Nov. 17, 2010
Northwestern (2-0, 0-0) at Western Kentucky (0-1, 0-0)
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
E.A. Diddle Arena (7,326)
Bowling Green, Ky. 7 p.m.
Streaming Video/Gametracker:WKUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
EVANSTON, Ill. --After a pair of convincing wins at home over two dangerous opponents, Northwestern takes its show on the road to Bowling Green, Ky. to face yet another challenging foe, Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers, who dropped their season-opener at Louisiana Tech Tuesday evening, were receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. The game will be streamed live on www.wkusports.com.
More About Western Kentucky
WKU is led by two-time All-Sun Belt honoree Arnika Brown who averaged a double-double last season with 11.2 ppg and 11.3 rpg, a number which ranked 11th nationally. The Hilltoppers, a perennial top-25 squad, enter this season with a total of 806 victories as a program, which ranks tenth-most in NCAA Div. I. Western Kentucky placed two players on the Sun Belt's Preseason All-Conference team in Amy McNear and Brown and, as a team, were picked to finish first in the League's East Division. Western Kentucky dropped its season debut, 71-55 at Louisiana Tech Tuesday evening.
Wildcats Among Conference, National Conversation and Both Polls
Entering the season, Northwestern was on the lips of several Big Ten media members, including the Big Ten Network's Stephanie White. White picked the Wildcats as a team to watch in the League and on Sunday, ESPN's Graham Hays followed suit. After NU's 71-62 win over national power LSU, Hays noted Northwestern's triumph as one of the "Four Things That Caught My Eye" in the opening weekend on his blog. Others also noted the impressive performance, and the Wildcats enter week two receiving votes in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Polls and the Associated Press Poll.
Jaeschke Shines in Opening Weekend
Senior Amy Jaeschke picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Wildcats in both scoring and rebounding in the first two games. Jaeschke recorded a double-double against Dartmouth Friday night with 20 points and 10 rebounds while adding four assists and one block. The 6-5 center brought her "A" game against LSU Sunday, notching in 28 points, six boards and four swats.
Orban Makes A Statement
Junior Brittany Orban contributed in a big way last weekend, spearheading Northwestern's rebounding effort against LSU. The Canton, Ohio, native pulled down a career-best 17 rebounds while contributing 18 points, three assists and a steal. She was 5-of-9 from the field against Dartmouth, chipping in 12 points.
Look Who's Back in Town
The Wildcats return four of last year's five starters, including seniors Beth Marshall and Amy Jaeschke along with junior Brittany Orban and sophomore Kendall Hackney. Hackney was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice last year and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Jaeschke earned All-Big Ten honors for the third time in her career last year.
Jaeschke Raking in Preseason Accolades
Senior Amy Jaeschke is an All-America candidate for the `Cats and already has garnered several preseason accolades. The Wilmette, Ill., native was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team and she has been selected as a Lowe's Senior Class Award candidate, an honor bestowed on only 30 women's basketball players across the country. Tuesday, Jaeschke was added to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, an elite roster identifying the 50 top women's basketball players in the nation. The list is based on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2010-11 season.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.
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