Dec. 30, 2008

Ohio State Game Notes

EVANSTON, ILL. -- Northwestern welcomes No. 17 Ohio State to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a New Year's Eve matinee. Tip is set for 1 p.m. and will be carried by WNUR (89.3 FM). Both teams are coming off contests with conference foe Michigan.

Entering the Game...
• The Wildcats enter Wednesday's contest following a tough 66-54 road loss to the Wolverines on Sunday. Sophomore Amy Jaeschke continued to shine, leading NU with 19 points, six rebounds, three blocks and a steal. She is leading the 'Cats in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Fellow classmate Meshia Reed also turned in a double-figure performance with 12 points and four rebounds, while freshman Brittany Orban contributed a nine-point effort.

• Ohio State is searching for its fifth-straight victory when it hits the hardwood against Northwestern Wednesday. The Bucks most recently disposed of Michigan, 70-50, back on Dec. 21 at Value City Arena. Sophomore Jantel Lavender dumped in a game-high 28 points on 13-of-19 from the field and pulled down eight rebounds. Guards Ashlee Trebilcock and Samantha Prahalis chipped in 16 and 10 points, respectively. The Wolverines actually outscored OSU in the second half, but the Bucks' 22-point lead at the break was more than enough to find the win column.

Scouting the Buckeyes
No. 17 Ohio State brings a 10-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in conference play to Evanston. The Buckeyes only league match up was against Michigan, who hosted Northwestern on Sunday. OSU disposed of the Wolverines handily, 70-50, on Dec. 21 and has not played a game since. Last year's Big Ten Player of the Year Jantel Lavender is commander and chief of the offense, leading the conference in points (22.8) and rebounds (11.5). The center is shooting 54 percent from the field and is averaging a team-best 33.0 minutes per outing. The Buckeyes have multiple scoring threats both in the paint and on the perimeter. Freshman point guard Samantha Prahalis is second on the squad in scoring with 10.8 ppg and is dishing out 6.25 apg. She also leads the Bucks defensively with 25 steals. Senior Ashlee Trebilcock is a threat from three-point land, knocking down 51.6 percent of her looks. Fellow classmate Star Allen helps Lavender on the glass, snatching 6.9 rpg. Ohio State has won four-straight games--three of which have been in the friendly confines of Value City Arena. The Bucks only two losses have been at Auburn (87-80) in overtime and against North Carolina (72-63) at home.

The Series against Ohio State
Ohio State holds a 33-15 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams.

Conference Call
Sophomores Amy Jaeschke and Meshia Reed know that Big Ten play is really what counts. The two have scored half of the team's points in the first two contests. Jaeschke leads the team with an average of 16.5 ppg, while Reed is recording 11.0.

Almost ...There
Though the record doesn't reflect the progress Northwestern has made this season, consider the following:
• Northwestern has held the lead at halftime in 10-of-its 13 games this season.
• All but three of NU's eight losses have been by single-digits and four have been by six points or less.
• Comparing this year's numbers with last year's stats at the same time (through 13 games; same record) shows that the 'Cats have improved in points per game, scoring margin, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage, rebounding margin, turnover margin, assist/turnover ratio, blocks and turnovers.

The Wildcats On The Big Stage
As of Dec. 21, Northwestern ranks 59th nationally in field goal percentage (43.2) and 52nd in blocked shots with 4.6 per game. Individually, sophomore Amy Jaeschke is 14th in the nation in rebounds per game and 6th in blocked shots. She also appears in the top 100 in field goal percentage (49th) and points per game (82nd).

Value The Rock
The famous phrase, "value the rock" could not be more true for Northwestern. When the 'Cats turn the ball over less than their opponents, they are a perfect 3-0.

For complete game notes, please click on the PDF above.