Dec. 27, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern resumes Big Ten action when it travels to Ann Arbor for a 1 p.m. CT battle with the Wolverines on Sunday, Dec. 28. Following the trip north, the Wildcats return to the friendly confines of Welsh-Ryan Arena for a New Year's Eve showdown with No. 17 Ohio State. Tip is set for 1 p.m.
Entering the Game...
The Wildcats enter the Sunday's match up having won two out their last three contests, with wins over Texas Southern and North Dakota. Most recently against the Fighting Sioux, sophomore Amy Jaeschke notched 21 points and 11 rebounds to record her seventh double-dip of the season. Senior Erin Dickerson used a 4-of-6 effort from beyond the arc to tie her career-best with 14 points. Fellow classmate Ellen Jaeschke turned another solid performance with 10 points and six boards. NU used a blistering 63 percent first half shooting effort to find the win column.
Michigan is looking to return to its winning ways and defend its home court when the Wildcats come to town. Most recently, UM dropped a 20-point decision to Ohio State in Columbus. Veronica Hicks led Michigan with 13 points and was the lone Wolverine in double figures. Melinda Queen and Courtney Boylan each contributed eight points in the 70-50 loss.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan enters its second conference contest with a 7-5 record overall and an 0-1 mark in Big Ten action. UM lost its league-opener to No. 17/18 Ohio State, 70-50, but had won three out of its last four contests leading up to that game. The Wolverines have had impressive wins against perennial Top-25 teams Vanderbilt (50-42) and Notre Dame (63-59) and a tough three-point loss to now No. 3 Texas A&M. Seniors Jessica Minnfield and Stephany Skrba lead the way offensively, notching 10.9 and 10.3 ppg, respectively. Skrba is shooting a team-best 55 percent from the field and ranks third on the team in rebounds, averaging 4.6 per outing. Center Krista Phillips leads the squad with 5.1 boards a game. Despite their winning record, the Wolverines are trailing their opponents in several statistical categories, including scoring, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, turnovers and steals.
The Series against Michigan
This is the 55th meeting all-time between the two squads, with Northwestern holding a 33-21 advantage in the series. The Wolverines won last year's two games but the Wildcats had won the previous three. The two teams have split the last eight contests.
Almost ...There
Though the record doesn't reflect the progress Northwestern has made this season, consider the following:
Northwestern has held the halftime lead in nine of its 12 games this season.
All but two of NU's eight losses have been by single-digits and four have been by six points or less.
Comparing this year's numbers with last year's stats at the same time (through 12 games) shows that the 'Cats have improved in points per game, scoring margin, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers.
The Wildcats On The Big Stage
As of Dec. 21, Northwestern ranks 59th nationally in field goal percentage (43.2) and 52nd in blocked shots with 4.6 per game. Individually, sophomore Amy Jaeschke is 14th in the nation in rebounds per game and 6th in blocked shots. She also appears in the top 100 in field goal percentage (49th) and points per game (82nd).
Taking the Lead
Sophomore Amy Jaeschke is averaging a double-double with 16.6 ppg and rebounding 10.8 rpg--an average that ranks second in the conference. The 6-5 center leaads the team in field goal percentage (.519 percent) and is second in minutes played (36.1). Jaeschke ranks second in the conference in defensive rebounds (7.92) and is second in blocked shots (3.17). Jaeschke matched a Big Ten single-game season high nine blocks against Texas Southern on 12/16/08 and recorded another five against Indiana on Saturday.
Freshman Orban Shines
Freshman Brittany Orban has made an immediate and significant contribution since donning a Wildcat uniform. The North Canton, Ohio, native ranks fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, averaging 8.0 ppg and 3.6 rpg. Against Texas Southern on Dec. 16, the newbie notched 12 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in 32 minutes. She has become a staple in the starting lineup, starting the past nine games while averaging 36.1 mpg.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.