Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Diverging paths

Misery loves company. And Northwestern’s basketball program has experienced a lot of misery in the last few seasons.

Both the men and the women have had extended Big Ten losing streaks – 32 regular-season games for the men and 40 for the women. The men’s streak ended midway through last season, while the women are still looking for that elusive first victory.

But the men are postseason bound this year, and the women have been left in the dust, still mired in a seemingly endless slump.

The difference in results might stem from the completely divergent styles played by the two teams, along with the women’s youth movement.

The men are riding a stifling defense and the unique Princeton offense to success the team hasn’t enjoyed since the Evan Eschmeyer years. The Wildcats are fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 58.0 points per game.

The men’s offense relies on patience. The Cats often run down the shot clock completely before finding an open jumper or making a backdoor pass to the post.

While their defense ranks first in the conference, the men are last in scoring offense, with only 60.8 points per game. In fact, the Cats have been limited to just 44 points on two occassions this season, losses to Indiana and Wisconsin.

“If we keep the game in the high 40s, low 50s, which we have been able to do, we’re going to win most of those games,” NU senior Collier Drayton said.

The women, on the other hand, have struggled to come up with an effective defensive strategy, giving up 78.4 points per game.

Freshman center Sarah Kwasinski has a simple explanation for the difference: “Maybe there is more defense being played in the men’s games and not so much in our games.”

And the women’s last-place status isn’t limited to scoring defense. They also rank last in scoring offense, with just 59.8 points per game.

While the women aren’t able to rack up as many points as the other women’s teams in the Big Ten, they do manage about the same amount of points as their male counterparts.

“They play a different style than us,” Drayton said. “They’re more up-tempo, whereas we like to control the game. If it’s up-and-down, running and gunning, UNLV-style, we’re not going to win too many of those. And we’ve come to realize that.”

The quicker women’s offense shows up in the statistics. The Cats rank in the middle of the Big Ten in assists, at 15.5 per game. But they’re dead last in turnovers with 22.6. That’s three more turnovers per game than Ohio State, No. 10 in the conference in that category. The men, on the other hand, turn over the ball about 13 times per game, good for second in the conference.

“Our offense is quicker, and we put up the first open shot,” Michelle Zylstra. “They also limit their turnovers. We have an insane amount.

“We have two opposite styles. The guys slow it up and run a half-court offense. They usually use almost all of the shot clock.”

Youth may also be a factor in the team’s different records. The women’s team lacks experience, starting three freshmen for the last four weeks. The women have also started four freshmen in seven games this season.

For the first time in three years, the men’s team boasts seniors – starters Drayton and Tavaras Hardy. The team has only one freshman who plays considerable minutes, Croatian Vedran Vukusic.

The men experienced their losing streak without on-court leadership and experience, the same problems that plague the current women’s team.

Might this signify a rosy future for the women?

“It’s good to see the men have a breakout season because last year they were struggling like we are this year,” Kwasinski said. “It’s kind of reassuring because maybe we can be there next year.”

And Kwasinski’s not alone.

“Watching (the men’s) success gives us a lot of hope that it is possible for us,” Zylstra said. “They are at our school, play in the gym where we play and are our friends. Nobody is more deserving than the men.”

The Daily’s David Sterrett contributed to this report.

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Diverging paths