Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Raise Curtain on 2008-09 Season Friday Evening
11/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill.-- Northwestern debuts the 2008-09 season Friday evening against Chicago State at 6 p.m. at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center. The Wildcats are 25-8 all-time in season openers and are looking to win their fourth-straight season debut. Northwestern holds a 19-4 record in season openers at Welsh-Ryan Arena and are 6-4 all-time when playing game one on the road. Last season, NU registered a 76-70 overtime victory against Dayton in the season premiere at the Women's Sports Foundation Invitational in Albuquerque, NM.
Setting the Stage
Northwestern posted a dominating 74-34 win over UW-Parkside last Friday evening in exhibition play at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Amy Jaeschke paced the Wildcats with 18 points and six rebounds while newcomer Brittany Orban added 12 points. Freshman Maggie Mocchi led NU on the glass, pulling down eight boards while also chipping in eight points. Junior Kristin Cartwright and sophomore Meshia Reed each contributed nine points and junior floor general Jenny Eckhart distributed eight assists on the evening.
Chicago State, which competes as an independent at the Division I level, is coming off an 89-76 victory against Odyssey, a local club team that is comprised of former collegiate basketball players from various Division I, II and III schools in the Chicagoland area. Senior Jasmin Dixon led the way for the Cougars with 23 points while Nicole Clark added a double-double with 14 points and 15 boards.
NU returns three starters and seven letterwinners overall from last year's squad and welcomes back junior Cartwright, who took a medical redshirt last season. Jaeschke paced the team with averages of 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds a year ago and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten and All-Freshman pick.
Scouting Chicago State
• The Cougars are led by Dixon, who averaged 17.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg last season. She also led the team in assists, dishing out 111 helps in addition to delivering a team-high 18 blocks.
• Chicago State and Northwestern will face one common opponent in Missouri. The Tigers visit Welsh-Ryan Arena as part of the Doubletree White Invitational at the end of November and host Chicago State on Jan. 6.
The Series
This is only the third time the two Chicagoland squads have met, and the first time since 1977. The series is tied, with Chicago State claiming victory in 1976--the first year of women's basketball at Northwestern--and the Wildcats defeating the Cougars in 1977.
Northwestern in Season Openers
The Wildcats are 25-8 all-time in season openers. Northwestern holds a 19-4 record in season openers at Welsh-Ryan Arena and are 6-4 all-time when debuting the season on the road.Last season, NU registered a 76-70 overtime victory against Dayton in the season premiere at the Women's Sports Foundation Invitational in Albuquerque, NM.
Three Starters, Seven Letterwinners Return for the 'Cats
Northwestern welcomes back seven letterwinners from a season ago, including three starters--Ellen Jaeschke, Amy Jaeschke and Jenny Eckhart. Additionally, Kristin Cartwright, a starter in 2006-07, returns to the court after sitting out last season with a medical redshirt. Meshia Reed, NU's second-leading scorer last season with 9.1 ppg, also returns this season.
McKeown Settles In In Evanston
Joe McKeown comes to Northwestern after spending the past 19 years at George Washington, where he amassed a 441-154 record and reached the NCAA Tournament in 15 of those 19 seasons. McKeown, one of the most respected names in women's basketball, owns a career 75 percent winning percentage, which ranks 13th on the active coaches list. McKeown is 13-9 all-time in season openers.
Wildcat Basketball On The Tube
The Wildcats will reap the benefits of the creation of the Big Ten Network once again this year. The network will carry at least seven Northwestern women's basketball games during the season. Contests against Kansas State, Marquette, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota and the Big Ten Tournament will be carried on the network. Additionally, six games will be streamed live through the network's website (www.bigtennetwork.com). Like last season, the network will provide in-depth analysis on Big Ten women's basketball, including a weekly program on Monday nights dedicated to Big Ten women's sports.
Next Up...
Northwestern hosts Big XII opponent Kansas State in an 8 p.m. contest on Monday, Nov. 17. The game is being broadcast live by the Big Ten Network.
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