Saturday, January 19, 2008

Women's Basketball - Preview of NU vs. Purdue

The Wildcats will face the Purdue Boilermakers at 1 p.m. CT Sunday. While many of you undoubtedly will be watching the San Diego Chargers attempt to topple the evil empire from New England, the game will be easily accessible for all you Big Ten fanatics. It will be broadcast on WNUR (89.3 FM), as well as on the Big Ten Network.

While Purdue (8-9) has the second-worst overall record in the Big Ten, the Boilermakers are currently in fourth place in the conference with a 4-2 record against Big Ten opponents. The game will be the third for NU in the last week, and it will be another chance to break what now has become a seven-game losing streak.

The tandem of Amy and Ellen Jaeschke is as close to becoming a sure thing for NU as anything, but as the last few games have shown, quality play from just two players does not guarantee a victory. On Thursday against Michigan State, the two Jaeschkes put up a combined 38 points - but the rest of the team only put up 24.

The keys to victory for NU are still being able to limit turnovers and get consistent play out of guards Nadia Bibbs, Jenny Eckhart, and Meshia Reed. If the Cats can do that, they might just get their first Big Ten win.

Notes: Amy Jaeschke is averaging a stellar 25 points the last two games and even outscored 6-foot-9 MSU giant Allyssa DeHaan on Thursday...The Wildcats haven't defeated the Boilermakers in more than a decade...Purdue has endured a rough start to their 2007-08 campaign, in which they have lost four former starters and have had to face three of the top 17 teams in the nation.

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