Feb. 2, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern hits the road Sunday in search of its first Big Ten win and first victory over a ranked opponent this season as it travels to 11th-ranked Indiana. The game is being televised on Big Ten Network with Tom Werme and John Laskowski on the call.
The game can also be heard on WGN Radio (720 AM) with Dave Eanet and Shon Morris.
The Wildcats have dropped each of their previous three games against ranked foes this season, falling to Stanford, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Series History: Indiana leads, 105-42. The Hoosiers have won the last three meetings.
Last Meeting: Roderick Wilmont set a Welsh-Ryan Arena record and a school record with nine 3-pointers while scoring 31 points as Indiana held off NU 69-65 Feb. 28, 2007.
Last Time Out
Kevin Coble scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second half and Michael Thompson had a solid all-around performance with 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to rally Northwestern to a 68-59 victory over Texas-Pan American on Wednesday night. Northwestern couldn't find the touch from 3-point range in the opening half as it misfired on its first nine attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Broncs took advantage as they went up 24-16 on Paul Stoll's fourth 3-pointer of the half with just over two minutes left before the break. Nikola Baran finally connected on a trey for Northwestern with just five seconds left in the first half to cut UTPA's advantage to 25-21 going into the intermission. The Broncs' lead was still eight at 34-26 after a 3-pointer by Brian Burrell with 15:43 left. But Northwestern put together 11-1 and 11-0 runs to pull ahead 57-43 with just under four minutes remaining.
Back With a Vengeance
Kevin Coble's 29 points against Texas-Pan American Jan. 30 made him the first NU player since Evan Eschmeyer in 1998-99 to post two games of 29 points or more in the same season. In just his fourth game and second start of the season, Coble posted a memorable performance against Michigan Jan. 12. The sophomore forward knocked down 14 of 18 field goal attempts, including four of five from 3-point range on his way to scoring a career-best 34 points. The total is the highest by a Big Ten player in a game this season. It was the most points by a Wildcat player during Bill Carmody's eight seasons as head coach, besting Vedran Vukusic's 32-point effort against Iowa Jan. 26, 2005. Coble followed up the performance with a 19-point, 14-rebound, 7-assist effort Jan. 16 at Chicago State. The rebound total tied the most by a player in the Carmody era while his 22 field goal attempts in the game also set a new mark. He missed all of the preseason and Northwestern's first nine games of the season while taking a break to be with his mother in his hometown of Phoenix while she underwent cancer treatments.
On Target From the Stripe
Though their attempts are limited, Kevin Coble, Craig Moore and Jason Okrzesik aren't the best choices for opposing teams to put on the free throw line. Combined, the trio has connected on 50 of 54 tries (92.6 percent) from the charity stripe this season. Moore leads the way at .947 (18-19), Coble is shooting .929 (13-14) and Okrzesik is at .905 (19-21).
Scouting Indiana
• The Hoosiers (17-3, 6-1) have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season after rattling off 13 consecutive wins. Indiana most recently suffered a 62-49 loss at No. 13 Wisconsin on Thursday despite 22 points and 17 points by senior forward D.J. White.
• Freshman guard Eric Gordon leads the Big Ten with an average of 21.4 points per game, while White is first with a .611 field goal percentage and is the top rebounder at 10.6 per contest. Both players are among the 30 individuals still up fo the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award.
•Indiana ranks atop the Big Ten in scoring offense at 77.1 points per game and is second in scoring margin at +15.0. The Hoosiers are also first with a .371 3-point field goal percentage.
•The Hoosiers' 68-63 loss to Connecticut Jan. 26 snapped their 29-game home court winning streak.
Up Next...
Northwestern returns home to face Minnesota at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The game is being televised by Big Ten Network. The Golden Gophers won the first meeting of the season 82-63 Jan. 9 in Minneapolis.
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