Northwestern University Athletics
No. 15 NU Travels to North Carolina for Big Ten/ACC Challenge
12/1/2015 4:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
| NO. 15 NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: GAME INFORMATION | ||||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | WATCH | LIVE STATS | |
| Wednesday, Dec. 2 | North Carolina | 5 p.m. | Charmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.) | ESPN3 / WatchESPN | StatBroadcast | |
| Social: Twitter (@NUWBBall and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@NUWBBall) | Facebook | ||||||
EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 15 Northwestern Wildcats will square off against North Carolina on Wednesday, Dec. 2, in the second edition of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Tip off is set for 5 p.m. CST on ESPN and the WatchESPN app.
FACEOFF FACTS
This is the second all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Tar Heels as North Carolina won the first and only matchup. These two squads met during the 1993-94 season when the Tar Heels recorded a 98-75 win over NU.
The annual Big Ten/ACC challenge is extended through the 2020 season and will feature 14 matchups for the second-consecutive season. Challenge games are set for a two-day format, beginning Wednesday, Dec. 2 with Indiana and Maryland hosting home games, and Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State and Wisconsin playing on the road. On Dec. 3, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue will serve as host teams, while Minnesota and Rutgers will play road games.
In last year's Challenge, the ACC and Big Ten closed out the two-day event in a 7-7 tie, with Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern recording wins.
SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
• North Carolina wrapped up a 2014-15 season that saw the squad reach the NCAA Sweet 16. The Tar Heels finished the year with a 26-9 overall record and a 10-6 mark in ACC play.
• Carolina leads the ACC at 77.5 percent shooting from the free throw line.
• Destinee Walker heads the conference by shooting 93.1 percent (27-29) from the free throw line. Jamie Cherry is 6th at 87.2 percent (41-47).
• Four UNC players (Cherry, Summers, Walker, Watts) have each scored 20+ points already in a game this season.
• Destinee Walker's 32 points vs. FAMU continues to be tied for the most points scored by a player in the ACC this season.
• Four players (Bryant, Summers, Walker, Watts) have registered a double-double this season. Summers had her 2nd last Sunday against Gonzaga.
• North Carolina's three starting guards all rank among the leading scorers in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Destinee Walker is the top scoring freshman in the league, and 5th overall, at 16.3 points per game. Jamie Cherry is 8th at 15.4 ppg, and Stephanie Watts is 30th at 11.5 per game.
WILDCAT REPORT
The Wildcats are 6-0 on the young 2015-16 season and have won six-straight games to open a season for the third time under head coach Joe McKeown. The 'Cats are fresh off a three-game tournament (Lone Star Showcase) where NU was the only squad to go undefeated with wins over Eastern Washington, Creighton and East Carolina. Win the wins, Northwestern climbed its way to No. 15 in the AP Polls and checked in at No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Nia Coffey leads the Wildcats with 18.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg. Ashley Deary, who ranks second in the nation in steals per game, averages 17.8 ppg. Deary's 10 steals against Eastern Washington are the second most by an individual in the NCAA to date this season. Maggie Lyon has led the #B1GCats in scoring on three different occasions this season as the senior co-captain matched a career-best 26 points against East Carolina after tallying a season-best five 3-pointers versus Creighton the night before.
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