Game of the Week: Northwestern at UW-Superior - Women'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 Game of the Week will take place on Friday, February 19th at 7:30 p.m. as the University of Northwestern travels to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in women's basketball action. The matchup between the Eagles and Yellowjackets will impact the regular season championship, as both teams are battling for the UMAC trophy. The Yellowjackets enter the weekend at 14-0 and need just one win to claim at least a share of the title, while the Eagles enter the weekend at 13-1. With a win Friday the Eagles would have the potential to claim at least a share of the regular season trophy.
About the Eagles:
The University of Northwestern women’s basketball team enters Friday’s contest with a 19-4 overall record and 13-1 mark in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play. The Eagles are currently riding a seven-game winning streak, with their last loss coming against Friday’s opponent – the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets.
Amy Berglund leads the UNW offense this winter, as the sophomore is averaging 12.6 points per game. Jessica Cole, who has recently been added to the starting lineup, is also averaging double figures, as the sophomore is scoring just over 11 points per contest. Senior Regan Cooper has been dominant on the glass, as she is pulling down 7.9 rebounds per game – which ranks third in the league.
About the Yellowjackets:
Friday night at Mertz Mortorelli Gym marks the second meeting of the season between the Yellowjackets and Northwestern. The Yellowjackets won the first meeting of the season between the two teams January 16. Bailee Bartunek, with 14 points, was the leading scorer for the Yellowjackets in the 60-50 victory. Hadley Skalmoski just missed out on a double-double, finishing with nine points and 16 rebounds.
That victory fell in the midst of a school-record 16-game winning streak for the Yellowjackets, as they went unbeaten from December 4 through February 6.
The record setting doesn’t stop there. With their win over St. Scholastica last Saturday, the Yellowjackets reached 20 wins on the season, establishing a new single-season high for the Yellowjacket women’s basketball program. The previous season high of 19 wins was set in both 2012-13 and 2014-15.
The Yellowjackets lead the UMAC is scoring this season, averaging 74.9 points per game. Just one Yellowjacket, sophomore Hailey Kontny averages double figures in points, showing just how balanced the Yellowjacket offensive attack has been in 2015-16.
The Yellowjackets also have one of the stingiest defenses in the conference, allowing 58.3 points per game. Only Northwestern, who allows 56.9 points per game, is ahead of the Yellowjackets in scoring defense.
Game Notes:
- The Yellowjackets hold a 12-9 edge in the all-time series.
- The Eagles are 8-1 on the road this season.
- The last time the teams met at Mertz Mortorelli Gym was December 10, 2013, a game the Yellowjackets won 77-52.
- Amy Berglund ranks 12th in the country (Division III) in steals per game (3.74).
- Currently 11 different Yellowjackets average more than 11 minutes played per game.
- Regan Cooper leads the UMAC in field goal percentage (57.5 percent).
- Nine different Yellowjackets have led the team in scoring in a game at least once during the season.
- UW-Superior edged UNW, 60-50, in the first meeting of the season.
- Friday the Yellowjackets will be hosting their annual breast cancer awareness game.
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