Men’s Hoops Live Blog: NU vs. UC Riverside
Northwestern returns to action tonight against UC Riverside of the Big West after losing its first game of the season at Butler on Wednesday.
The Wildcats (3-1) led by as many as 12 points in the first half, but could not hold on to the lead late as they closed the gap on the Bulldogs to one point with about 30 seconds left. Sophomore guard Michael Thompson led the way with 12 points and junior guard Craig Moore and sophomore forward Ivan Peljusic added 11.
UC Riverside (4-1) is on a four-game winning streak and has its best record since becoming a Division I school in 2000. The Highlanders defeated Colgate 54-44 in their last outing. UC Riverside allowed only 40 percent shooting and just 4-for-16 shooting in the first half.
Guard Javon Borum was named the Big West’s Player of the Week after he averaged 16.5 points and 3.0 assists in two games last week.
Keys to the Game
1. Defense – in NU’s loss to Butler, the team struggled mightily on the defensive end. Big men Kyle Rowley and John Shurna got into early foul trouble forcing bench players to step up. The Bulldogs shot only 40 percent in the game, but stayed competitive by shooting 24 free throws. The Cats took only six.
2. Get Kevin Coble involved – Coble had his first game under double digits and has struggled to get involved the past two games. After scoring an average of 16.5 points per game in NU’s first two games, he has scored only 6.5 points per game, including Wednesday’s three-point effort. Coble needs to be involved in the offense for this team to find success later in the season.
3. Rebound – always the Cats’ biggest concern. They need to control the boards and use their size to get an advantage on the glass. If the Highlanders can get extra possessions, they can stay competitive longer and have a shot at pulling off the road upset.
