Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Poised To Host Spartans
2/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2007
Michigan State Game Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Wildcats welcome No. 24 Michigan State to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a 7 p.m. showdown on Thursday evening. Northwestern plays the Spartans twice in the next week, taking on Penn State in between the two meetings with MSU. Senior A.J. Glasauer (pictured) leads NU, averaging 12.3 ppg.
Last Time Out ...
Michigan used a 22-point outburst from Carly Benson to defeat Northwestern, 61-49, Sunday afternoon at Crisler Arena. Sophomore Kristin Cartwright (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds while A.J. Glasauer (Freiburg, Germany/Theodor-Heuss Gymnasium) and Sara Stutz (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) scored 18 and 14 points, respectively.
"It came down to not being able to play for 40 minutes," head coach Beth Combs said. "We played a good first half, but they came out to play in the second half. You have to give them some credit."
Both squads echoed each other's baskets in the early going, but Northwestern's aggressive defense forced five Wolverine turnovers in the first eight minutes. NU's focus this week on defense, pressing and trapping paid off as they induced 22 Wolverine turnovers on the game and recorded 14 steals.
Michigan built a 13-point lead at the 7:13 mark, but Northwestern exploded for 12 unanswered points to pull the score to 24-23 with 1:13 remaining.
Glasauer then answered a three-pointer by Michigan's Jessica Minnifield with a basket of her own to pull the halftime score to 27-25. Glasauer led NU with 10 points, while Cartwright played arguably her best first half on the glass, grabbing nine rebounds. NU forced 11 turnovers in the first half alone.
Michigan opened the second half with three quick baskets, but Northwestern answered with two makes of its own.
The Wolverines continued to score, while the 'Cats were plagued by shooting woes, mustering just 10 points in the first 14 minutes.
Glasauer snatched a career-best five steals to accompany her 18 points while Stutz grabbed six rebounds to compliment her 14 points.
Northwestern converted 16 points off turnovers and grabbed 16 offensive boards to UM's 14.
Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State enters the face off with the Wildcats after defeating Illinois, 80-70, Sunday night at the Breslin Center. With the victory, the Spartans move to 17-6 overall and 8-2 in the Big Ten. MSU's only conference losses so far have come at the hands of Penn State (76-49) and Purdue (70-60). Michigan State is led by senior Victoria Lucas-Perry who is averaging 14.0 ppg. Six-foot-nine freshman Allyssa DeHaan is the Spartans' leading rebounder, pulling down 7.9 boards per contest. The Spartan's mentor, Joanne P. McCallie is a Northwestern alum, having played for the Wildcats from 1984-87.
The Series with Michigan State
Michigan State holds a slight 26-22 advantage in the all-time series. The last time the Wildcats downed MSU was on Jan. 1, 2003 when NU defeated the Spartans, 52-46 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Cartwright Elevating Her Game
Since entering the starting line up against Wisconsin on Jan. 21, sophomore Kristin Cartwright has been the team's third-leading scorer, averaging 7.0 ppg. The sophomore is averaging a team-best 4.8 rebounds per game during that five-game span. Against Michigan on Sunday, Cartwright pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Playing the Best to be the Best
According to collegeRPI.com, Northwestern is playing the 14th strongest schedule in the country. The Wildcats' schedule includes six opponents in last season's AP top-25, and six that are currently in the top-25, or receiving votes. Those six include No. 4 Ohio State, No. 13 Purdue and No. 21 Nebraska. Michigan State, Mississippi and Utah were among those receiving votes.
Taking Care of the Rock
Northwestern's 12 turnovers against Ohio State on Jan. 14 was the lowest of the season. The 'Cats forced a dozen Buckeye mishaps as well.
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 Finding Double-Digits
Junior Sara Stutz has consistently scored in double figures throughout the season, tallying double digits in 18 of NU's 24 games. The Glenview, Ill., native is second on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg) and second in FG percentage (43 percent). Stutz has also dished out 55 assists.
Setting an Example
Northwestern's upperclassmen have led the 'Cats in scoring in 20 of 24 games so far this season. Senior captain A.J. Glasauer has led NU in scoring 13 times, while junior Sara Stutz has been the top scorer six times. Fellow classmate Melissa Miller has topped the scoring column three times while Nadia Bibbs has been the top scorer once.
On the Big Stage
In the most recent NCAA stats (2/4/07), Northwestern ranks 35th in the nation in assists, averaging 15.9 per contest. A.J. Glasauer leads NU with 75 while Nadia Bibbs has dished out 70. Both distributed a team-high four assists against Ohio State.
Glasauer Leading the Way
Senior captain A.J. Glasauer has been the Wildcats' leading scorer in 13 out of NU's 24 contests. She is averaging a team-best 12.3 points per game, while dishing out a team-high 75 assists. Glasauer recorded a season-high eight assists in Northwestern's 65-63 loss to Minnesota. She is also hitting a team-best 24-of-67 (36 percent) from beyond the arc and is third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.44 (52 turnovers compared to 75 assists).
Rookie Renaissance
Freshmen Kaitlin McInerney and Beth Marshall have made statements early in their careers as Wildcats. McInerney is shooting a team-best 51 percent (67-of-132) from the field while also pulling down 5.4 rpg. She recorded the first double-double of her career on Dec. 16 against Nebraska, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. The Oak Brook, Ill., native has been the 'Cats leading rebounder in six games so far this season. Marshall has started the last five games at the point, averaging a solid 23 minutes per game. She has also pulled down 10 rebounds and recorded four steals over the past five contests.
Glasauer Golden From The Line
Senior A.J. Glasauer's 11-of-14 performance from the free-throw line at Utah on Dec. 20 ranks second in the Big Ten for free-throws made and first in 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 5.9 rpg while also contributing 6.8 ppg.
Anucha Browne Spotlighted By Big Ten
February is Black History Month and the Big Ten Conference announced its celebration of African-Americans on Big Ten campuses. During the month, the League's website (www.bigten.org) will feature a story on a male and female student-athlete from each institution. Northwestern's two outstanding African-American student-athletes the Conference chose to spotlight are Anucha Browne-Sanders and Ron Burton.
