Nov. 7, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern debuts the 2007-08 season this weekend at the Women's Sports Foundation Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M. The Wildcats face Dayton in a 7 p.m. (CT) contest on Friday to begin the action, followed by host New Mexico tangling with Western Michigan. NU is set to face Western Michigan on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT) before meeting the Lobos at 3 p.m. To follow all the action, click here.
"The opening weekend will challenge us immediately," head coach Beth Combs said. "It will be a great indicator as to where we are and where we need to be."
Combs and the Wildcats enter the season with high hopes, created by a combination of experience and familarity with the system and young talent from the 14th ranked recruiting class in the country. Here's a look at the Wildcats as they enter the 2007-08 season.
Seniors
Leading the returners is senior captain Sara Stutz. The 6-0 guard is the team's leading returning scorer, averaging 11.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg last season. Stutz has been a staple in the program since her freshman campaign, seeing action in every game (88) and starting in 80 of those contests.
Rounding out the senior contingent is Nadia Bibbs and Melissa Miller. Bibbs, who started 19 games at the point in 2006-07, led the team in assists, with 77, and was second on the squad in steals (43). Miller finished second on the team in rebounding, pulling down 5.1 boards per outing.
Juniors
The junior class features two players who will contribute down low, in Arkansas native Julie Bielawski and Air Force transfer Ellen Jaeschke. Erin Dickerson, a sharp-shooting three-point specialist completes the junior group.
Sophomores
Two sophomores--Beth Marshall and Kaitlin McInerney--bring more experience than the average second-year player. Marshall and McInerney logged minutes in all 30 games during their freshman campaigns and made an immediate impact on the squad. McInerney was the team's leading rebounder (5.5 rpg) and was third in scoring on the team among returners (fourth overall).
Sophomore redshirt Jenny Eckhart transferred from Syracuse and sat out the past year due to NCAA transfer rules. The team captain is expected to lead the squad from the guard position.
Completing the sophomore class are Lakhiyia Hicks and Kristin Cartwright. Cartwright is anticipated to redshirt the season due to injury.
Freshman
The freshman class is led by Amy Jaeschke. The Wilmette, Ill., native is one of the highest recruits to don a Wildcat uniform. Coming out of high school, Jaeschke was ranked as high as 19th in recruiting publications, as she was a McDonald's All-American and a member of the USA Basketball U19 World Championship team that garnered the World Championship title.
Shantina Boyd and Savannah Stedman will also contribute on the block. Guard Meshia Reed is the fourth member of the highly touted group.
Game Notes
Northwestern in Season-Openers
The Wildcats are 24-8 all-time in season openers. Northwestern holds a 19-4 record in season openers at Welsh-Ryan Arena and are 5-4 all-time when debuting the season on the road.
Locally Grown
When Beth Combs took over the reigns at Northwestern, one of her focuses was recruiting within the Land of Lincoln. Three years later, it is clear her objective has been accomplished. The 16-person roster includes 11 local products. Illinois-natives include seniors Nadia Bibbs (Chicago) and Sara Stutz (Glenview), juniors Kristin Cartwright (Lake Forest), Erin Dickerson (Chicago) and Ellen Jaeschke (Cary) and sophomores Jenny Eckhart (Libertyville), Lakhiyia Hicks (Rockford) and Kaitlin McInerney (Oak Brook). Of the freshmen class, three out of four are Illinois natives in Amy Jaeschke (Wilmette), Shantina Boyd (Bolingbrook) and Meshia Reed (Country Club Hills).
Senior Citizens
Seniors Nadia Bibbs, Melissa Miller and Sara Stutz won't mind shouldering the load for the `Cats this season. Throughout their NU careers, they have played in a combined 6,126 minutes over the course of 234 total games. In that time, the three vetrans have registered a combined 1566 points.
The Gang's All Here
Though the Wildcats lost last year's leading scorer, A.J. Glasauer (12.8 ppg), the rest of the starting lineup returns for the 2007-08 campaign. Sophomore Kaitlin McInerney was the team's leading rebounder (5.5 rpg) and shot-swatter (17) while senior Sara Stutz was second behind Glasauer in points per game (11.0). Stutz was also second in minutes-played (28.9). Fellow classmate Nadia Bibbs led the team in assists (77) and tied for the top spot in steals (43).
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.