Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats Host IUPUI in Second Round of WNIT Sunday
3/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 21, 2014
| WNIT Round Two: Northwestern (16-15) vs. IUPUI (23-9) |
|
| Date | Sunday, March 23 | 2 p.m. |
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Ill. |
| Ticket Info | Available for purchase the day of the game. General Admission - $8, Youth - $6, Group Tickets - $5; NU Students with Wildcard - FREE courtesy of Coach McKeown |
| Live Audio | WNUR (89.3 FM) |
| Live Tweets | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Live Stats | Gametracker |
| Social Media | @nuwbball  | Facebook  |
2014 WNIT Information • 2014 WNIT Bracket
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After defeating Ball State 69-65 in the first round of the WNIT Thursday night, the Wildcats are back at home Sunday to host IUPUI in the second round of the WNIT. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena and tickets are available for purchase the day of the game. Ticket information is as follows:
Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event only. Prices are $8 general admission and $6 for youth. Group tickets are also available at a $5 rate. Northwestern students can show their Wildcard at the door to receive a FREE ticket compliments NU women's basketball head coach, Joe McKeown. For further ticket information, please contact Northwestern's ticket office at 888-GO-PURPLE.
'CATS EDGE BALL STATE IN WNIT OPENER
Four Wildcat underclassmen, who were all making their first postseason appearance, finished in double figures Thursday night in the opening round of the WNIT, helping Northwestern defeat Ball State, 69-65. Freshman point guard Ashley Deary had a solid second half with 12 points to finish with 15 for the game and freshman Christen Inman sunk a late jumper to help NU hang on for the win.
Freshman Nia Coffey and sophomore Lauren Douglas led NU with 17 each while Deary's 15 were close behind. Deary had a solid stat line, adding seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Coffey had a team-high nine rebounds to go with three blocks and two steals. Douglas contributed six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Maggie Lyon also finished in double figures with 12 points, including three 3-pointers.
Ball State threatened late, pulling within two (67-65) with 50 seconds showing but Christen Inman hit a clutch jumper as the shotclock expired on the other end to give NU the 69-65 lead with 20 seconds left. That shot proved to be the difference maker as the Wildcats hung on for the 69-65 win to advance to the second round of the WNIT.
NU shot an impressive 63.6 percent in the second half while limiting the Cardinals to just 22.9 percent for the frame.
SCOUTING IUPUI
2013-14 Record: 23-9, 11-3 Summit League
All-Time Series Record: NU leads, 1-0, Northwestern won first meeting, 72-61 on Dec. 21, 2013 at Welsh-Ryan Arena
Notable: DeAirra Goss scored a game-high 19 points and Nevena Markovic and Akilah Sims both posted double-doubles leading the IUPUI women's basketball team to its first post-season victory in its Division-I era as the Jags defeated Central Michigan, 72-66, in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday night. After the first meeting of the year between the Wildcats and Jaguars, IUPUI went on to win 11 of its next 12 games and entered The Summit League Tournament as the No. 2 seed. DeAirra Goss and Nevena Markovic earned All-Summit League honors for the Jaguars.
LAST TIME VS. IUPUI
Three NU freshmen combined for 48 of Northwestern's 72 points as the Wildcats took out IUPUI, 72-61 on Dec. 21 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Freshman point guard Ashley Deary had a career high 21 points and added nine assists. Fellow freshmen Nia Coffey and Christen Inman contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Maggie Lyon also chipped in 10 points.
NU forced IUPUI into 21 turnovers, which led to 18 Wildcat points, while finishing with just seven miscues on its own. NU also had 13 steals, including five from Lyon and three each by Inman and Deary.
THE WINNER OF SUNDAY'S GAME...
Will take on either Indiana or Marquette as these two teams square off Saturday in Bloomington. The third round of the WNIT takes place from March 26-28 while the quarterfinals will run March 29-31. April 2-3 are the dates for the WNIT semifinals and should the Wildcats advance to the finals, that will take place Saturday, April 5 at 2 p.m. CT.
CLOSING IN ON 600
Should the Wildcats continue to make a run in the WNIT, head coach Joe McKeown could reach a significant coaching milestone. The 28-year coaching veteran needs just four more wins to reach career victory No. 600 as he currently sits at 596 wins for his career.
CHASING HISTORY
Northwestern has 210 blocks this year, which is a new program record. The Wildcats are just one block away from tying the Big Ten record. Here's a look at a few of the top marks in Big Ten history:
1. 211 - Michigan State (2006-07; 33 games)
2. 210 - Northwestern (2013-14; 31 games)
3. 206 - Michigan State (2007-08; 37 games)
- Michigan State (2009-10; 33 games)
- Illinois (2009-10; 34 games)
6. 195 - Purdue (2006-07; 37 games)
7. 192 - Michigan State (2008-09; 33 games)
8. 189 - Iowa (2012-13; 34 games)
9. 185 - Purdue (2011-12; 34 games)
10. 184 - Penn State (2001-02; 35 games)
••••••
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, subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter and sign up to receive promotional text alerts for 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!
