Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Challenge No. 11/13 Ohio State in Columbus Thursday
1/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2012
Northwestern (11-5, 1-2) at No. 11/13 Ohio State (15-1, 2-1)
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012
Value City Arena (18,809)
Columbus, Ohio • 6 p.m.
Live Streaming: Ohio State All-Access
Gametracker: Ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Radio: WNUR, 89.3 FM
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Fresh off its first Big Ten win of the season, Northwestern faces another tall task, traveling to Columbus for a 6 p.m. CT test against No. 11/13 Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the highest ranked team in the Conference, but are coming off their first loss of the season--a 72-63 misstep at Michigan.
The Buckeyes enter the contest with an overall mark of 15-1 and a Big Ten record of 2-1. Northwestern, meanwhile, stands at 11-5 overall and 1-2 in League play.
Last Time Out...
Four Wildcats reached double figures as Northwestern picked up its first Big Ten victory of the season, a 69-61 triumph over Indiana Sunday afternoon. Dannielle Diamant led the contingent with a career-high tying 20 points, including six points on free-throws in the final minute. The win, NU's 11th on the year, was the first time since Dec. 30, 1998 that the Wildcats had emerged victorious from Bloomington.
Opponent Profile
Ohio State Buckeyes
2011-12 Record: 15-1, 2-1
Series History: Ohio State leads, 37-17
Last Meeting: Feb. 6 2011; at Columbus, Northwestern, 74-68
Of Note: Though Ohio State has held a commanding lead in the series between these two teams, the Wildcats won both matchups last season. It was the first time Northwestern had defeated OSU since the 1999 season.
Road Warriors
With the Wildcats' win at Indiana Sunday, Northwestern improved to 6-1 on the road this season. NU has posted several impressive victories including at LSU, a place that had been a safe haven for the Lady Tigers in the past, as they were 155-11 over the last 14 years against unranked teams. The 'Cats continued to dominate on the road, knocking off then-unbeaten Missouri in Columbia 10 days later. Northwestern also has won at Central Michigan, at Loyola, at UNLV and at Indiana Sunday.
No Easy Path
As Northwestern enters the heart of the Big Ten season, its competition soars to another level. In total, six conference teams are ranked or receiving votes this week, including four ranked squads in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Thursday's foe, Ohio State, leads the conference contingent in both polls, appearing as high as No. 11 in the Associated Press (AP) poll and No. 13 in the coaches rankings. Nebraska jumps four spots to No. 15 in the AP and is No. 23 in the coaches poll. Purdue climbs one spot to No. 17 in the AP poll and two spots to No. 20 in the coaches ranks. Penn State rounds out the coaches poll at No. 25 and is receiving votes from the AP.
Hackney Approaches 1,000-point Plateau
Junior Kendall Hackney needs just 50 more points to join the 1,000-point club. Hackney would be the 14th Wildcat to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Hackney also is 63 rebounds away from 500 on her career.
Trending
When you talk about the Wildcats this season, freshmen Morgan Jones and Karly Roser will undoubtedly be at the forefront of conversation. The two freshmen have started every game for Northwestern this season, following in the footsteps of another duo, Kendall Hackney and Dannielle Diamant, who also saw significant floor time in their first year in Evanston. Jones and Roser not only contribute in the points column, but also in the assists category. When the two combine to dish out 12 or more assists, the 'Cats are undefeated (5-0). Another fun fact--when Diamant scores 10 or more points, the Wildcats are 8-1.
Sharing The Wealth
When looking at the Wildcats' leading scorers and rebounders each game, count on seeing a familiar trio. Kendall Hackney has led NU in scoring on a team-high eight occasions while fellow junior Dannielle Diamant has led the team four times and freshman Morgan Jones has been the top scorer thrice. Diamant headlines the rebounding category, leading the 'Cats seven times while both Hackney and Jones have led NU four times. Karly Roser and Jones have topped the assist category eight and seven times, respectively.
Complete game notes can be found by clicking on the PDF above.
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