| rv/rv Northwestern (12-2, 2-1 B1G) vs. Michigan State (8-7, 0-4 B1G) |
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| Date | Sunday, Jan. 11 | 2:00 p.m. CST |
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Ill. |
| Watch Live | Big Ten Network and BTN2GO |
| Listen Live | WNUR - 89.3 FM |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Social Media | @nuwbball  | Northwestern Women's Basketball  | @NUCATS_WBB  |
| Game Notes (PDF) |
Northwestern | Michigan State |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following the winter quarter's first week of classes, Northwestern returns to the hardwood Sunday afternoon to entertain the Michigan State Spartans in a conference clash at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The matinee tips off at 2 p.m.
The Wildcats won the first battle between the two teams this season on Dec. 28 in East Lansing, Mich. Chicago's Big Ten Team never trailed after building seven-point halftime lead at the Breslin Center before going on to win, 61-57. The game, which was the Big Ten opener for both teams, marked NU's first triumph over MSU since Jan. 2, 2003. It was also the first time that Northwestern won in East Lansing since March 5, 1993 when the team scored 109 points, the most in program history.
BALANCE IS BEST
While sophomore Nia Coffey leads the Wildcats in scoring with close to 16 points per game, the team has used a balanced scoring punch this season. All five starters are netting at least 7.9 points per game this year and Northwestern's third-leading scorer, Lauren Douglas, is averaging 10.9 points per game in only 21.6 minutes off the bench. Three times this season, against Kent State, DePaul and Wisconsin, five players have scored in double figures for Northwestern.
MCKEOWN MEETS ANOTHER MILESTONE
With a 72-54 victory over Kent State, his alma mater, on Nov. 21, Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown recorded the 600th victory of his storied coaching career. On New Year's Day, McKeown notched his 100th win at the helm for the Wildcats with a 68-46 win over Wisconsin. Now in his seventh season at NU, the head coach is already second in program history in wins behind Don Perrelli, who won 251 games from 1984-99. Prior to coming to NU, McKeown won 441 games, including 19 in the NCAA Tournament from 1989-2008 at George Washington. His first head coaching gig came at New Mexico State, where he won 68 games in three seasons.
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Northwestern returns all five starters from a year ago, but in the eyes of head coach Joe McKeown, it has seven starters. Senior guard Karly Roser, a 2012-13 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, was limited by an injury to 13 games off the bench last season, however she started the first 60 games of her career as a freshman and sophomore. Junior Lauren Douglas is also one of the first players off the bench for the 'Cats. She was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection last season and she has started 34 career games in a Wildcats uniform. Douglas is averaging a team-high 21.6 minutes, 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game off the bench, while Roser is playing 18.8 minutes per game with 4.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2.2 apg.
DEFENSIVE DANDIES
Statistically speaking, the Wildcats have been arguably one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten this season. Northwestern leads the 14-team conference in both scoring defense (55.9) and field-goal percentage defense (.330), ranking second nationally in the latter category. NU also leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the NCAA in steals (12.6 spg). Individually, Ashley Deary ranks second in the NCAA with 4.0 steals per game. The 'Cats also ranks among the nation's leaders in blocks, checking in at 12th with 6.1 per game.
UP NEXT
Northwestern continues its busy week of three games in seven days on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in Iowa City, Iowa. The Wildcats will square off with the nationally-ranked Hawkeyes before returning home on Saturday, Jan. 17 to host the Michigan Wolverines in a contest that will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
More notes and information are available for both teams in the Game Notes PDF packages linked at the top of the page.
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