Feb. 1, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. --The Wildcats welcomes first place Purdue to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a 1 p.m. contest Sunday afternoon. Northwestern is also celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) so come cheer on the 'Cats and take part in the post game autograph session. The showdown will also be broadcast over the airwaves on WNUR (89.3 FM).
Last Time Out...
Northwestern out-played Iowa in the second half, but came up short, falling to the Hawkeyes 70-55 Thursday evening. Freshman Amy Jaeschke and sophomore Jenny Eckhart fueled the Wildcats with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Eckhart's effort tied a career-high (at Northwestern) and Jaeschke's performance marks the seventh time this season she has hit the double-digit plateau.
Jaeschke finished with a team-best nine rebounds and two blocks. Nadia Bibbs contributed 12 points, and was 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of-7 from the line, recording a 10-point second frame.
Eckhart did not take many shots, but when she did, she knocked them down. The sophomore was 5-of-6 from the field and a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range. She also added six rebounds.
Scouting the Boilermakers
Purdue enters Sunday's game tied for first place in the conference with a 7-3 mark, thanks to a 56-54 victory over Minnesota on Thursday. Lakisha Freeman, Danielle Campbell and FahKara Malone all tallied double-figures in the victory. The Boilermakers have gone 2-1 since defeating Northwestern on Jan. 20 at West Lafayette. They dropped a road contest to Iowa before defeating Illinois and Minnesota.
The Series Against Purdue
Purdue holds a 37-18 advantage in the all-time series against Northwestern. The last time the Wildcats defeated the Boilermakers was in 1997. This is the second meeting between the two squads this season and the first time NU has faced the same foe a second time. Purdue defeated the Wildcats 52-38 on Jan. 20 at Mackey Arena. Freshman Amy Jaeschke turned in a solid game with eight points, seven rebounds and a career-high five blocks to lead the 'Cats.
Family Matters
Cousins Amy and Ellen Jaeschke have made an immediate impact at Northwestern. In 13 out of NU's 21 games, one Jaeschke has led the team in either scoring or rebounding. Amy recorded 16 points against Iowa on Thursday, marking the sixth time her 12 games she has led the team in scoring. Amy led Northwestern in rebounding against Wisconsin a week ago with 10 boards. She has led NU in rebounding on six occasions. Ellen, a junior, has topped the scoring column three times in 20 games and been the rebounding leader on five occasions. She is also shooting a team-best 43 percent from the field.
Bibbs Comes Alive
Senior Nadia Bibbs has asserted herself over the past three contests. The Chicago, Ill., native has dished out a team-high 11 assists. She is also second on the team in points (9.7), rebounds (5.7) and free throw percentage (72 percent) over those three games.
Former Wildcat Michele Savage Featured by Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference announced the continued effort to commemorate the achievements of African-Americans on Big Ten campuses with its Black History Month website. During the month of February, the website will feature stories on male and female student-athletes from each institution and can be accessed at www.bigten.org. Former women's basketball player Michele Savage and football standout D'Wayne Bates are NU's two honorees.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.