Nov. 18, 2008
NU Game Notes vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Fresh off a commanding victory in Sunday's season opener against Central Arkansas, the Northwestern men's basketball team hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Live streaming video of the contest can be accessed at BigTenNetwork.com. The game can be heard on 720 AM WGN with Dave Eanet and Shon Morris on the call, as well as WNUR 89.3 FM.
Tickets are available and can be purchased at NUsports.com or at the Welsh-Ryan Arena the day of the game. Wednesday is also the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Food Drive. Bring in a non-perishable food item to be donated to Family Focus and receive half-price ($10) admission and a coupon for Krakus Ham. (Valid on the day of the game only.) Plus, Krakus Ham will be donating one pound of ham for every food item collected.
NU is seeking its first 2-0 start in three years. The Wildcats posted wins over Lehigh and Charlotte in the BCA Invitational in Laramie, Wyo., to open the 2005-06 season.
Series History: Northwestern leads, 1-0. The Wildcats defeated the Islanders 59-51 in Evanston Feb. 14, 2005.
Scouting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
The Islanders saw their season record drop to 1-1 with a 72-53 loss Sunday at Illinois. A&M Corpus Christi saw the Illini go on a decisive 23-2 run to end the first half in the defeat. Kevin Palmer and Filip Toncinic had 10 points apiece, while Demond Watt had 11 rebounds for the Islanders who shot 33.3 percent in the game and 22.7 percent (5-22) in the first half when they scored a school-record low 12 points.
Sophomore Justin Reynolds is the team's leading returning scorer after averaging 11.7 points per game as a freshman.
Perry Clark is in his second season as the head coach of the Islanders, guiding the team to a 9-20 mark last season. He has also guided the programs at Tulane and Miami (Fla.).
Starting Fast
Northwestern's 81-39 season-opening win over Central Arkansas marked the team's largest margin of victory since a 94-43 win over the University of Chicago in the first game of the 1993-94 campaign. The 42-point win matches a 50-year-old program record for the largest win ever against a Division I opponent. NU defeated Western Michigan 102-60 in the 1958-59 season opener. It was also the first time that Central Arkansas had been held under 40 points in a game since their 1981-82 season finale. Northwestern is an impressive 31-3 during head coach Bill Carmody's nine seasons when holding an opponent under 50 points in a game.
On Target
The Wildcats struggled from the field in their exhibition game against Robert Morris College, shooting just 30.6 percent. NU nearly doubled that mark in Sunday's win over Central Arkansas, hitting 60.9 percent of their shots. It was the Wildcats' second-best shooting percentage in a game in Bill Carmody's nine seasons as head coach. Northwestern's best mark during the Carmody era came against Utah Dec. 21, 2006 when it shot 69.0 percent in a 77-44 win. On the other side of the ball, UCA's .250 field goal percentage against the Wildcats on Sunday was the lowest mark by a Northwestern opponent since Carmody has been at the helm. The Bears' 11 made field goals also match a low for an NU foe under Carmody.
Moore Where That Came From
Senior guard Craig Moore knocked down two 3-pointers against Central Arkansas on Sunday, moving him into a tie with Vedran Vukusic (2002-06) for the top spot in NU history with 212 career makes from beyond the arc. The next shot Moore connects on from 3-point range will give him the Northwestern career record.
Up Next...
The Wildcats hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday as they travel to Brown for a 6 p.m. Central time tip.