Game of the Week: Northwestern at North Central - Men's Basketball
UMAC Game of the Week Archives
ST. PAUL -- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Game of the Week is a feature that takes place each week throughout the conference portion of the season with one contest being selected and highlighted as the UMAC Game of the Week.
This week's UMAC Game of the Week will take place on Saturday, January 11 as North Central University will host the University of Northwestern in what will be the first conference contest of the 2013-2014 season for both teams. The Eagles and the Rams, who were picked to tie for second place in the league in the coaches' preseason poll, will each look to start the UMAC portion of their season in the win column. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday.
About the Eagles
At 3-8 overall, Northwestern enters the UMAC portion of its 2013-2014 schedule on Saturday in rather unfamiliar territory. The Eagles, who seek to earn their fourth consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament berth this season, have lost their last four games, including a pair of letdowns at a holiday tournament hosted by Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Dec. 30 and 31.
A 22-point loss to then-23rd-ranked Wheaton brought UNW’s average scoring difference to 11.5 points in the team’s eight losses, but the Eagles’ last two games came by a combined difference of nine points against UW-River Falls and Eau Claire. Northwestern’s three victories this year have come against Maranatha Baptist, Macalester and Wisconsin-Superior.
Sophomore Michael Carney leads the young Eagles squad with an average of 14.9 points per game, with freshman Will Gisler contributing 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. Blake Van Maanen, who has earned four consecutive starts after coming off the bench in UNW’s first seven games, has made 46.3 percent of his attempts from outside the three-point line while averaging 9.5 points per game. As a team, the Eagles are 37 percent from downtown, a number that leads all UMAC teams.
About the Rams
North Central will come into this weekend’s UMAC opener versus their cross-town rivals looking to get a win over The University of Northwestern for the
first time since 2010. The Rams last defeated the Eagles on December 16, 2010 by a 93-86 final score in Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. North Central has earned a 5-3 mark heading into the 2014 part of their schedule including wrapping up December with a 70-59 road win over Macalester College.
The Rams begin their conference schedule a year after making the league post season tournament in their first year of UMAC membership. North Central earned a third place regular season finish in 2012-13. This year NCU is led by 2013 UMAC Freshman of the year, Luke Chafin who is averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. Chafin is a part of a group of Rams averaging double figure scoring that also includes Jordan Harrell (12.5), Bryce Burkman (11.5) and Josh High (10.0). Burkman is the Rams leading rebounder with 6.4 boards a game. NCU is currently the top rebounding and scoring team in the UMAC, averaging 74.2 points and 38.1 boards a game.
Game Notes
Northwestern owns a 65-13 all-time record against North Central, having won the last five meetings and 17 of the last 18 affairs between the two teams.
North Central seniors Ben Peters and Bryce Burkman are the only players remaining from the last NCU team that defeated UNW.
The Eagles have won their last 13 UMAC-opening games dating back to the 2000-2001 season.
North Central's Jordan Harrell is shooting .651 from the floor this season, tops in the conference, ahead of the second best UMAC shooter, teammate Bryce Burkman who is at .586. Both Burkman and Harrell are on track to surpass 1000 career points this season.
Northwestern owns the top spot in the conference statistics in free throw percentage (75.7), three-point field goal percentage (37.8), and turnovers per game (11.9). Steven Willey’s 4.7 assists per contest lead all UMAC individuals.
North Central's Josh High is a perfect 12-12 at the free throw line so far this season.
Four of Northwestern’s opponents from the nonconference portion of the 2013-2014 slate have seven or more wins so far this season.
For information on other contests around the league this week, visit the UMAC's live scoreboard.
Northwestern Recap |
North Central Recap |
Final Score UNW 83, NCU 61