One last road win can begin to save season

The Northwestern Athletics Web site has put out a "fan advisory" for tonight's game at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. It's one of their most popular games of the season, and if things go the Wildcats' way like they did last year, they will pick up another home win, this one against IU.\nIU (12-12, 6-7 Big Ten) last met Northwestern (11-12, 6-6) in Assembly Hall where the Hoosiers won 73-62.\nIn that contest, Northwestern forward Mohamed Hachad was the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 18 points and five rebounds.\nJunior guard Ryan Tapak only played one minute in the game back in January, but he managed to sink two free throws and get one rebound.\nTapak said the team never looks forward to playing on the road but that even after a home loss to Ohio State Saturday, the team is ready to go out and play another game.\n"Each game we've got to get better," Tapak said. "So I think we're looking forward to getting better. We've got three games left in the Big Ten regular season to get things clicking."\nIU is currently only averaging 65.3 points per game. That's the lowest single-season points per game average since 1983-84. This season, the Hoosiers have been held under 60 points in eight games.\nNorthwestern has won three of their last four games with victories over Wisconsin, Purdue and Penn State. The team's most recent game was a loss to Michigan State.\nIU coach Mike Davis said the Northwestern game on the road would be tough, especially since their only home loss has come to a fierce Michigan State team.\nIn the last match-up between these two teams, Northwestern played without sophomore forward Vedran Vukusic, who was out with a knee injury. Vukusic is the second-leading scorer for the Wildcats, averaging 14.2 ppg.\nDavis said the 6-foot-8 Vukusic is a good basketball player.\n"It's another big guy that can shoot the basketball," Davis said. "He's good off the dribble."\nLeading Northwestern in scoring is senior guard Jitim Young. He averages 18 points per game.\nThe main thing Davis mentioned about Northwestern was their ability to take care of their home court. \n"If we had taken care of home, where would we be right now?" Davis said. "That's the disappointing thing about it."\nJunior guard Donald Perry said the Hoosiers' last home loss to Ohio State started out all wrong from the beginning and that the team came out with no energy, emotion or passion.\n"Somehow we lost it," Perry said. "It's been like that the last two games."\nDavis and the Hoosiers can only hope things change in Evanston, Ill., tonight.\n-- Contact staff writer Natalie A. Trout at natrout@indiana.edu.