Northwestern University Athletics
Lady Lions Visit Welsh-Ryan Arena
1/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2006
Penn State Game Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern will wrap up the final game of a four-game home stint at 2 p.m. on Sunday when Penn State comes to Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats (4-13, 0-6) are coming off a tough 81-73 loss to UW-Milwaukee, while the Lady Lions dropped an 70-56 decision to No. 11 Purdue.
"We need to keep believing in ourselves and each other," said head coach Beth Combs. "We have another great opportunity to take a step forward and we are looking forward to doing so."
Last Time Out
Northwestern looked strong in the early going Wednesday night against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but the Panther's balanced scoring attack propelled them to an 81-73 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
A.J. Glasauer led the 'Cats (4-13, 0-6) with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting, four assists and three steals. Ifeoma Okonkwo finished with 21 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the year and the ninth of her Northwestern career. Sophomore Sara Stutz added 14 points, on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
Glasauer and Okonkwo carried the Northwestern offense for most of the game. The duo scored 24 of the 'Cats 28 points in the first half. Northwestern led by as many as 10 midway through the opening half and took a 28-26 lead into halftime.
The Panthers scored the first five points of the second half to grab their first lead of the game, 31-28. They shot a torrid 67 percent (20-of-30) after the break, enroute to a 55-point outburst in the second half. Guard Meredith Onson's 19 points paced the Panthers, who had five players finish in double figures.
Glasauer was saddled with two quick fouls early in the second half, putting her on the bench with four fouls at the 15:19 mark.
The Panthers built their lead to 10 with 5:53 to play. A late charge by the 'Cats left them down four, 77-73 with less than a minute to play. That was as close as they would get.
The Series
Sunday's game is the 27th meeting between Northwestern and Penn State. The Lady Lions hold a 21-5 lead over NU, though the Wildcats broke a 12-game losing streak last year with a 59-48 victory in Evanston. It was Northwestern's first over a ranked opponent since Jan. 17, 1999, when NU bested No. 17 Ohio State, 48-41. The win snapped the Lady Lions' 12-game winning streak in the series. The loss also was Penn State's first of the Conference season. Ifeoma Okonkwo scored a game-high 19 points and pulled down six rebounds to lead the 'Cats. Melissa Miller dominated on the boards with an eight-carom performance.
Scouting the Lady Lions
A traditional Big Ten powerhouse, the Lady Lions have limped out to an uncharacteristically slow start so far this season, turning in a 7-10, 1-5 record. On Thursday, the Lady Lions fell to No. 11 Purdue 70-56 at Mackey Arena. Sophomore Kam Gissendanner led Penn State with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Junior Amanda Brown has led Penn State, averaging 15.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Adrienne Squire joins Gissendanner and Brown in averaging double figures with 11.4 on the season.
Take a Kid to the Game Day!
Sunday is Take a Kid to the Game Day, which means youth, ages 13 and younger, will receive a free ticket with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket. Northwestern is hosting one of more than 700 games that will be played across the nation this season as part of the Take A Kid to the Game program. The program, is a grass roots initiative that attracts the nation's youth and encourages adults to take kids to area college basketball games.
