Feb. 3, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following a solid 68-62 road win over Wisconsin Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center, Northwestern looks to string together a conference win streak when it hosts Michigan Thursday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on NUsports.com.
Fans wishing to stay up to date on the action in Thursday's game can do so by following the username @NU_sportsLIVE on Twitter. The game will be broadcast live on WNUR 89.3FM and streamed live at NUsports.com.
After Thursday's game, Northwestern receives a bye this weekend before hitting the road for contests at Illinois on Feb. 11 (7 p.m. tip) and at Michigan State on Feb. 14. Tip is set for 1:30 CT from East Lansing and will be carried live on the Big Ten Network.
Opponent profile
Michigan Wolverines
2009-10 Record: 13-8, 5-6
Series History: 35-22, Northwestern
Last Meeting: December 28, 2009, 63-59, NU
Last Time Against The Wolverines
Dec. 28, 2009--Three Wildcats tallied double-figures, including Amy Jaeschke, who turned in her third double-double effort of the season, as Northwestern (11-2, 2-0) emerged victorious, 63-59, at Michigan. Jaeschke scored 14 points and recorded 10 boards, while Beth Marshall added 12 scores and Kristin Cartwright chipped in 10.
Noting Michigan
Michigan enters Thursday's contest on a four-game win streak, having most recently overcome a 15-point deficit to storm back and defeat Penn State, 66-62, at home Sunday afternoon. Prior to the four-game victory stretch, the Wolverines had dropped six of their previous seven conference matchups.
The Wolverines are an unselfish team, dishing out 13.81 assists per game and posting a 0.88 assist-to- turnover ratio (that's good for third in the conference), and also are one of the conference's top shooting teams, coming in second with a 43 percent shooting clip. Individually, Carmen Reynolds leads Michigan shooting at a 49 percent clip, which ranks third in the Big Ten.
Three Wolverines are averaging double figures in Reynolds (13.5 ppg), Veronica Hicks (13.0 ppg) and Dayeesha Hollins (12.1 ppg). Jenny Ryan and Krista Phillips lead the way on the glass with 6.2 and 6.1 rpg, respectively.
Michigan has won two conference road games this year--a 64-48 triumph over Illinois on Jan. 28 and a 54-51 decision at Iowa in the Big Ten opener on Dec. 6.
Hackney Turns In Big Week For The 'Cats
Kendall Hackney's performances this past week were no indication that the Cincinnati, Ohio, native is a newcomer to the league. The freshman spearheaded NU's pivotal second-half burst in the road triumph against Wisconsin Sunday, recording 14 of her 16 points in the second half, including seven points in a key :20-second span to turn the game's momentum and give the Wildcats their first lead of the contest. Hackney also hit double-figures against Michigan State last Thursday evening, turning in an 11-point, seven-rebound performance. On the week, Hackney shot 53 percent from the field (10-of-19) and averaged 13.5 ppg. She also hauled down 13 boards while going a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Final Two Game Times Set
The Big Ten Network announced that it will pick up Northwestern's contest at Ohio State on Feb. 25. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. CT from Columbus. Additionally, the Wildcats' final home game against Illinois (also Senior Day) on Feb. 28 is now set for 2 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on www.bigtennetwork.com.
Former Wildcat Okonkwo Honored By Big Ten
Throughout the month of February, the Big Ten will commemorate the achievements of African-Americans on Big Ten campuses with feature stories on its Black History Month website. The Big Ten honored former Wildcat standout Ifeoma Okonkwo on Wednesday. Okonkwo persevered through some trying times during college and is now playing professionally in Portugal. Read her full story by clicking here.
What A Difference A Little Defense Can Make
Sure, it helps when you shoot 65 percent from the field, but one of the reasons NU was able to convert on the offensive end Sunday against Wisconsin was because of the defensive adjustments the Wildcats made in the second-half. Northwestern used a combination of full-court pressure and tenacious blizzard defense to confuse Wisconsin and force five turnovers in the first seven minutes of the second half. In fact, after its first two trips down the court to open the second stanza, the Badgers didn't get a shot off until the 15:28 mark--a four-minute scoreless span.
Stick To The Game Plan
When comparing Northwestern's overall season statistics with numbers from the last two games (which were two of the 'Cats' stronger performances in Big Ten action), only one statistic stands out as a significant difference-maker: free throws. The Wildcats went to the free-throw line nearly twice as much as their opponents, and made those trips worthwhile, connecting on 80 percent of their chances (32-of-40). This week, NU ranks 12th in the nation in that category, coming in at a 76 percent clip.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.