Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Travel to No. 6 Ohio State
1/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2007
Ohio State Game Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Wildcats head to Columbus, Ohio for a 1 p.m. CT contest against No. 6 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. Northwestern (6-11, 0-4) enters the game hungry for its first conference win after falling just short in the last two outings on the hardwood. Against both Iowa and Minnesota, the final possession of the game determined the victor, and both times the Wildcats came up on the short end of the affair.
Last Time Out ...
Northwestern suffered a disappointing loss Thursday night to Minnesota when Emily Fox's basket at the buzzer lifted the Golden Gophers to a 65-63 win in a wild and exciting game at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Trailing by two with under a minute to go, junior Sara Stutz was fouled on a drive to the basket and sank both free throws after drawing the foul with 27 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Minnesota possession, the Gophers misfired on a shot from the elbow and Melissa Miller grabbed the rebound. The Gophers then forced a Northwestern turnover which Fox retrieved at the foul line-extended and dribbled to the elbow for the game-winner.
Northwestern led by as much as seven, 53-46, when A. J. Glasauer found Kaitlin McInerney for a layup with 8:35 remaining. The lead was short-lived as Minnesota went on an 11-3 run over the next four-plus minutes to take a one-point lead, 57-56, with 4:29 left.
But Northwestern responded with consecutive jumpers by Nadia Bibbs and Miller to push the lead back to three before Minnesota fought back to eventually tie the game at 61-all with 2:22 left. Minnesota's defense would hold Northwestern without a field goal in the final 3:43 of regulation.
Glasauer, Miller and Stutz led NU with 14 points apiece while Glasauer chipped in with a season-high eight assists. She was 6-of-8 from the field, including two 3-pointers. Stutz also hit two from deep and sank 4-of-5 from the line.
"Sara Stutz stepped up today and proved why she is a leader on this team," head coach Beth Combs said after the game. "I think we put out a great effort."
The Wildcats shot 53 percent from the field, but Minnesota's defense forced the Wildcats into 20 turnovers while recording 11 steals.
In the first period, Northwestern trailed by as much as seven on three different occasions before an 8-0 run by the Wildcats gave NU a one-point lead, 25-24, with 5:53 left in the half. Down by two with under a minute, Bibbs' jumper with four seconds left tied the game at 30 headed into halftime.
The wild affair featured five ties and eight lead changes.
Scouting the Buckeyes
No. 6/8 Ohio State brings a 14-1, 3-0 record into the game against the Wildcats. The Buckeyes are off to their best start since 1972-73, with the lone loss of the season coming against No. 9 LSU. But OSU has not been without tests lately. Its last two contest against Kentucky and Penn State have each been decided by a bucket. The Buckeyes are led by All-American and two Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport who is leading the conference in points (19.5 ppg) and rebounds (10.3 rpg). The Buckeyes' starting lineup features three upperclassmen, a sophomore and a freshman.
The Series with Ohio State
Ohio State holds a 29-15 advantage against the Wildcats in the all-time series. The last time Northwestern defeated OSU was a 48-41 victory on Jan. 17, 1999.
Score Early and From Beyond the Arc
Northwestern is 5-0 on the year when leading at the half. When hitting more 3-pointers than its opponents, NU is 6-4.
On the Upswing
The Wildcats' 67-53 victory over Princeton put the season win total at six, matching the win total for the entire 2005-06 year.
Is That Purple I See?
Yes. Head coach Beth Combs sported an unusual "new-do" for the Jan. 7 game vs. Iowa. Combs accepted a dare to dye her hair purple if there were 3,000 pre-sold tickets to Sunday's game. The goal was reached and Combs' hair was a lovely shade of violet.
Stutz Stepping Up
Junior Sara Stutz has consistently scored in double figures throughout the season, tallying double digits in 15 of NU's 17 games. She has started every game this season--and every game of the career--and is averaging a team-best 30.7 mpg. The Glenview, Ill., native is second on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg) and FG percentage (46 percent). Stutz has also dished out 44 assists.
Setting an Example
Northwestern's upperclassmen have led the 'Cats in scoring in 16 of 17 games so far this season. Senior captain A.J. Glasauer has led NU in scoring ten times, while junior Sara Stutz has been the top scorer six times. Fellow classmate Melissa Miller has topped the scoring column three times. Against Minnesota on Thursday, all three scored a team-high 14 points.
On the Big Stage
In the most recent NCAA stats (12/31/06), Northwestern ranks 18th in the nation in assists, averaging 17.4 per contest. A.J. Glasauer leads NU with 55 while Nadia Bibbs has dished out 54.
Glasauer Leading the Way
Senior captain A.J. Glasauer has been the Wildcats' leading scorer in 10 out of NU's 17 contests. She is averaging a team-best 13.5 points per game, while dishing out a team-high 63 assists. Glasauer recorded a season-high eight assists in Northwestern's 65-63 loss to Minnesota. The Freiburg, Germany native is averaging 30.3 minutes per game and a team-best 20-of-48 (41 percent) from beyond the arc. She also is second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.97 (32 turnovers compared to 63 assists).
Coming out of the Blocks
Freshman Kaitlin McInerney has made a statement early in her career, shooting a team-best 58 percent (56-of-97) from the field while also pulling down 6.2 rpg. She recorded the first double-double of her career on Dec. 16 against Nebraska, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. McInerney is also second in the Big Ten in FG percentage (.577) and tied for 12th in blocked shots (1.24). The Oak Brook, Ill., native has been the 'Cats leading rebounder in six games so far this season.
Glasauer Golden From The Line
Senior A.J. Glasauer's 11-of-14 performance from the free-throw line at Utah on Dec. 20 ranked second in the Big Ten for free-throws made and first attempts.
Miller Time
Junior Melissa Miller poured in a career-high 16 points against Utah on Dec. 20. Miller registered 13 points and 13 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 29, marking Northwestern's first double-double of the season. Miller followed that performance with a 10-point, 12-rebound encore against Princeton in the first game of the Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational. The junior is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 7.1 rpg while also chipping in 8.1 ppg.
Guest Coaching
At every home Big Ten game this season, the Wildcats will select an honorary coach of the game. Guest coaches can include staff members and members of the faculty. The guest coaches will be announced during starting lineups, participate in the pre-game meal, sit with the team on the bench, attend shoot around and warm-ups and be in the locker room for the pre-game talk.
