Dec. 22, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern plays its final non-conference game prior to the start of Big Ten play as it hosts SMU at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Free live streaming video of the contest can be accessed on the internet at BigTenNetwork.com.
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The game can also be heard live at 720 AM-WGN and online at wgnradio.com with Dave Eanet and David Kaplan on the call.
Tickets are available and can be ordered online at NUsports.com, by calling 847-491-CATS or at the arena the night of the game. All 300-level seats are available for $5 on the day of the game. Plus, fans are invited to participate in the Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest for a chance to win $100!
The Wildcats saw a second-half rally come up just short in dropping a 65-59 decision at undefeated Stanford on Saturday. NU trailed by 13 at half and got within one with under two minutes remaining, but the Cardinal was able to hold on for the win. Kevin Coble led Northwestern with 15 points and six rebounds. The 'Cats are seeking their eighth win of the season, a mark that would match their total from all of last season.
Stanford Game Notes
Jeff Ryan, was the Wildcats' leading scorer in the first half with 6 points and had 8 for the game off the bench. His father, Jeff, was a four-year letterwinner at Stanford from 1978-81 ... Stanford came into the game averaging 78.3 points per game, but was held to over 13 points below its average ... Stanford's Landry Fields entered the contest averaging 11.3 points per game but was held scoreless by the Wildcats ... Craig Moore scored 8 points for NU to pull within 26 of 1,000 for his career ... Northwestern's 19 turnovers were a season-high. After committing 14 in the first half, the Wildcats had just five in the second half ... Michael Thompson handed out 6 assists in the game and has now handed out at least 6 in each of the last three contests.
Series History: Seried tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Northwestern defeated SMU 88-79 in Evanston Dec. 14, 1963.
Scouting SMU
The Mustangs (3-5) are seeking their first road win of the season after dropping their first three contests away from Dallas, including Saturday's 66-56 loss at Texas A&M. Reshirt freshman Robert Nyakundi scored 18 points for the Mustangs in his first start of the season.
Freshman guard Paul McCoy leads SMU with an average of 13.5 points and 2.0 steals per game and is shooting 54.2 percent (13-24) from 3-point range. Junior guard Derek Williams is also in double figures at 11.9 points per contest.
Matt Doherty is in his third season as the head coach at SMU. He was previously the head coach at Notre Dame, his alma mater North Carolina, and Florida Atlantic. Doherty faced the Wildcats once before while at Florida Atlantic, with NU winning that contest 69-56 Nov. 21, 2005.
SMU played in the 1956 Final Four played at McGaw Hall, falling to eventual champion San Francisco 86-68 in the semifinals and 90-81 to Temple in the third-place game.
Seventy is Over the Limit
Northwestern has not allowed its last 13 opponents to reach 70 points. It is the second-longest such streak in the country behind only Pittsburgh (17). The Wildcats entered play this week leading the Big Ten and ranked second in scoring defense in all of NCAA Division I, allowing an average of 52.6 points per game.
Gaining National Respect
The Wildcats' hot start has helped them earn respectable national rankings from numerous outlets. Northwestern was receiving votes in the Associated Press poll the past two weeks but is not this week following last Saturday's loss to Stanford. NU has not been ranked in the top 25 of the AP poll since the 1968-69 season. Through games played Sunday, the 'Cats are ranked No. 9 according to RealTimeRPI.com and are No. 40 in the Sagarin ratings.
Protecting the Rock
Northwestern has handed out 144 assists while committing just 106 turnovers so far this year for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.36. The mark ranks 17th-best in the country. The Wildcats ranked third in the country last season with a 1.43 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Up Next...
The Wildcats open their Big Ten season on New Year's Eve next Wednesday as they travel to Penn State for an 11 a.m. Central time tip. ESPN2 is televising the game live.