Feb. 23, 2008

Penn State Game Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern entertains Penn State in the final home game of the 2007-08 campaign Sunday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats are honoring seniors Nadia Bibbs, Melissa Miller and Sara Stutz in their home career finale, which is set for 3 p.m. The game is being televised live on the Big Ten Network and can be heard on the radio at 89.3 FM (WNUR).

Last Time Out...
Michigan State used a 40-point first half to propel itself to a 65-40 victory Thursday evening at the Breslin Center. Freshman Meshia Reed led Northwestern with 12 points, the seventh time this season she has topped NU's scoring column. Fellow classmate Shantina Boyd led the Wildcats on the glass with a career-high eight rebounds.

The 'Cats hung tough in the early going despite a 75 percent shooting effort by Michigan State through the first five minutes. The Spartans pulled ahead by five with 15:12 remaining, but back-to-back buckets from Boyd pulled Northwestern to within 12-11 with just under 14 minutes remaining.

But the Wildcats' offense fell silent, mustering only seven points the rest of the half.

Offense was hard to come by in the second half, as both teams combined to only score eight points through the first seven minutes. Northwestern matched MSU's point production for most of the second half, but the first-half deficit was too much to overcome and the Spartans went on to claim their fourth-consecutive victory and 17th overall.

Scouting the Lady Lions
Penn State arrives in Evanston on an eight-game losing streak, having most recently dropped a 69-49 decision at Illinois. The last time the Lady Lions claimed victory was back on Jan. 20 at Michigan. Penn State has now lost 10 out of their last 11 games, which drops it to 13-14 overall and 4-11 in conference, good for 10th place. Sophomore Tyra Grant leads PSU with 13.9 ppg while senior Kam Gissendanner has turned in a solid season, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per outing. Brianne O'Rourke plays the role of reliable floor general for the Lady Lions, distributing the rock efficiently (128 assists) while converting on free throws (83 percent). She also leads the team from beyond the arc, knocking down 34 percent of her looks from downtown. The Lady Lions are led by first-year head coach Coquese Washington.

The Series Against Penn State
The last time these two squads met was on Jan. 10 at the Bryce Jordan Center when Penn State pulled out a 72-53 victory, which at the time capped off a 3-0 win streak. With the `W', Penn State extends the all-time series to 26-6 in their favor. Junior Ellen Jaeschke led NU offensively in that game, pouring in 18 points and snatching seven boards. Tyra Grant, Kam Gissendanner and Mashea Williams all scored in double-figures.

Off The Bench
Northwestern's bench stepped up in a big way against Michigan State Thursday evening. Meshia Reed, Sara Stutz, Shantina Boyd and Savannah Stedman accounted for more than half on NU's points (21) and grabbed 16 of the 'Cats' 34 rebounds.

Role Play
Freshman Meshia Reed has warmed up to her new role as the sixth-man sparkplug for the 'Cats. Over the past three games, Reed has is averaging a team-high 12.7 ppg. She has also knocked-down a Wildcat-best 38 percent of her looks from long range.

Block-By-Block
Freshman Amy Jaeschke continues to climb NU's single-game block list thanks to two rejections against Wisconsin on Monday. Jaeschke now has 41 blocks on the season, which puts her in sixth place on the all-time list. Anucha Browne (1982-83, 1983-84) and Sarah Kwasinski (2002-30, 2001-02) had 48 or more blocks in two seasons and Christina Braden tops the list with 58 rejections during the 1995-96 campaign. What is even more impressive is that Jaeschke has only played 18 games due to breaking her hand in the season opener.

Complete game notes can be viewed by clicking on the PDF above.