Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats, Wolverines Clash Thursday Evening
1/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2012
Northwestern (12-6, 2-3) vs. Michigan (14-4, 3-2)
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)
Evanston, Ill. • 7 p.m.
Live Streaming: Wildcats All-Access (BTN.com)
Gametracker:NUsports.com
Radio: WNUR, 89.3 FM
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
The Wildcats have won two of their last three games, with a hard-fought loss at No. 11/13 Ohio State the lone blemish. Michigan enters the contest receiving votes in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll and boasts a 14-4 overall record and a 3-2 conference mark.
Up Next...
Northwestern completes its circuit of three games in six days when it travels to Madison for a 2 p.m. game against Wisconsin Sunday.
Last Time Out...
Northwestern maintained control throughout the second half, and sealed the deal with a clutch free throw by freshman Karly Roser with 2.6 seconds left to overcome a pesky Illinois squad, 59-58, Monday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The `Cats (12-6, 2-3) used a balanced scoring attack, led by junior Dannielle Diamant with 16 points, to hold off the Fighting Illini and pick up their second Big Ten win. Kendall Hackney, Morgan Jones and Roser also scored in double figures for the Wildcats.
Opponent Profile
Michigan Wolverines
2011-12 Record: 14-4, 3-2
Series History: Northwestern leads, 36-25
Last Meeting: Jan. 20 2011; in Evanston, Michigan, 76-67
Of Note: Northwestern is 3-2 vs. Michigan since Coach McKeown joined NU in 2008. The Wildcats last beat the Wolverines during the 2009-10 season with a 64-60 victory in Evanston. Northwestern only saw Michigan once during Big Ten play last season and fell 76-67 on January 20, 2011 in Evanston.
By The Slimmest of Margins
When looking at Monday night's boxscore, one is treated to a statistical anomaly. The two teams made the same number of field goals (20/60, 20/61), and came within two of each other in three-pointers made, assists, turnovers, blocks and steals. Both squads scored 30 points in the second half. The "largest" margin came in the rebounding category, where NU held a 48-43 edge. Where was the difference, you ask? Northwestern dominated in the paint, outscoring Illinois 26-14, and converted seven Illini turnovers into 12 points. Karly Roser's free-throw with 2.6 seconds on the clock gave Northwestern the lead at just the right time to earn its second Conference win of the year.
One More Look At Ohio State
When the Wildcats left Columbus last Thursday, they departed with nothing to be ashamed of, coming into the lair of the No. 11/13 team in the country who had just been issued their first loss of the year. Looking at the stat sheet, Northwestern shot a season-high 52.9 percent compared to OSU's 50.8 percent and nearly matched them in every other category. The telling number came in the turnover column where Ohio State converted 17 'Cat miscues into 30 points. Amber Stokes and Samantha Prahalis combined for six of those turnovers.
Hackney Approaches 1,000-point Plateau
Junior Kendall Hackney needs just 17 more points to join the 1,000-point club. Hackney would be the 14th Wildcat to reach the milestone. With nine rebounds against Illinois, Hackney is 51 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 9-2.
Complete game notes can be found by clicking on the PDF above.
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