Nov. 16, 2006

Miami (Ohio) Game Notes
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Evanston, Ill. Northwestern takes its perfect record on the road Friday, when it travels to Oxford, Ohio to battle the RedHawks in a 5 p.m. CT contest. The Wildcats are of to their best start since the 2000-01 season, downing Valparaiso, 64-45, and besting Loyola (Ill.), 78-60 last week.

"Miami is a great test for us," head coach Beth Combs said. "They are quick, athletic and they know how to score. We will have to slow their game and be on top of ours. This is our first big road test and I am excited to see a victory."

Last Time Out...
Northwestern used a 23-of-26 effort from the line en route to a 78-60 victory against intra-city rival Loyola Sunday afternoon at the Gentile Center. Junior Sara Stutz led the 'Cats with a career-best 26 points.

Both squads jumped out to a quick start, answering each other's baskets throughout the opening stanza. The largest lead of the first half was a six-point advantage by the Ramblers that came at the five-minute mark on a three pointer by Maggie McCloskey.

The Wildcats responded over the remaining five minutes, thanks to a three-point boost from Nadia Bibbs and a halftime buzzer-beating three pointer from well beyond the arc by Kristin Cartwright. Bibbs led all scorers at half with 11 points, including three treys.

Northwestern came out of the locker room with a more focused approach, going on a 10-2 spurt to open the half. The closest the Ramblers could come was a seven-point differential with 7:26 remaining in the game.

Stutz dominated the second half, scoring 22 points while grabbing four rebounds. Bibbs turned in a career-best 16 points while also dishing out six assists.

Senior A.J. Glasauer joined Bibbs and Stutz in double-digits, contributing 13 points on 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Stutz also only missed once from the line, going 7-of-8 to help the 'Cats to an 89 percent clip from the free-throw line.

Cartwright chipped in a strong performance with nine points and six rebounds, including five offensive boards. Melissa Miller pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds while also recording six points.

Northwestern held the advantage on the glass, pulling down 13 more rebounds than Loyola.

Scouting the RedHawks
Miami (Ohio) split its two contests this past weekend, both of which were decided with seconds left in the game. The RedHawks edged Cleveland State, 86-84, on a pair of free throws by Jenna Schone with six seconds left in Cleveland. Amanda Jackson scored a career-high 31 points in the opener. Miami fell victim to last-minute heroics against Robert Morris two days later when a three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Cavaliers the "W".

The Series with Miami (Ohio)
Northwestern holds a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. The 'Cats won last year's meeting, 79-73, in the first game of the Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational in Evanston. A.J. Glasauer led the way for NU in that game, scoring 21 points. Melissa Miller added a double-double, chipping in 14 points and grabbing 11 boards.

'Cats Nips
Up, Up and Away
Northwestern is out to its best start since the 2000-01 campaign when the 'Cats were also 2-0. The last time NU started a season 3-0 was in the 1995-96 campaign when NU won its first nine games. Additionally, Northwestern was among those receiving votes in this week's Associated Press Top 25.

Stutz Steps It Up
Thanks to a career-setting 26-point performance against Loyola (Ill.) on Sunday, junior Sara Stutz is the 'Cats leading scorer with 19.0 ppg. Stutz scored 22 of her 26 points in the second half, providing the spark that propelled NU to victory. Against Valpariaso, the Glenview, Ill. native scored in double-figures with 12 points while also adding four rebounds and two steals.

Coming out of the Blocks
Freshman Kaitlin McInerney has turned in two solid performances this season. In the season-opener against Valparaiso, the Oak Brook native tallied nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 performance while also grabbing six boards. McInerney recorded a game-high three blocks and added two assists in 27 minutes. Versus Loyola, the forward posted five points and a career-best nine rebounds while also dishing out three assists.

Guard It With Your Life
At the beginning of the season, head coach Beth Combs said she was excited about the competition between Nadia Bibbs and Beth Marshall at the point guard position. So far, Bibbs, the incumbent, has certainly answered the challenge, averaging 12.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg, good for third and second, respectively, on the team. She is shooting nearly 50 percent from beyond the arc (5-of-11) while also providing a team-high 11 assists. Bibbs also leads the 'Cats in steals with six. Marshall, meanwhile, has made the most of her court time, going 3-of-5 from three-point range in just 20 minutes.

For complete game notes, please see the PDF at the top of this release.