Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Raises Curtain On New Campaign This Weekend
11/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2010
Northwestern (0-0) vs. Dartmouth (0-0)
Friday, November 12, 2010
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)
Evanston, Ill. • 7 p.m.
Streaming Video: NUsports.com
Audio: WNUR 89.3 FM
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
••••••
Northwestern (0-0) vs. LSU (0-0)Sunday, November 14, 2010
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)
Evanston, Ill. • 2 p.m.
Streaming Video:bigtennetwork.com
Audio: WNUR 89.3 FM
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Though head coach Joe McKeown, entering his 25th year as a collegiate mentor, is well aware of what it means to "ease into a season," he has done just the opposite with the Wildcats' slate this year. Northwestern debuts the 2010-11 campaign against 17-time Ivy League Champion Dartmouth at 7 p.m. Friday evening and hosts SEC powerhouse LSU Sunday at 2 p.m.
Friday's matchup will be streamed live on NUsports.com while fans can catch Sunday's contest on bigtennetwork.com. Northwestern will have seven regular-season games carried live on the Big Ten Network this year and six streamed on www.bigtennetwork.com
Regarding Dartmouth...
The Big Green finished with an 11-17 overall mark last year, but boasted Ivy titles in both 2008 and 2009 and made an NCAA Tourney appearance in 2009. Dartmouth was picked to finish third in the Ivy this season. Nine letterwinners and three starters return to the hardwood for Dartmouth this year, led by senior Brittany Smith, 2009 Ivy League Player of the Year and a candidate for the Lowe's Senior Class Award. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
And What About LSU...
One of the most storied programs in women's college basketball, LSU raises the curtain on its season Sunday in hopes of making it to its 13th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tigers finished 25th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll last season and enter the new campaign receiving votes in that poll as well as in the AP Poll. LSU is led by returning All-SEC forward LaSondra Barrett. Barrett, a preseason first-team All-SEC selection by the coaches and media, averaged 12.8 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game last season. A veteran at both the collegiate and professional levels, Van Chancellor is in his fourth season at the helm of the Tigers' program and will be coaching in his 23rd collegiate season overall. The last time these two teams faced each other, Northwestern came out on top, 79-75, in the second round of the 1995 postseason NIT.
A Closer Look at Northwestern
• The 2010-11 season is the 35th year of women's basketball at Northwestern. The Wildcats are 496-494 overall since 1975-76 campaign.
• Northwestern is 26-9 all-time in season openers. The Wildcats went on the road and defeated Toledo, 73-64, last year. The last time NU opened a season at home was on Nov. 10, 2006 when it defeated Valparaiso 64-45.
• Northwestern enters the 2010-11 season on the heels of one of the best campaigns in Wildcat annals. NU recorded the fourth-best turnaround among BCS schools last season, and reached the postseason for the first time in 13 years. The 'Cats earned a bid to the WNIT and made some noise, cruising to the Round of 16 before falling on the road to Michigan.
• Senior Amy Jaeschke is an All-America candidate for the 'Cats and already has garnered several preseason accolades. The Wilmette, Ill., native was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team and she has been selected as a Lowe's Senior Class Award candidate, an honor bestowed on only 30 women's basketball players across the country. Tuesday, Jaeschke was added to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, an elite roster identifying the 50 top women's basketball players in the nation. The list is based on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2010-11 season.
• The Wildcats return four of last year's five starters, including seniors Beth Marshall and Amy Jaeschke along with junior Brittany Orban and sophomore Kendall Hackney. Hackney was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice last year and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
Complete game notes can be viewed by clicking on the PDF above.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
