Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats Debut Big Ten Action At Indiana
12/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. --The 'Cats raise the curtain on the Big Ten season when they travel to Bloomington to face Indiana in a 4 p.m. CT contest. The game will be streamed live at www.bigtennetwork.com. Following Saturday's game, Northwestern hosts North Dakota in a 1 p.m. showdown Monday, Dec. 22 before breaking for the holidays. The Wildcats resume action on Dec. 28 when they battle Michigan in a 1 p.m. CT game.
Entering the Game...
• Northwestern enters conference action after defeating Texas Southern 68-51 Tuesday afternoon. Four Wildcats tallied double figures, led by Amy Jaeschke who poured in a game-high 18 points and tied a Big Ten single-game record with nine blocks. Fellow classmate Meshia Reed and freshmen Brittany Orban and Maggie Mocchi recorded 12, 12 and 11 points, respectively. Though the 'Cats' record doesn't show a winning mark, all but one of NU's seven losses have been by single-digits and four have been by five points or less.
• Indiana brings a 7-2 mark into the league-opener, having most recently defeated Big East foe West Virginia, 77-73, on Dec. 13. The Hoosiers have won their last six contests, including a victory over Missouri, a team Northwestern battled earlier in the season.
Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana enters Saturday's contest on a six-game winning streak, most recently having defeated West Virginia, 77-73, nearly a week ago in Morgantown. IU's only two losses have come at the hands of Xavier and Middle Tennessee State, and were by a combined nine points. Amber Jackson leads IU in scoring, notching 17.1 ppg while Kim Roberson and Whitney Thomas are recording 11.1 and 10.7 ppg, respectively. Thomas, an all-conference performer, leads the Hoosiers on the glass with 9.4 rpg. Indiana has been out-rebounding its opponents handily, pulling down 6.4 more boards per game. IU is mentored by fourth-year head coach Felicia Legette-Jack.
The Series against Indiana
The Hoosiers hold a 31-28 advantage in the all-time series with Northwestern. Indiana is both the first and the last Big Ten team the 'Cats have played, having faced IU in the final game at the Big Ten Tournament last season.
The Wildcats On The Big Stage
As of Dec. 14, Northwestern ranks 35th nationally in field goal percentage. Individually, sophomore Amy Jaeschke is 12th in the nation in rebounds per game and 26th in blocked shots. She also appears in the top 100 in field goal percentage (44th) and points per game (91st).
Freshman Orban Shines
Freshman Brittany Orban has made an immediate and significant contribution since donning a Wildcat uniform. The North Canton, Ohio, native ranks fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, averaging 8.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Against Texas Southern, the newbie notched 12 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in 32 minutes. Over the past five games, she is third on the squad in scoring, averaging 9.0 ppg and 4.6 rpg. She has become a staple in the starting lineup, starting the past eight games while averaging 26.1 mpg.
Mocchi Notches Career-High vs. Lady Tigers
Freshman Maggie Mocchi recorded a career-high 11 points, one rebound and one steal against Texas Southern on Tuesday. The Wheeling, Ill., native has seen action in every game this season and has started one.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.
