Northwestern University Athletics
No. 10 Ohio State Visits Welsh-Ryan Thursday
1/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2006
Ohio State Game Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern faces its third ranked foe today as No. 10/10 Ohio State visits Welsh-Ryan Arena for a 7 p.m. tip. The Wildcats are coming off a 74-45 loss on the road to Wisconsin, while the Buckeyes suffered a 61-59 loss at No. 17/18 Purdue on Sunday. It was OSU's first conference loss of the season and just the third Big Ten defeat in two years.
"We are looking forward to being at home," head coach Beth Combs said. "The league does not get easier for us, but we have responded well in practice and are looking forward to getting back on track Thursday."
Last Time Out
Northwestern lost its first road test of the Big Ten season on Sunday dropping a 74-45 decision to Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. Freshman Julie Bielawski was the leading scorer for the 'Cats, recording 11 points. The Wildcats are now 4-8 overall and 0-2 in league play. The Badgers improve to 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Bielawski's 11 points came on 3-of-6 shooting, including a trey and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free- throw line. Senior Ifeoma Okonkw and freshman Kristin Cartwright shared top rebounding marks for NU, pulling down five caroms each. Cartwright was a solid 4-of-7 shooting, good for eight points. She also added two steals and one assist.
The Badgers used an early 16-5 run over a five-minute span to build a 21-9 advantage. Wisconsin's Jolene Anderson, Freshman of the Year in the conference last year, hit three treys to fuel that spurt. Wisconsin continued to attack and entered the break with a 30-17 lead. Melissa Miller scored six of NU's 17 first-half points.
Northwestern applied full-court pressure in the second half, but UW's Danielle Ward erupted for 15 second-half points to lift the Badgers to their first conference win. UW shot 50 percent in the second stanza.
Northwestern's defensive pressure was consistent throughout the game, forcing 13 Badger turnovers and coming up with 13 steals. As a result, the Wildcats enjoyed 12 fast-break points to UW's four.
About Ohio State
In the Big Ten statistical release, Ohio State is No. 1 in points allowed (48.5), margin of victory (25.6), and FG percentage (47.9/318-664). The Buckeyes also lead the league in assists (18.64 apg), turnover margin (+9.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.42-to-1. OSU is led by reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport, who is nearly averaging a double-double with 17.6 ppg and 9.5 rpg. She recorded her 24th career double-double
(her conference-leading sixth this season) in Ohio State's 61-59 loss on Sunday scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Series
Thursday's game is the 44th meeting between Ohio State and Northwestern. The Buckeyes hold a 28-15 advantage and have won the last ten games. These two teams met only once last year, as they do this year, and the Buckeyes pulled out a 71-59 victory in Columbus on Jan. 23. NU's Ifeoma Okonkwo was the leading scorer that game, registering 20 points and six rebounds. The Buckeye's Jessica Davenport led all rebounders with seven.
Okonkwo Leading the Charge
Not only has Ifeoma Okonkwo led the team in scoring on four different occasions, but she has also led the team in rebounding in nine of the first 12 games, including the past four contests. The senior is fifth in the conference in rebounding, with 7.9 caroms per game. Coming off the bench over the past four games, Okonkwo has led the team in scoring and rebounding, recording 12.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg. For more game notes, see the pdf at the top of this release.
Also in Attendance
Former Oklahoma standout and current ESPN analyst Stacey Dales-Schuman will be at Welsh-Ryan Arena promoting the newest WNBA expansion squad, the Chicago Sky. The first 250 fans through the doors will receive a Chicago Sky rally towel. Thursday night is also Ladies Night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. All women and girls will be admitted for $2.
