Dec. 15, 2006
Nebraska Game Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern takes to the road this weekend, traveling to Lincoln, Neb. to face Big XII foe Nebraska in a 4 p.m. contest Saturday afternoon. The game is the first contest in a three-game sprint over the next five days. After Saturday, the Wildcats host Georgia Tech for a noon contest on Monday and travel to Utah for a 1 p.m. CT bout on Dec. 20.
"We have our work cut out for us this next week," head coach Beth Combs said. "Our goal has been to be above .500 heading into the Big Ten season and we will accomplish that goal. Our players understand that it is time to bring our game to the next level, and we need all 11 players to do so. I am excited to see our team play these next three games and watch us grow as a program."
Last Time Out...
Northwestern gave No. 18 DePaul more than it bargained for, but the Blue Demons pulled out a victory in the end, edging the Wildcats, 74-66, Wednesday afternoon at McGrath Arena. Four Wildcats hit the double-digit plateau as NU pushed its record to 6-4 on the season.
In front of a near-capacity crowd of Chicago-area grade-school children, DePaul had already posted 12 points on the board before Northwestern's found the scoring column at the 16:24 mark on a lay up by Nadia Bibbs.
Despite shooting just 18 percent in the first nine minutes, the 'Cats clawed back from an 18-point deficit and went on an 8-2 run to close out the first half and entered the break down by seven. Sara Stutz and Kristin Cartwright led NU with seven points at intermission.
The Wildcats sprinted out to a 10-4 run to open the second half, cutting the difference to 37-34. A jumper by freshman Kaitlin McInerney and a layup by A.J. Glasauer put Northwestern in front, 38-37 with 16:13 left in the game.
NU pushed its lead to five on a jumper by Julie Bielawski, but DePaul mounted an 8-point run, spearheaded by Allie Quigley's seven points.
But the Wildcats refused to give up, going on a 9-3 run with 5:50 remaining, after being down 12, to cut the lead to 65-60 with 2:15 left. DePaul showed why they are nationally-ranked, knocking down the shots when they needed to, keeping Northwestern at arm's length. The 'Cats once again reduced the margin to five with :18 seconds left but two DePaul layups put the game away.
Scouting the Huskers
Nebraska enters the contest with a 7-2 mark and having hosted two Big Ten squads before tangling with NU. The Cornhuskers are coming of a dominating 87-47 victory against Michigan on Dec. 9, which came on the heels of a 74-65 loss to Minnesota. Nebraska's only other loss came in the season-opener against Arizona State. The Huskers are led by Kelsey Griffin and Kiera Hardy, who are averaging 14.8 and 14.4 ppg, respectively. Hardy, who was recently named to the Preseason Naismith Trophy list, leads Nebraska's long-range offense, hitting 45 percent from beyond the arc. Griffin is the Huskers' top rebounder, pulling down 8.2 rpg.
The Series with Nebraska
Northwestern holds a 1-3 mark against Nebraska in the all-time series. The last time these two teams took to the hardwood was last year when Nebraska downed the 'Cats, 80-50, on Dec. 10 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Nadia Bibbs led the team with 15 points. Nebraska exploded for 50 points in the second half en route to the win.
Score Early and Often
Northwestern is 6-0 on the year when tied or leading at the half. When scoring 60 points or more, the Wildcats are 6-1.
Off to a Good Start
The Wildcats' 67-53 victory over Princeton put the season win total at six, matching last year's win total for the entire season.
On the Big Stage
Northwestern ranks 19th in the nation in FG percentage defense and in assists, according to the most recent NCAA statistics (through Dec. 10). The Wildcats also rank in the top 60 (out of 324 Div. I teams) in scoring defense (42nd), rebound margin (52nd) and blocked shots per game (57th).
Glasauer Leading the Way
Senior captain A.J. Glasauer has been the Wildcats' leading scorer in five out of NU's first 10 contests. She is averaging a team-best 13.7 points per game, while dishing out 38 assists. The Freiburg, Germany native is shooting 40 percent from the field, including a team-best 12-of-31 (39 percent) from beyond the arc. Glasauer is also connecting at the charity stripe, knocking down 25-of-33 (76 percent) free throws. She also leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with 2.77 (13 turnovers compared to 36 assists).
Coming out of the Blocks
Freshman Kaitlin McInerney has made a statement early in her career, shooting a team-best 61 percent (36-of-59) from the field while also pulling down 6.6 rpg. McInerney is second in the Big Ten in FG percentage and 11th in blocked shots. The Oak Brook native has pulled down a 66 rebounds, second only to Melissa Miller (80).
Conference Call
The Wildcats are atop the Big Ten standings in several statistical categories. NU is second in the conference in assists (17.78), and defensive rebounds (29.11) and third in FG percentage defense (34 percent), 3-point FG percent defense (27 percent) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.00) For a full rundown of all conference categories, please see page 4 of this release.
Miller Time
Junior Melissa Miller dumped in 13 points and 13 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 29, marking Northwestern's first double-double of the season. Miller followed that performance with a 10-point, 12-rebound encore against Princeton in the first game of the Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational.