Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Welcome Saint Mary's
12/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2005
SMU Game Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern (3-5) digs in for a three-game home stretch starting with Saturday's 2 p.m. matchup versus Saint Mary's (3-6). The Gaels headed east to take on two opponents from the state of Illinois this past week, meeting Bradley Thursday night and the Wildcats Saturday. NU is coming off a 90-72 road loss to Western Michigan Wednesday night.
"We are looking forward to playing at home," head coach Beth Combs said. "Saint Mary's is a great matchup for us and our players have worked hard the last few days. Playing at home before Christmas is a nice way to get ready for the conference. We need to out-hustle and out-work our opponents and let the outcome take care of itself."
Last Time Out
Three 'Cats hit career highs, but Western Michigan's offense proved to be too much as Northwestern fell to the Broncos, 90-72, Wednesday night at University Arena. Northwestern is now 3-5 on the season, while WMU pulls to 3-5.
Sophomore Sara Stutz provided a career-high 12 rebounds and added 14 points, good for the first double-double of her career. Stutz hit 5-of-7 from the field, and 3-of-4 from three-point range, tying the Wildcat-high so far this season. She also added a team-high four assists.
Fellow sophomore Melissa Miller recorded a team-and career-high 15 points in 24 minutes. Freshman Kristin Cartwright set a career-best with 13 points. She chipped in seven rebounds, dished out three assists and snagged three steals.
Scouting the Gaels
Today's game marks the final nonconference contest for the Gaels this season, and the second-consecutive opponent from the state of Illinois. Saint Mary's defeated Bradley Thursday night, 60-55, giving the Gaels their first road victory of the season. Freshman Jontelle Smith led the way with a game-high 17 points, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. Smith is the only Gael averaging in double-figures, with 14.1 ppg. Saint Mary's was picked to finish fourth in the WCC, behind Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga and Santa Clara. Northwestern is the only Big Ten team Saint Mary's will face this season, and the two teams do not share a common opponent.
The Series
This will be the second meeting between the teams, with Northwestern winning the only contest, a 63-49 decision Dec. 19, 1992 in Moraga, Calif.
The Wildcats vs. the West Coast Conference
Northwestern holds a 1-1 record against the West Coast Conference, having only faced Loyola Marymount, aside from Saint Mary's. The Wildcats played Loyola Marymount two years ago in the Marina del Rey Marriott Classic and lost, 63-45.
Balancing Act
Five different Wildcats have stepped up and been the leading scorer through the first eight games. A.J. Glasauer leads the way with four different team-high point performances, while Ifeoma Okonkwo has been the leading scorer for NU twice this season. Sophomores Nadia Bibbs and Sara Stutz and freshman Julie Bielawski have been the team's leading scorer once this season. For complete game notes, download the .pdf at the top of this release.
Bring a Book to the Game!
The Northwestern Athletic Department will be sponsoring a Holiday Book Drive at the next two women's basketball games. Bring one book to either the game on Dec. 17th or 22nd and receive a free ticket to an upcoming Thursday night home game.
