Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Tangles With Boilers In Conference Opener
12/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern enters its first Big Ten matchup of the season looking to rebound from a heartbreaking 69-68 loss to Clemson in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Thursday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Purdue visits Evanston with a 3-4 record after suffering a 56-49 loss at No. 14 Virginia as part of the same event. The Boilermakers have dropped four out of their last five contests.
The Wildcats (5-2) do not take on another league foe until after Christmas when they travel to Ann Arbor for a Dec. 28 showdown against the Wolverines. Following the Purdue game, Northwestern gets a much-deserved week-long hiatus for finals before traveling to Kansas State for a 2 p.m. contest against the Wildcats on Sunday, Dec. 13.
Fans wishing to follow Sunday's action can do so through the Big Ten Network's live stream or on . The game will also be available on Twitter under the username @NU_sportsLIVE.
Last time out...
The team with the ball at the end of the game was destined for victory and Thursday evening, it just happened to be Clemson. The Tigers hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with six ticks left and a hand in their face to edge out a 69-68 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena as part of the third-annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Brittany Orban paced Northwestern with 21 points and seven rebounds while Amy Jaeschke tallied 14 scores and seven caroms.
Accentuating the Positives
Though the 69-68 loss to Clemson Thursday night was a heartbreaker, Northwestern did many positive things throughout the evening. The Wildcats used a season-best 50 percent shooting effort in the first half, including 4-of-5 from deep to finish with a season-high 47.9 shooting percentage. They also out-rebounded the Tigers, 36-31. Additionally, of the nine Wildcats to see the court, eight scored.
Jaeschke 6th In The Nation In Blocks; Moves Into Second All-Time In NU History
Junior Amy Jaeschke ranks 6th in the nation in blocks with 4.3 rejections per game according to the most recent NCAA statistics (through 11/29/09). Last season, the 6-5 center set a Wildcat single-season record with 96 rejections. With four blocks against Clemson Thursday night, Jaeschke now has 177 career swats, which moves her into second place all-time in NU history.
Close Calls
The difference between Northwestern and a perfect 7-0 season is a measly five points. The Wildcats lost to College of Charleston by four points and to Clemson by the slimmest of margins. On the flipside, Northwestern has combined to win its five games by an average of 17.2 points.
Put Your Money on the 'Cats In the First Half
Northwestern has held the halftime lead in every game so far this season. On the season, the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 11.6 points per game.
For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.
