Two games into the 2010-2011 basketball campaign, the Wildcats find themselves heading back to Evanston 2-0 for the home opener against Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Friday. The ‘Cats rode a big night from John Shurna–who tied a career-high with 31 points–to beat Northern Illinois 97-78.
Drew Crawford also chipped in 20 points to help the Wildcats get off on the right foot. Shurna was named the Big Ten Player of the Week following the victory in Dekalb, Ill. He exploded in the second half, scoring 22 of his 31 points in the first ten minutes. The ‘Cats then moved on to Edinburg, Texas for their matchup with the University of Texas-Pan-American.
UTPA gave the Wildcats a fight for sure, but NU ultimately tipped the Broncs 77-71. Crawford led the Wildcats with 22 points and Shurna added 20 to help defeat UTPA. Northwestern never trailed in the game, but had trouble with a UTPA team that was playing their first game in their new gym. The game was close throughout, but in the end the ‘Cats held on for the victory.
Things to take from the games:
Scoring will not be a problem for this team:
Northwestern’s scoring output against Northern Illinois marked the highest total in Bill Carmody’s 11-year tenure. Though the ‘Cats shot 50 percent from the field, they missed 12 of their first 13 shots of the game. Fifteen was the magical number for the ‘Cats against Northern Illinois. Three players topped the 15-point mark for the Wildcats, who went 3-0 in games with three 15-point scorers last year. Northwestern hit 15 three-pointers and grabbed 16 offensive boards to help run away from Northern Illinois. The ‘Cats will need that scoring and offensive tenacity for the next six games, a home stretch that will bring ACC power Georgia Tech to Evanston before Northwestern heads to New York for the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival.
So far the defense has gotten much-needed turnovers:
Turnovers will be key for a Northwestern squad that will find itself undersized against a majority of their opponents. The Wildcats forced 19 turnovers against Northern Illinois, which led to 30 Wildcat points. UTPA also was a victim of Northwestern’s defense, which held the Broncs to nine assists while forcing 14 turnovers. Capitalizing on bad passing will be key for the ‘Cats who hope to keep their opponents off-balance offensively. Northwestern will certainly get a chance to use their 1-3-1 in the coming home stand.
Road warriors will get some much needed home cooking:
After two wins on the road to open the season, Northwestern comes back to Evanston for a six-game home stand. A quick start for the Wildcats may be a good omen for a Northwestern team that went 2-8 on the road last year and 1-8 in Big Ten road games. With the next six games at home, Northwestern should make it to the Holiday Festival several games over .500 if not undefeated (cross your fingers, ‘Cats). Going into Thanksgiving break and Reading Week, the Northwestern faithful will have plenty of time to come out and root for their team.
Wildcat breakout performances:
Shurna has been the Wildcats’ big-time scorer for the better part of a year now, but Drew Crawford is poised to take on a bigger portion of the scoring load. Through two games, Crawford and Shurna are averaging 21 and 25.5 points respectively. Now, some will say it’s only been two games, but if these two games are a sign of things to come, then Northwestern fans will be in for a treat this season. That Shurna and Crawford performed well on the road should not be overlooked. Northwestern is no stranger to road woes, and if anything, it is preparation for games in hostile environments come conference play.