Jan. 4, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. --Northwestern opens the 2008 portion of its schedule at 1 p.m. CT Sunday when it battles Michigan in the first Big Ten road contest of the season. The game will be broadcast live on WNUR (89.3 FM) radio. Both squads are coming off losses, as the Wildcats are looking to bounce back from an 84-53 loss to Indiana on New Year's Eve, while the Wolverines dropped a 66-42 road decision to No. 20/21 Ohio State.
Freshman Meshia Reed led the way for NU against the Hoosiers, scoring a career-high 23 points. Reed knocked down 5-of-7 from the charity stripe and hit two three-pointers. She is now second on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg) and leads the Wildcats in three-point percentage (13-of-33).
Fellow classmate Amy Jaeschke pulled down a team-high nine rebounds, which places her second on the team in caroms with 6.6 rpg.
Scouting the Wolverines
The Wolverines enter Sunday's game following a road loss to No. 20/21 Ohio State 66-42 on Thursday. Junior Jessica Minnfield led the way for Michigan with 18 points while Krista Phillips contributed nine. UM had won four-straight games--all of which were played at Crisler Arena--prior to its loss to the Buckeyes. Phillips and Minnfield lead Michigan offensively, averaging double figures with 10.7 and 10.3, respectively. Phillips is the Wolverines' leading rebounder with 5.1 rpg. Michigan is now under the tutelage of first-year head coach Kevin Borseth, who was previously at UW Green Bay.
The Series Against Michigan
Northwestern holds a 33-20 advantage in the all-time series against the Wolverines and have won the three out of the last four meetings between the two squads. Last season, the Wildcats fell to Michigan, 61-49, before returning the favor two weeks later with a 63-54 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena. A.J Glasauer, Sara Stutz and Kaitlin McInerney all hit double figures with 18, 14, and 13 points, respectively.
Reed Scores Career-High Against IU
Freshman Meshia Reed recorded a career-high 23 points last time out against Indiana. Reed was 5-of-7 from the free throw line and drained two treys en route to leading NU offensively. Reed is the Wildcats' most dangerous threat from downtown, hitting 13-of-33 (39 percent) attempts.
Regarding Amy
Freshman Amy Jaeschke notched the first double-double of her young career against Illinois on Dec. 27, recording 10 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-5 forward has scored 10 or more points in three out of the five games she has appeared in so far this season. Jaeschke turned in a 19-point performance in the season opener against Dayton before breaking her left hand, which sidelined her for the next nine games. The Wilmette, Ill., native contributed a team- and career-high 21 points in the Wildcats' 65-63 victory against Marquette in her return to the court on Dec. 17. Jaeschke also blocked Krystal Ellis' running layup with just under 12 seconds remaining, thwarting the Golden Eagles' attempt at the go-ahead basket. Jaeschke led NU against Indiana on New Year's Eve with nine rebounds.
What Can Eckhart Do For You?
Sophomore Jenny Eckhart has been the epitome of reliability for the 'Cats so far this season. The 5-7 point guard has started every contest and is averaging 33.14 minutes per game, good for 15th in the league. She is also the person you want on the charity stripe with the game on the line as she has knocked down a team-high 80 percent of her attempts (32-of-40).