Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats Open Big Ten Slate in Minnesota
12/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 25, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Fresh off a third-place finish at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico, Northwestern is ready to begin conference play Dec. 30 against the No. 12-ranked Golden Gophers of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The Wildcats entered the eight-team San Juan tournament in the midst of a seven-game losing skid, but broke out of that with a 2-1 record including wins over Northern Iowa and Towson.
Senior Sarah Kwasinski (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) and junior Ifeoma Okonkwo (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak) were named to the All-Tournament team for their play. Kwasinski averaged 17 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest while Okonkwo had 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Sophomore A.J. Glasauer (Freiburg, Germany/Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium) had a breakout tournament for the Wildcats. After averaging 3.1 points entering San Juan, she first scored a career-best 16 points against NIU before upping that mark to 20 against then-undefeated Charlotte. Glasauer finished the event averaging 16.7 points per contest.
Since Northwestern lost senior and leading scorer Suzanne Morrison (Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day) to an injury against UW-Milwaukee, a Wildcat veteran has set a career-best for scoring in all five games thereafter, except against Towson when it was freshman Sara Stutz (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) netting a collegiate-best 14 points.
Freshman Melissa Miller (Bloomington, Minn./The Breck School) currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten in defensive rebounds (5.38) and eighth overall (7.5). Senior Samantha McComb (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) is ranked in the top 10 with 3.54 assists per game while Kwasinski leads the `Cats with a 13.3 scoring average.
Minnesota enters the Big Ten season with a 9-2 record, most recently defeating Drake, 74-57. Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Janel McCarville leads the Gophers with 16.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Jamie Broback has also been strong early in the year, pouring in 16.5 points and pulling down 6.1 rebounds per contest.
Looking Ahead
The Wildcats' first Big Ten home match takes place Jan. 2 against Wisconsin, and is followed by two more Big Ten home games: Jan. 6 against Michigan and Jan. 9 with Illinois.
