Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Basketball Team Kicks Off Doubleheader
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern women's basketball officially opens up the 2003-04 season tonight, facing Creighton University in game one of an NU doubleheader at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The men take on Colorado at 8 p.m.
The meeting will be the third all-time between the Wildcats and Bluejays, with Creighton holding a 2-0 advantage. The last game was held on Dec. 10, 2000, an 88-58 win for the Bluejays. NU last hosted Creighton on Dec. 21, 1999 in a 53-64 loss.
The 'Cats enter tonight's game owning a 7-3 opening-day record during the last 10 years, including a 5-2 record when opening at home. They are 2-2 in season-opening contests under head coach June Olkowski.
NU returns upperclassmen that control the destiny of this squad. Seniors Michelle Zylstra and Kristin Ambrose combine with the 'core' of the team-juniors Melissa Culver, Sarah Kwasinski, Maria McCarthy, Samantha McComb and Suzanne Morrison-to raise the expectations of this team and their opponents.
Wildcat fans will see many familiar faces on the court this season, starting with Kwasinski, a 2003 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. Kwasinski did not disappoint in 02-03, leading the team in scoring (12.0), rebounding (6.7) and blocked shots (51) and finishing fourth in assists (58). She also tied for the team lead with 35 steals (19 in conference games).
Co-captain McComb stepped up and proved to be a legitimate long-range threat as a sophomore, finishing the conference season fifth in three-point field-goal percentage (46-for-132, .348) and eighth in three-point field goals made (46). McComb also finished second to then-senior Natalie Will in assists with 69.
Stepping in and making an impact right away-and even more importantly, gaining valuable experience through playing time-was then-freshman forward Ifeoma Okonkwo. Okonkwo worked her way back into the starting lineup by the beginning of the conference season after staring the first two nonconference games. The Texas native totaled the third-most starts on the team (18) and finishing second to Kwasinski in total rebounds (108). She also finished the regular season ranked 22nd in conference with 4.8 caroms per game average.
Four new faces join the Wildcats this season. A.J. Glasauer was voted Germany's 2001 Rookie of the Year, competing for Club Freiburg. As a junior, Glasauer and her teammates won five German championships. The Freiburg native was a member of Germany's Under-16 and Under-20 National Teams that participated at the European Championships.
Alex Mueller, who is from Nordlingen, has been a member of Germany's Junior National Team since 1997 and has played with the Senior Women's National Team since 2001.
Breanne Smilie is NU's second Fenwick high school player to sign in the last three years, as Kwasinski also donned the Friar jersey. Smilie transferred to Fenwick after her freshman year, and totaled 794 points in three years. As a senior, the Illinois native garnered all-conference honors, and was a second-team all-tournament selection at the Illinois State Tournament. The Chicago Sun-Times voted her second-team all-area, and the Pioneer Press named her "Tops of Their Teams" for 2003. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association also selected Smilie to its all-state team.
Suzi Sutton walks on to the Northwestern squad as a senior after starting for the Wildcats' field hockey team the past four seasons. The guard played high school basketball and was the conference Player of the Year as a senior.
