Dec. 15, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. --Northwestern welcomes Texas Southern to Evanston Tuesday for a noon contest at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game will be streamed live at NUsports.com. The Wildcats enter the game on quick turnaround time, having played Sunday afternoon against DePaul down in Chicago. NU travels to Indiana Saturday for the Big Ten opener. Tip is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be streamed online by www.bigtennetwork.com.
Entering the Game...
Northwestern looks to break its bad luck streak, having lost the last three games by an average of combined 4.3 points. The Wildcats suffered losses to Marquette at home, 55-54, and to Clemson in South Carolina, 78-75 (OT) within three days of each other before losing by nine at DePaul Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Amy Jaeschke led the 'Cats against Clemson and Marquette, recording a career-high 34 points on 11-of-24 from the field against Clemson and turning in a 10-point, 10-rebound effort against Marquette. Cousin Ellen Jaeschke stepped it up against DePaul, contributing a season-high 17 points in 22 minutes.
After opening the season at home with a 51-39 victory over Louisiana Lafayette, the Lady Tigers have dropped the past four contests--all of which have been on the road.
Scouting the Lady Tigers
The Lady Tigers enter today's contest with an overall mark of 1-4, having dropped their last four contests. This will be the first cold weather experience for Texas Southern as they have only played in the states of Texas and Louisiana thus far this season. Jasmine Greer and Jasmine Cannon lead the squad offensively, each averaging 9.4 ppg. Trikeyia East is the team's workhorse, averaging 32.2 mpg while also hauling down a team-best 7.6 rpg. The Lady Tigers are led by first-year head coach Yolanda Wells-Broughton.
The Series against Texas Southern
This is the first meeting between the two squads. Northwestern has never played a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Evaluating the Opposition
During the 2008-09 season, Northwestern faces seven opponents who appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament. They include Kansas State (5 seed), Ohio State (6), Marquette (7), Iowa (9), Minnesota (9), DePaul (10) and Missouri (13). Additionally, 10 Northwestern opponents during the 2008-09 season are ranked or receiving votes in either this week's Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Poll. For the complete rankings, please see page 7 of this release.
Jaeschke Steps Up
Since senior Ellen Jaeschke was asked to come into the game early against Clemson on Dec. 4, she has done good things. Jaeschke notched a season- and team-high 17 points on 8-of-11 from the field Sunday against DePaul following an 11-point performance at Clemson. She leads the team with a .722 shooting percentage.
Taking the Lead
Sophomore Amy Jaeschke picked up right where she left off last season: topping several Wildcat statistical categories.The 6-5 center is averaging a double-double with 16.2 ppg and rebounding 11.3 rpg--an average that ranks second in the conference. She is second on the squad in field goal percentage (.535 percent) and first in minutes played (36.9). The center ranks first in the conference in defensive rebounds (8.78) and is second in blocked shots (2.44). Jaeschke recorded a game-high three blocks Sunday against DePaul.
Freshman Orban Shines
Freshman Brittany Orban ranks third on the team in scoring and in rebounding over the past four contests, averaging 8.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg. Last time out against DePaul, Orban chipped in a solid seven points in just 17 mintues. The forward notched 11 points and six rebounds against Clemson on Dec. 4 and contributed 10 points and five boards against Marquette. She has become a staple in the starting lineup, starting the past seven games while averaging 26.1 mpg.
The Big Three
Junior Kristin Cartwright and sophomores Amy Jaeschke and Meshia Reed have responded to Joe McKeown's request to step up play. The trio has accounted for 62 percent of the squad's scoring (340-of-547 points) and 58 percent of NU's rebounds (179-of-307).
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.