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GAME NOTES: The Minnesota Golden Gophers have traveled to Evanston, Illinois for a Big Ten Conference tussle with the Northwestern Wildcats.

Minnesota has lost two of its last three games to fall to 14-9 overall and 5-6 in conference. The Golden Gophers fell to Michigan on Thursday by a 71-63 final, and they enter today's clash with a 2-5 mark in true road games.

As for Northwestern, it owns a 16-8 overall record, but the team's 5-7 Big Ten record is far-less impressive. On Wednesday, the Wildcats dropped a 78-65 decision to Iowa on the road. Now, they return home where they are 12-3 thus far.

The Golden Gophers earned a 65-61 victory over Northwestern in the first meeting between the two teams on January 26th, and Minnesota owns a commanding 100-58 series lead as a result.

Through 23 games, Minnesota is generating 74.6 ppg while holding opponents to 64.4 ppg on 40.2 percent shooting from the field. A key to the overall success of the Golden Gophers is that they have forced 381 turnovers. Lawrence Westbrook is scoring 13.0 ppg this season on 50.2 percent field goal efficiency, including 40.7 percent accuracy from three-point range. Blake Hoffarber is netting 11.7 ppg, and Damian Johnson adds 10.3 ppg and 47 blocks. Minnesota managed only 44 field goal attempts in the loss to Michigan last time out. The Golden Gophers also turned the ball over 15 times, and they forced just eight giveaways. Hoffarber netted 16 points in the setback, and Paul Carter added 11 points off the bench.

Northwestern is scoring 69.0 ppg this season while holding opponents to 64.0 ppg. In conference play alone, however, the Wildcats are being outscored by 2.6 ppg. There are four players on the Northwestern roster that have started all 24 games this season. John Shurna is netting 17.7 ppg to pace the club, and he is tops on the boards with 6.5 rpg. Michael Thompson checks in with 13.3 ppg on the strength of his 41 percent shooting from three-point range, and he has dished out 98 assists. Drew Crawford rounds out a trio of double- digit scorers with 11.1 ppg. Thompson netted 20 points in 40 minutes of action, and Shurna contributed 16 points. Against Iowa on Wednesday, the Wildcats turned the ball over only six times. Unfortunately, they allowed the Hawkeyes to shoot 50 percent shooting from the field, and they were also outscored 20-7 from the foul line.

Give the edge to the Wildcats who should be able to make enough clutch shots down the stretch to hold off the Gophers.