March 3, 2010

Big Ten Tourney Game Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Tenth-seeded Northwestern faces No. 7 Michigan in the opening round of the 2010 Big Ten Tournament Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Tip is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be carried live on the Big Ten Network with Mark Neely and Mary Murphy on the call. The winner will face No. 2 Michigan State Friday at 10:30 a.m. CT. The Spartans received a first-round bye after finishing second in the conference standings.

Fans who are unable to watch the game but wish to stay up-to-date on the action in Thursday's game can do so by following the username @NU_sportsLIVE on Twitter. The game will be broadcast live on WNUR 89.3FM.

Northwestern won the both meetings between the two teams during the regular season, each time by a difference of four points (64-60 and 63-59). The Wildcats have now won the last three contests against Michigan and six out of the last nine meetings dating back to 2005.

Opponent profile
Michigan Wolverines
• 2009-10 Record: 16-12, 8-10
• Series History: 36-22, Northwestern
• Last Meeting: February 4, 2010, 64-60, Northwestern

The Last Two Meetings With Michigan
Feb. 4, 2010--Northwestern expected a battle Thursday night when Michigan rolled into town, and it received nothing less. After knocking off the Wolverines earlier in the season at Crisler Arena, the Wildcats completed the season sweep with a 64-60 win at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Three `Cats turned in double-figure performances, led by Kendall Hackney's 18-point effort. Amy Jaeschke registered 15 points and nine rebounds while Beth Marshall contributed 11 points and a game-high six assists.
Three different Wildcats connected from beyond the arc to produce 11 of Northwestern's first 14 points, including two triples from Marshall.

Dec. 28, 2010--Three Wildcats tallied double-figures, including Amy Jaeschke who turned in her third double-double effort of the season, as Northwestern emerged victorious, 63-59, at Michigan. Jaeschke scored 14 points and recorded 10 boards, while Beth Marshall added 12 scores and Kristin Cartwright chipped in 10.

Jaeschke, Hackney Garner All-Big Ten Accolades
Junior Amy Jaeschke was tabbed a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the media and a second-team honoree by the coaches, while Kendall Hackney earned a slot on the All-Freshman team the conference office announced Monday. Jaeschke is the first Wildcat in 10 years to be named a first-team all-league selection.

Jaeschke has been an All-Big Ten honoree in each of her three seasons as a Wildcat, earning Honorable Mention and All-Freshman team accolades her first season, and second-team laurels as a sophomore. Hackney, meanwhile, becomes the third Wildcat in history to be named to the All-Freshman team, following Jaeschke (2007) and Sarah Kwasinski (2002).

Both Jaeschke and Hackney were honored by the league office earlier this season, claiming two Big Ten Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors, respectively. In total, the Wildcats claimed five Big Ten weekly laurels this season, which is the most since the awards were instituted.

The Big Ten also announced Beth Marshall as Northwestern's Sportsmanship honoree.

A Helping Hand
As a team, Northwestern has focused on taking its time setting up the offense, reversing the ball and working the shot clock. As a result, the Wildcats are second in the league and 16th in the nation in assists per game (16.2), with 74 percent of its offensive production coming as a result of a help. Northwestern has handed out 469 assists which has resulted in 635 makes.

Hackney Turns In Solid Freshman Campaign
Kendall Hackney has been a solid contributor for the Wildcats all season, but has really come alive in conference action. The freshman is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.2 ppg overall and 10.0 in league contests. Hackney, who also is second in rebounding with 5.2 rpg, leads the Wildcats from beyond the arc, shooting down 41.2 percent of her three-point looks. With that percentage, Hackney would come in seventh in NU's single-season three point field goal percentage list. She has scored in double-figures in seven of the last nine contests and has tallied double-digits in 12 games this year.

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native keyed several Wildcat victories this season, recording a career-best 20 points against Loyola (Chicago) on Dec. 22 and pulling down a personal-high eight rebounds against Michigan State (2/14/10) and Indiana (2/18/10). She also played an integral role in NU's 68-62 victory at Wisconsin, scoring 14 second-half points to drive the 'Cats' come-from-behind triumph.

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