Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Wrestle With Razorbacks Sunday Afternoon
11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern ventures outside the Chicagoland area for the first time Sunday when it takes on Arkansas in a 3 p.m. contest at Bud Walton Arena. The Wildcats enter the matchup on the heels of their first win of the year--a 68-60 decision over Houston Baptist Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks are riding high after defeating Southern Methodist 78-69 Friday night to push their record to a perfect 3-0.
Entering the Game...
Last time out, sophomore Amy Jaeschke led the way for NU, turning in her second double-double performance of the season with a 19-point, 15-rebound effort. Jaeschke's 15 boards was a career-effort, as was her five blocks. Fellow sophomore Meshia Reed, junior Kristin Cartwright and freshman Brittany Orban all joined Jaeschke in double-digits against Houston Baptist.
Arkansas used a career-effort from sophomore Shantia Arnold en route to a dominating 78-69 victory over SMU at Bud Walton Arena Friday night. The sophomore came up just shy of a school record, connecting on 5-of-6 from three-point range in the first half, helping her to a personal best 22 points.
Looking Ahead...
Northwestern is next in action after the Thanksgiving holiday when it hosts the 25th annual Doubletree White Invitational on Nov. 29-30. The full slate of game is below:
Saturday, Nov. 29
Missouri vs. Holy Cross--Noon
Northwestern vs. Western Illinois--2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30
Western Illinois vs. Holy Cross--1 p.m.
Northwestern vs. Missouri--3 p.m.
Scouting the Razorbacks
The Razorbacks have not left the friendly confines of Bud Walton Arena this season, which has proved to be a boon for the squad, as they are undefeated on the season. Arkansas, a preseason 10th pick in the SEC, has defeated its last three opponents by a combined score of 218-153. Friday night, Arkansas used strong efforts from Shantia Arnold (career-high 22 points), Ceira Ricketts (18 pts.) and Ayana Brereton (17 pts.) en route to a 78-69 win over Southern Methodist. Those three, along with senior Whitney Jones, are the usual suspects when it comes to offensive firepower. The four are also the squad's top four scorers on the season. Brereton and Jones lead the way on the boards, pulling down 7.7 and 7.3 rpg, respectively. As a team, Arkansas is shooting 40 percent from the field and is averaging 72.7 points per outing compared to its opponents' 51.0. The Razorbacks protect the ball when they have it, only committing 15 turnovers per game while forcing an average of 22 miscues each time out.
The Series
The Razorbacks hold a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series, thanks to a 105-68 victory in the second round of the 1991 NCAA Tournament. This is the Wildcats' only matchup against an SEC opponent this season.
Arkansas Connection
Northwestern assistant coach Tennielle Adams will coach against her alma mater when the two teams hit the hardwood Sunday. Adams was a member of the Razorback's 1997-98 Final Four team and the 1998-99 WNIT Championship team. She also was one of the most highly-recruited high school seniors in the country, ranking in the top five among post players nationally and ranking as one of the top 50 seniors by Blue Star. Additionally, the Wildcats' Julie Bielawski makes a return to her home state. The Rogers, Ark., native is in her senior season at Northwestern.
Evaluating the Opposition
During the 2008-09 season, Northwestern faces seven opponents who appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament. They include Monday's opponent Kansas State (5 seed), Ohio State (6), Marquette (7), Iowa (9), Minnesota (9), DePaul (10) and Missouri (13). Additionally, seven Northwestern opponents during the 2008-09 season are ranked or receiving votes in either the Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Poll.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.
