resume.
At his current scoring rate of 20.8 ppg, Vedran Vukusic is on pace to become the first Wildcat since Ray Ragelis in 1951 to lead the Big Ten in scoring.
Today is the first meeting between the two schools on the hardwood.
At the age of 25, Dane Fife is the youngest head coach in Division I.
Vukusic Looks to Make History
Vedran Vukusic will shoot for not one, but two milestones this afternoon against IPFW.
With 1,489 points going into today, he needs just 11 to become the seventh player in Wildcat basketball history to record 1,500 career points. He needs 33 to surpass Jitim Young for fifth place on the all-time scoring list. At his current scoring rate of 20.8 ppg, he is on pace to finish third among the all-time scoring greats in Wildcat history behind Billy McKinney (1,900 points; 1973-77) and Evan Eschmeyer (1,805 points; 1995-99).
Further, Vukusic can become the most prolific three-point shooter in Wildcat history this afternoon. He needs just three to tie and four break the all-time record of 203 makes set by Todd Leslie who played for the Wildcats from 1989-94.
Other Notes to Watch For ...
Vukusic is on pace to become the first Wildcat since Ray Ragelis in 1951 to lead the Big Ten in scoring.
Taking it a step further, Vukusic also would become the first European player in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring.
Vukusic has led the Wildcats in scoring 18 times this season, four away from tying the modern day record held by Evan Eschmeyer who led NU in scoring 22 times during the 1998-99 season.
Coaches vs. Cancer National Awareness Day
Head coach Bill Carmody and thousands of coaches across the country will be showing their support for the Coaches vs. Cancer program, a joint effort by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, by sporting sneakers at today's game. Coaches vs. Cancer National Awareness Weekend allows the coaches to lace up their sneakers to support the American Cancer Society and the fight against Cancer.
About IPFW
IPFW (Indiana/Purdue-Fort Wayne) is a Division I Independent out of Fort Wayne, Ind. and are under the direction of first year head coach and former Indiana Hoosier Dane Fife.
Northwestern is the fourth Big Ten team IPFW has faced this season. The Mastodons hung tough at Michigan State, losing by 11 (84-73). They then lost on the road at Purdue 79-69 before losing at Penn State 74-59.
IPFW is coming off a 58-38 win at South Dakota State Monday night. DeWitt Scott led three Mastodons in double-figures with 16 points and eight rebounds while Justin Hawkins and D.J. Posley each had 12.
Today marks the first meeting between the two schools on the hardwood.
Fife in First Season at IPFW
Dane Fife, the youngest head coach in Division I at 25 years of age, is in his first year as the head coach of the Mastodons after serving as an assistant for two years at Indiana. As a player, Fife was the defensive catalyst behind IU's 2001-02 Big Ten co-champion and Final Four team. He broke IU's career steals record (180) en route to league Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. Fife also ranks among the Hoosiers' all-time top 20 in assists (307) and three-pointers (99), and his .478 three-point field goal percentage in 2001-02 is sixth on IU's single-season list.
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