EVANSTON, Ill. — The Northwestern Wildcats return home to Welsh-Ryan Arena to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Thursday at 7 p.m.
Northwestern enters the contest with a 13-7 record and 6-3 mark in conference play, winning its last four Big Ten matchups, including three on the road.
The Wildcats are coming off a tenacious comeback against Illinois in Champaign. After falling behind by 11 points at the half, Northwestern fired back in the fourth quarter with 18 unanswered points to gain the lead. NU held Illinois to five points in the final quarter, sealing the victory.
Sunday's victory over the Fighting Illini had four Wildcats in double-digit territory: Lindsey Pulliam (14), Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah (12), Bryana Hopkins (11) and Veronica Burton (10). Kunaiyi-Akpanah also pulled down 11 rebounds, marking her fifth consecutive double-double and 12th of the season. Hopkins also posted her first career double-double with 10 rebounds.
Northwestern and Minnesota have been dominate on the glass this season. Both teams have either matched or out-rebounded its opponents in seven of the last ten games. Minnesota is ranked fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding offense, with Golden Gopher forward Taiye Bello ranked No. 2 in the conference for rebounds. Northwestern's Kunaiyi-Akpanah is ranked No. 3 in the conference for rebounds, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game in her senior campaign.
The Wildcat defense continues to put overwhelming pressure on its opponents. The 'Cats forced ten turnovers against Illinois on Sunday, including three in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. NU is forcing an average 13.8 turnovers and 9.2 steals per game this season. Northwestern sits first in the conference in defensive three-point field goal percentage, second in scoring defense and third in defensive field goal percentage.
Northwestern trails 7-10 in the McKeown era in its series with Minnesota. The Wildcats defeated the then No. 5 Golden Gophers in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, 79-73.
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Northwestern enters the contest with a 13-7 record and 6-3 mark in conference play, winning its last four Big Ten matchups, including three on the road.
The Wildcats are coming off a tenacious comeback against Illinois in Champaign. After falling behind by 11 points at the half, Northwestern fired back in the fourth quarter with 18 unanswered points to gain the lead. NU held Illinois to five points in the final quarter, sealing the victory.
Sunday's victory over the Fighting Illini had four Wildcats in double-digit territory: Lindsey Pulliam (14), Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah (12), Bryana Hopkins (11) and Veronica Burton (10). Kunaiyi-Akpanah also pulled down 11 rebounds, marking her fifth consecutive double-double and 12th of the season. Hopkins also posted her first career double-double with 10 rebounds.
Northwestern and Minnesota have been dominate on the glass this season. Both teams have either matched or out-rebounded its opponents in seven of the last ten games. Minnesota is ranked fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding offense, with Golden Gopher forward Taiye Bello ranked No. 2 in the conference for rebounds. Northwestern's Kunaiyi-Akpanah is ranked No. 3 in the conference for rebounds, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game in her senior campaign.
The Wildcat defense continues to put overwhelming pressure on its opponents. The 'Cats forced ten turnovers against Illinois on Sunday, including three in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. NU is forcing an average 13.8 turnovers and 9.2 steals per game this season. Northwestern sits first in the conference in defensive three-point field goal percentage, second in scoring defense and third in defensive field goal percentage.
Northwestern trails 7-10 in the McKeown era in its series with Minnesota. The Wildcats defeated the then No. 5 Golden Gophers in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, 79-73.
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Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!