This game mattered. Don’t let the calendar, or the circumstances or the players tell you differently.

Northwestern’s 73-59 win over Florida State was a statement. It was a call out to the rest of the Big Ten: Throw your best at us, the Wildcats will not roll over.

Forget last year’s disappointing 8-22 effort. That was erased like the four-point margin the Seminoles held early in the second quarter when Craig Moore unleashed his fury and energy on the Welsh-Ryan Arena floor.

It was Moore who took a charge, hit a three and then drew another offensive foul on consecutive possessions with 16:33 left that sparked a 20-2 run that gave the Cats a 56-44 lead with 11:16 left. His primal scream echoed through the rafters of the arena as the crowd grew louder, heightening the excitement and intensity of the nationally televised game.

“Any time your up against a team like Florida State where, especially when it is a first time measuring stick to see where we’re at, you’ve got to bring everything that you’ve got and try to prove to yourself that you can beat the best,” Moore said.

NU is now off to its best start since 2001, when the team went 7-1 and finished the year 16-13. It was the only season the Cats have finished with an overall winning record under coach Bill Carmody. This team with its mix of youth and veteran leaders can certainly match that team’s success.

Florida State was clearly the toughest test NU has faced so far this season. The Seminoles had athletic big men who could rotate and block shots. They had guards who could get to the basket and score.

The only thing they didn’t have was experience. And the Cats exploited that youthfulness to its fullest extent.

It was clear early on that freshmen John Shurna, Kyle Rowley and Luka Mirkovic were not ready for the atmosphere and athleticism that came from Florida State. The three combined for 12 points — eight from Shurna, the most polished of the three — on 4-of-13 shooting.

“That’s not a veteran team. They have five freshmen, we’re playing five freshmen. We should win that game,” Carmody said. “On our home court, we have some veteran guys. I tell the upper class guys: ‘Look, it’s up to you guys. The freshmen will come. There will be spikes where they will be pretty good. But it’s up to you guys.’”

Out they came. And in went the energy of Ivan Peljusic, Jeremy Nash and Jeff Ryan. Peljusic himself was a wrecking crew with eight straight points in that second-half run that gave NU the lead. But their experience did not fluster the Seminoles alone.

Carmody had the strategy to take Florida State out of their game and executed it perfectly. His pressure defense forced 22 turnovers and only allowed seven makes in the second half on 26.9 percent shooting.

“Sometimes as a coach, you have to evaluate not as much as what you didn’t do, but what the other team has done and give them the credit,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “I thought their defensive scheme was a lot more effective against us.”

This game was when all the things that went wrong last year went right. And it was done on a national stage against a quality opponent.

It is a huge confidence boost for a team (frankly) used to losing. With the crowd in a frenzy not usually seen until Big Ten season in January, the Cats pulled through with a come-from-behind victory with the poise of a team used to winning.

Don’t expect the effects from this game to fade.

prossmanreich@u.northwestern.edu

By Adam Fusfeld

The players were fired up, showing emotion at each stoppage and throwing themselves at each loose ball igniting the crowd.

Northwestern (5-1) played energetic and inspired ball to the tune of a 73-59 victory over Florida State on Wednesday. Still, it was the team’s commitment to defense and rebounding behind all the emotion that led them to win.

The Wildcats forced 22 turnovers, and held the Seminoles to just 7 of 26 shooting in the second half, to come back from a five-point halftime deficit.

“We got much tougher in the second half,” sophomore forward Ivan Peljusic said. “In the first half we were kind of letting them push us around. They were like grown men, and we were like kids.”

Peljusic was an instrumental element to NU’s second half surge. He scored eight straight points, including a fast-break slam, to open up a five-point Cats lead.

But coach Bill Carmody said he substituted Peljusic into the game not for his offense, but for his defensive help, especially in the paint.

Just as the young Florida State squad would get accustomed to the NU defensive scheme, Carmody would change it up. He alternated between a 2-3 matchup zone and his patented 1-3-1 defense to disrupt the offense. Carmody also interchanged a full court press to pester the Seminoles.

“The 1-3-1 initially did cause a number of turnovers,” he said. “I also think that the little annoying press with Craig (Moore0 up there and Mike (Thompson) up there helped. Even if you don’t get a turnover it starts their offense further out a little bit, and so they’re not really in sync and I thought that helped us.”

Turnovers were a huge factor in the Cats nationally-televised victory. Toney Douglas, Florida State’s senior guard and leading scorer, turned the ball over seven times.

Still, Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton felt that the turnovers were not a result of NU pressure, but rather a consistent defensive mindset. He said many of his teams turnovers were unforced, the sign of a young team.

“They went through our hands, through our legs. We walked without any pressure. We invented ways to turn the ball over,” Hamilton said. “We did not take care of the ball even though I thought that their 2-2-1 was more of a contained zone not a pressure zone that forced the turnovers. It just slows you up, and instead of slowing us up it forced us into indecision.”

The NU defense did more than just force turnovers. Aside from holding Florida State to low shooting percentages, the Cats also outrebounded their opponent 41-33. The Cats grabbed 18 offensive rebounds including four by freshman forward John Shurna. And Junior forwards Kevin Coble and Jeff Ryan each pulled down eight boards of their own.

“We didn’t think they could shoot that well,” senior guard Craig Moore said. “But we knew once they missed it they got the rebound and put it back in. So we had to (hold them to) one-shot and out. And I think we did that pretty well tonight.”

Certainly the energy and hustle that the Cats displayed were a crucial aspect to the victory. But by combining their methodical offense, with defensive intensity and a good showing on the glass, the squad was able to stifle the Seminoles and ensure a win.

“We won this game with our defense,” Peljusic said. They shot like 25 percent [6-of-23] from the 3-point line, and we outrebounded them too. So, I think defense was a major part of this win for us.”

adamfusfeld2007@u.northwestern.edu

By Matt Forman

After Northwestern’s 16-point victory over UC Riverside on Monday, coach Bill Carmody wished for his team to be tied or trailing at halftime in a game to see how it responded.

On Wednesday, Carmody got exactly what he was hoping for. NU went into halftime down three points to an undefeated Florida State.

“I was pretty disappointed heading into halftime,” Carmody said. “I was not pleased at all.”

In the second half, Carmody got more than he ever could have hoped for.

The Wildcats (5-1) responded with arguably the best 20 minutes of basketball during Carmody’s eight seasons in Evanston and topped the Seminoles 73-59.

It all started with the energizing play of the team’s elder statesman –- senior guard Craig Moore.

With less than 17 minutes remaining in the second half and Florida State (7-1) ahead 42-38, forward Jordan Demersy drove baseline and released a floating jump shot. En route to the basket, Demersy ran into Moore,
who drew a charge. On the ensuing possession, Moore hit a 3-point shot from the right wing behind a screen set up by John Shurna.

After Florida State’s in-bounds pass, Moore applied pressure near half court and drew an offensive foul on Toney Douglas as he fell into the scorer’s table.

As the official signaled the foul call, Moore stood up, pounded his chest and released a primal scream, letting his emotions show and bringing 3,500 fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena to their feet.

“When things are going good, you feel like that’s a big play in the game, maybe a turning point in the game,” Moore said of his celebration. “You just want to get the most momentum out of every play. I don’t know if it did that, but I’d do it again if I had to.”

Two possessions later, junior forward Kevin Coble (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) stripped Luke Loucks of the ball as he cut through the lane, and threw a full-court pass to sophomore Ivan Peljusic. The 6-foot-8 forward accepted the pass, took two steps and emphatically dunked the ball.

“I didn’t even know who passed me the ball,” Peljusic said. “I was just trying to get as high as I could and dunk that.”

Moore, who finished with 20 points and five rebounds, ignited the Cats with his all-around play on a 20-2 second half charge that built their lead to 12 points.

NU went into halftime trailing by three points largely because of their inability to connect on free throws. The Cats went 7-of-14 from the charity stripe in the first half and shot only 33 percent from the
floor.

But it was the defense and rebounding that kept NU in the game in the first half. Florida State shot one of eight from long distance and lost the rebounding battle by five in the opening period.

After the disappointing first half, Carmody gave what Peljusic described as a “monologue.”

“He said just about every curse word you can think of,” Moore said of Carmody’s halftime tirade.

Carmody said his halftime speech was about the human element of the game, not about fundamentals or technique. Whatever Carmody said, it worked. NU’s biggest lead of the second half stretched to 16 points, but the team was not able to cruise to an easy victory.

Florida State managed to cut NU’s lead to seven with 7:18 remaining in the contest, but the Cats responded once again.

Peljusic stole an attempted pass into the post, one of the Cats’ 22 forced turnovers, and pushed the ball down the court. Sophomore guard Michael Thompson perfectly placed a one-handed bounce pass to junior
Jeff Ryan, who cut backdoor and easily converted on the layup.

After the teams traded points over their next several possessions, NU found itself ahead by 12 with just more than two minutes to play. The Cats ran the shot clock down within 10 seconds, and Coble drove baseline. As the junior reached the basket, he made a nifty move and put a reverse layup in for two points.

The Seminoles took quick 3-point shots in a frantic effort to lessen the lead and continued to foul the Cats on their final possessions, but to no avail. With the clock winding down in the final seconds, Thompson
dribbled the ball to half court to a standing ovation.

“It was surreal,” Coble said of the atmosphere.

The victory was certainly one that Carmody will remember. It was his 200th career win on the day before his 57th birthday.

The Cats’ win came against the best team they have faced all season. It doesn’t get any easier when NU faces DePaul (4-1) on Saturday. Still, the 14-point victory proved something to fans and players alike.

“It was a first time measuring stick, see where we’re at,” Moore said. “You’ve got to bring everything you’ve got. And just try to prove to yourself that you can play with the best.”

matthewforman2007@u.northwestern.edu

Coach Bill Carmody was curious how his team would perform in a tight game at the half. He is going to find out tonight.

Florida State has dominated the game in almost every facet, shooting 56 percent, blocking six shots and holding Northwestern to 10-of-30 shooting. But the Seminoles have been unable to pull away because of their poor ball handling.

Something NU is doing is giving Florida State problems. The Seminoles have committed 11 turnovers and seem to be giving the ball away on every other possession. It has given the Wildcats plenty of opportunities to stay competitive.

Florida State opened a 27-19 lead with about five minutes left. But the Cats battle back thanks to some nice drives by Coble and a strong offensive rebounding performance — you read right, they have 10 offensive rebounds in this game.

There is a lot of fire in this game. Carmody has picked up a techinical foul — that contributed to a five-point play by Uche Echefu — and he is not holding anything back. This is clearly a must-win game for the Cats.

The freshmen have struggled a lot in this one. John Shurna has struggled getting to the inside and has settled for some rushed 3-point shots. Kyle Rowley has had difficulties on the inside and has bobbled a few passes. Luka Mirkovic got some minutes early but has not seen a lot of action.

Instead, NU has used some of its veterans to establish a defensive tone. Junior guard Jeremy Nash provided his usual defensive spark off the bench and even hit a 3-pointer with one minute left to make it a four-point game.

This is certrainly a game that is still in reach, but the Cats have to continue their aggression on offense and work inside-out for their 3-point shots. Mor importantly, they have to make free throws. NU was only 7 of 14 in the half.

Don’t expect Florida State to commit another 11 turnovers in the second half. When the Seminoles have taken shots, they have made them. That might continue. NU will need another strong defensive effort to keep this one close until the end.

Northwestern is off to its best start since 2001 witha 4-1 start. But the Wildcats will be playing for more than a 5-1 start tonight as they battle the Seminoles. NU’s game against Florida State may very well determine who wins the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, a competition the Big Ten has never won.

Obviously, that is the last thing on the Cats’ mind as they hope to continue their fast start. The 2001-02 season, interestingly enough, is the only season NU has finished with an overall record above .500 under coach Bill Carmody. More interestingly, that team defeated Florida State 57-50 at home in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

NU easily defeated UC Riverside 59-43 Monday night. The Cats have been able to race out to early leads and, except for the loss to Butler, have held on to the lead. The Bulldogs have been the toughest team NU has seen this season and the Seminoles should offer a stiffer challenge.

Florida State has gotten off to a 7-0 start, the team’s best in five season, and went to the NIT last season. The Seminoles lost some players from that squad, but they have gotten off to a quick start by winning some tight games. Florida State has won four games by four points or less.

Senior guard Toney Douglas is the team’s best player. He is averaging 19.0 points per game after being All-ACC Defensive Team selection and earning a spot on the All-ACC third team. He has gotten some help from freshman Chris Singleton down low. Singleton has added 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

Keys to the Game

1. Keep the Seminoles in front on the perimeter- coach Bill Carmody said it simply after NU’s 81-39 opening game win over Central Arkansas: the difference between this year and last is the team’s ability to keep opponents in front of them on the perimeter. Stopping dribble penetration is a key for any team’s victory, but it was something the Cats struggled with especially last season.

Florida State is the most athletic team NU has faced so far this season and it will be a test for the team’s perimeter defense. Keeping players like Douglas from driving into the lane, will be important to maintaining the pressure the Cats want on defense.

2. Trust the system – it sounds real hoeky and a lot of people may not like it. But in the past, NU has closed the gap with strong teams by using its time-consuming Princeton offense and its pressure 1-3-1 zone. The 1-3-1 zone might not be used as much (although expect some of it tonight), but the pressure on defense and the methodical workings of the Prineceton will still be there.

It has been successful in the past and Florida State has not seen an offense like the Prinecton. Points are there to be had, but the Cats have to remain patient within their system and look for opportunities to attack. They have work within the system to find offense and they cannot get discouraged or rush when things go poorly if they want to win.

3. Rebounding – NU has already faced a solid rebounder, but probably none like Florida State can offer. Singleton has eight rebounds per game. While the Cats have done a good job rebounding, behind junior forward Kevin Coble’s 5.4 per game.

The big men have alleviated some pressure on the boards, but they will need to be on their game tonight crashing the glass. Florida State has given up more than 10 offensive rebounds per game (89 in seven games), so chances on the glass will be there.

Whoever wins the battle on the boards is most likely to win this game.

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Northwestern has not been in this position often in recent years. Holding a double-digit lead throughout the second half, coach Bill Carmody was able to empty his bench for the third time in five games with about a minute to play Monday night against UC Riverside.

In three of the Wildcats’ four wins this season, they have held a substantial lead and had to hold on to it in the second half to pull out the victory. The results with these leads have been a bit mixed.

“We’ve had leads at halftime this year, some pretty sizeable leads and lost them,” Carmody said. “That’s what we talked about at halftime. You can’t just try to maintain and coast out and finish the game. You have to a killer instinct there and have an edge and go after guys. We haven’t gotten to that point.”

NU eventually pulled out the win Monday night, but lost the second half 29-27 to UC Riverside. It was not the first time the Cats struggled to hold a large lead after 20 minutes.

NU (4-1) clamped down on Central Arkansas in an 81-39 opening game win, but faced some struggles in closing out Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Brown in its next two games.

The Cats defeated the Islanders by a 66-48 score, but let an 18-point lead dwindle to 10 points before scoring 11 of the final 14. NU grabbed a 22-point halftime lead against Brown, but led by only six at one point the second half before pulling away for a 73-64 win.

The Cats held a 12-point first half lead against Butler last week. But the Bulldogs erased the deficit – and a nine-point halftime margin – and snuck out a victory.

Learning how to hold on to a lead is something NU is learning on the fly.

“It’s something we try to improve on every game,” said freshman center Kyle Rowley who scored 10 points against UC Riverside. “So far the games we have played, teams have started to make runs. I think the biggest thing for us to do right now, looking forward especially to Florida State, is to stop that run, be able to play a 40-minute game and keep that intensity up all game long.”

The Cats took an 18-point lead to the half Monday and gave up little ground to the Highlanders before putting the game out of reach. UC Riverside scored five quick points at the beginning of the half to close the lead to 13 and did it again about midway through the second half with a 10-3 run.

The Highlanders trimmed the lead down to 11 with about four minutes to play after Aaron Scott made a fast break layup (he missed a chance to cut the lead to 10 after sophomore guard Michael Thompson fouled him on the shot).

But each time NU responded and extended the lead back out, preventing UC Riverside from closing the gap any further and threatening a pretty safe NU lead.

“Teams are going to make runs – whether it be in the first half, second half. Basketball is a game of runs,” senior guard Craig Moore said. “It’s about minimizing those runs. If they make a run, we have to keep scoring and not let them get an 8-0 run. It’s all about winning the battle of runs basically.”

prossmanreich@u.northwestern.edu

By Matt Forman

With a minute and a half remaining in Northwestern’s non-conference game against UC Riverside on Monday, fans started filing out of Welsh-Ryan Arena to a calm 13-point victory.

Those fans should have stayed an extra few seconds to see the most exciting play of the game.

As the Highlanders moved down the court for a quick hitting 3-point shot, freshman forward John Shurna came out of nowhere and blocked Sean Cunningham’s long-range attempt.

Shurna caught his own block, drove the length of the floor and layed a perfect finger roll into the basket while getting fouled. The 6-foot-8 freshman connected on the free throw, providing the Wildcats’ final point of the game, en route to the 59-43 win.

Shurna provided the games’ highlight-reel play, but it was his contribution on the backboard that made the biggest difference.

“We haven’t traditionally been a good rebounding team, so I was just proud to see that they didn’t get too many extra shots on us,” coach Bill Carmody said. “That has plagued us the last couple of years.”

UC Riverside (4-2) came into the game averaging 11 more rebounds per contest than its opponents. Despite that fact, NU (4-1) dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding margin 37-29. Four different Cats
totaled more than five rebounds in the contest and five other players were in the mix.

But the best rebounding effort came on the offensive glass, where Shurna and fellow freshman forward Luka Mirkovic added two offensive boards apiece.

“Luka has a knack for that,” Carmody said. “We’ve sort of given him the green light. It’s great if you have an offensive rebounder, because it’s like stealing points.”

Ironically, it was not Mirkovic or Kyle Rowley, both 7-foot freshmen, who led NU in rebounding.

“Pretty good for Northwestern who doesn’t crash the boards at all,” senior guard Craig Moore said of the team’s rebounding effort. “It’s different. Coach Carmody really has been like ‘keep crashing, keep
crashing.’”

Taking advantage of its offensive rebounds, NU went on a 10-0 run midway through the first half to mount a 32-14 halftime advantage. The Highlanders were held to 6-of-24 shooting in the first half, including
no makes from long distance.

With Carmody’s full-court press in order, NU forced 15 turnovers and had six steals.

“I think the press, it’s not much of a press, but Craig (Moore) and Michael (Thompson) were causing some problems when we pressed, and it made a big difference,” Carmody said. “The press really helped us.”

The press helped four players score in double figures. Junior forward Kevin Coble led the Cats with 14 points and added five rebounds.

The only thing NU needs to work on heading into its toughest contest thus far: taking care of the ball. The Cats committed 16 turnovers. Still, Carmody has confidence that the team will be able to fix the problem.

“I think we can remedy them, because I think we had four screening turnovers,” Carmody said. “I think it’s things we’re going to take care of.”

NU faces Florida State (7-0) in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Coverage will be provided by ESPN2 with tipoff set for 8:30p.m.

matthewforman2007@u.northwestern.edu

Northwestern has started the year undefeated thanks to its renewed commitment on the defensive end. Coach Bill Carmody has emphasized defensive drills in practice. After each win, the team assessed its defensive performance before even mentioning its renowned Princeton offense.

Though the Wildcats (2-0) have shot at a blistering 51 percent rate this season, the offense is still not where it needs to be.

“We’re probably at about 70 (percent),” senior guard Craig Moore said. “We’ve got so much to work on. I mean it’s great when we can win games and not play our best. I shot one for seven. We had a lot of miscues. We were turning the ball over in the first half, but we kept stretching the lead. And that’s nice when you have the talent, with the big men, to win games when it’s not your best night.”

To read more, click here.

The Islanders were shooting four of 11 from the field while the Cats have hit on 58 percent of their shots.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi though went on a 7-2 run with about three minutes to play that closed the lead to 12 points. The Islanders are starting to make shots after the struggles on offense. And it is not for a lack of trying on NU’s part.

Instead the Cats’ offense has become lethargic and perimeter oriented. They are taking quick shots early in the shot clock and letting the Islanders get out on the break. It is not boding well for NU as the lead tightens.

The Islanders then got a chance to meet John Shurna. Shurna came on strong in the last stages of the second half, hitting a three to end the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi run and then getting a steal at mid-court that set up a fast break for Michael Thompson and Craig Moore. The two found Shurna streaking to the basket and he hit a layup that put the lead back at 18 points at halftime.

NU leads 39-21 at the break.

The defense is winning this game again for the Wildcats. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is struggling with turnovers and breaking the press.

Coach Bill Carmody was not lying when he said he would continue to tinker with the defense and use the press. The Cats are pressing full court and trapping at the midcourt line and then falling back into a 2-3 zone. It has been pretty effective as NU went on an 18-4 run (which included a shot clock violation) to take a comfortable double-digit lead.

It was the Cats’ 3-point shooting that really seemed to calm the team down. Moore hit his record-setting three, but Coble has drained a few and it really helped keep the Cats in the game early and has helped them maintain a healthy lead — not to mention open up cutting and driving lanes that has led to such a high shooting percentage.

Those 3-pointers were created off of dribble penetration and the ample driving and cutting lanes the good shooting created. Those are not there anymore as the Islanders have tightened up their defense.

But it seems like the team is calming itself down and finding a way to get ahead and stay ahead.

After years of losing and one of the worst seasons in team history last year, it seems like it is going to be quite a task.

After all, all five starters and all but one of the key players returned from last year’s team. That fact may not be the best omen for this year’s team – even with the addition of five freshmen who figure to contribute heavily to this year’s team.

But with another year, comes another year’s worth of experience, I guess. Because something has changed with this team.

It might start with the added presence of big men Kyle Rowley, John Shurna and Davide Curletti. But it might finish with a new attitude for the team on offense and defense.

On Sunday afternoon, gone was the 1-3-1 zone – at least for day. In was an aggressive full court pressure defense and man to man. Gone was the passive stand-around-the-perimeter Princeton offense. In was the aggressive, attacking and cutting the Princeton offense is meant to have.

These weren’t your freshman year Wildcats anymore. Or at least you hope Sunday’s 81-39 win over Central Arkansas was not a mirage.

Northwestern took the game to Central Arkansas early and often. Both teams struggled to put the ball in the hole early – only six total points were scored in the first five minutes of the game – but it was the aggressive things the Cats did that would set up a 15-0 run that more or less put the Bears away early in the first half.

It was the drives to the hoop that forced Central Arkansas into seven team fouls in the first seven minutes of the game, leading to a parade to the free throw line. It was a newfound level of offensive aggression.

In the first half, it was the post ups for freshman Kyle Rowley and junior Kevin Coble that set the tone as the team attacked the basket with unseen furor.

In the second half when Central Arkansas tried desperately to make a comeback, it was Michael Thompson’s dribble penetration that stemmed the tide and created holes in the defense which enabled clear cuts to the basket and open threes for senior Craig Moore.

The defense put the pressure on and got after the Bears. The Cats forced 23 total turnovers and 16 in the first half. Carmody said the team’s added depth allowed him to use a full court press.

It was an aggressiveness that was missing last season.

NU’s infamous 1-3-1 zone was scrapped for the time being – Carmody said he has not had the time to install it yet and that he used it too much last season. The difference was clear.

“I want to keep working on our press,” Carmody said. “We’re not real fast, but we are pretty long. I think we have the potential to be pretty decent at that, fall back into matchup and even take 10-12 seconds off the clock. That might help the defense.”

The Bears could not create any offense against this new pressing Cats defense, shooting 25 percent in the game and 3 for 15 from beyond the arc. Central Arkansas had no answer for an aggressive NU team.

And the Cats had no reason to stop pressing and playing man-to-man.

When the defense is aggressive and the Princeton is attacking in the way it was Sunday afternoon, this is a pretty good team.

It was clear the attitude and aggression level on this team is changing. And for one game, it was a move in the right direction.

If the team continues to attack its opponents with that much energy and aggression once January starts rolling around, then this season will turn out much different than last.

prossmanreich@u.northwestern.edu