Posts Tagged ‘Ivan Peljusic’
Men’s Hoops Column: Playoffs come in December for NU
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.
Men’s Hoops: NU grows up to outmuscle Florida State
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.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Men’s Hoops: ‘Moore’ than NU could hope for
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.
Final: Shout it out — Cats chomp Seminoles
Northwestern used an outpouring of emotion in the middle of the second half to spark a 20-2 run to transform a 42-36 deficit into a 53-44 lead. Florida State could not handle the pressure applied by the team’s defense as the Wildcats earned the victory 73-59 Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Senior guard Craig Moore sparked the run with a series of three hustle plays. He first drew an offensive foul on defense. Then he hit a 3-pointer to pull NU (5-2) (5-1) within one. As Florida State attempted to bring the ball up the court, Moore drew a second charge, pounding his chest and issuing a scream to punctuate the series.
The energy was infectious. As junior forward Kevin Coble would block a shot and find sophomore forward Ivan Peljusic for a dunk a minute later. Peljusic gave the Cats a four point lead when he drew a foul on a two-handed lay up. He made the free throw to further extend the lead.
The Seminoles (7-1) could not recover as they committed more than 10 turnovers in the second half and could not match their 56 percent shooting performance from the first half.
The Cats found their shooting tough after struggling in the first half both from the field and the line and easily put the game away.
Moore scored 20 points and Coble added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win.
Keep it here for a more complete wrap-up.
2nd Half Thoughts: Craig “Kevin Garnett” Moore
Whatever coach Bill Carmody said at halftime really worked wonders on this team.
Northwestern has come out with a defensive and offensive fire and are playing this game as if it were a must-win, erasing the halftime deficit and taking as large as a nine-point lead. They have a 53-44 lead with 11:51 left.
Want proof of this newfound energy and fire?
Down by four, senior guard Craig Moore drew a charge, nailed a 3-pointer and drew a push-off offensive foul on consecutive possessions. After he drew the second charge, he let out a primal scream and pounded his chest.
Want more proof?
Try sophomore Ivan Peljusic throwing down a two-handed jam and then getting the ball again on the baseline and going up for another dunk, but hitting the basket and earning the foul to give the Cats the lead.
NU is on a 17-2 run and Florida State seems lost. the Seminoles continue to turn the ball over. They have at least five midway through the second half. One of them being a shot clock violation that came after a timeout.
The Cats have the Seminoles on the ropes right now. They will have to keep up their hot shooting — off of an efficient offense — and pressure defense to keep the lead.
