Iowa to Host Penn State Thursday

Jan. 4, 2005

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THE SETTING
Iowa (13-0, 2-0) will entertain Penn State (6-6, 1-0) Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youths.

The Hawkeyes’ game vs. the Lady Lions will be the only regular season meeting this season.

ON THE AIR AND THE INTERNET
All Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Listen to Iowa women’s basketball games on KXIC-AM 800 in Iowa City, WHO-AM 1040 in Des Moines and WMT-AM 600 in Cedar Rapids. Brent Balbinot and Karen Schulte call the action.

Fans can also follow the game’s progress with up-to-the-minute stats and play-by-play by clicking on the “Gametracker” link on the front of www.hawkeyesports.com.

HAWKEYES UNDEFEATED
Iowa and LSU are the only remaining undefeated Division I teams. Both teams are 13-0 as of games played through Jan. 3.

BLUDER BECOMES IOWA’S SECOND ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH
Iowa’s victory over Illinois raised Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder’s win total to 86-49 (.637) with the Hawkeyes. Bluder is now Iowa’s second all-time winningest coach and trails only C. Vivan Stringer (269-84, .762).

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa remained ranked 18th in the Associated Press released Monday. Four other Big Ten teams join the Hawkeyes in the rankings: Michigan State (6), Ohio State (9), Minnesota (11) and Purdue (24). The Big Ten boasts the most teams in the top 25. The SEC, Big XII and Big East each have four schools ranked.

In addition, Iowa and Michigan State are the only Big Ten Conference teams to have both hoops teams ranked. The Spartans’ men’s team is ranked 20, while the women are rated 6. The Hawkeye men are ranked No. 14, while the women are ranked No. 18.

FAST START
Iowa is enjoying its best start in 17 years. The Hawkeyes’ 13-0 is their second-best start in school history. Only the 1987-88 Iowa team, which won its first 22 games, has started better than these Hawkeyes.

In addition, a Bluder coached team has not started 13-0 since 1994-95. Bluder’s Drake team also started that season 13-0, and eventually would advance to the NCAA Second Round.

DIFFICULT STRETCH
Iowa next three games will be against top notch competition. The hat trick of games includes a home game vs. Penn State, who won the last two Big Ten titles, and then a pair of road games against top ten teams (No. 6 Michigan State and No. 9 Ohio State).

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 859 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 527-332 (.614). That includes a 278-144 (.659) mark in Big Ten games and a 234-54 (.813) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

RPI RANKINGS
Iowa’s fast start has garnered the Hawkeyes a Big Ten-best No. 3 RPI ranking. Iowa is also ranked No. 17 in strength of schedule. Penn State ranks No. 26 in the RPI and No. 2 in strength of schedule.

The rankings are updated daily on: http://www.collegerpi.com/women/05/rpi.html

ON THIS DATE
Iowa is 5-2 in games played on January 6, including winning five of its last six contests.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK – – 2
Iowa and Texas are the only Division I schools to have its football and men and women’s basketball teams ranked in the top 25 in the two major polls.

LAST TIME OUT
Jamie Cavey scored seven of her 19 points during a 14-7 second-half run to lead No. 18 Iowa past Illinois 72-58 Sunday.

Cavey had only two points at halftime after spending several minutes on the bench with an ankle injury, but she was 8-of-10 from the field and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line after the break.

The Hawkeyes, playing their third game in six days, also got 12 points from Crystal Smith and 10 from Tiffany Reedy. Johanna Solverson added seven points, five rebounds and a game-high seven assists.

Illinois led only briefly in the first half but was down by only seven, 41-34, at the half. An 8-5 Illinois run to start the second half closed the gap to 46-41, but Cavey’s 3-point play with 15:28 to go started Iowa’s decisive run.

Tiffanie Guthrie led Illinois with 18 points, who were 0-12 from 3-point range. Illinois’ zero 3-pointers are a season-low for Iowa opponents this season. Erin Wigley scored 14 and Angelina Williams had 12 as the Illini had their five-game winning streak snapped.

FINAL GAME NOTES

• Illinois did not make a 3-pointer in Sunday’s game vs. the Hawkeyes. The last time a Hawkeye opponent failed to sink a triple was, coincidentally, Illinois on Feb. 25, 2001 in Champaign, IL.

MAINTAINING LEADS
Iowa has played 525 minutes through nine games and has trailed only 65:08 during that stretch. The Hawkeyes have maintained a lead or been tied for 459:52 of the 525 minutes.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State, winners of the last two Big Ten regular season titles, enters Thursday’s game with a 6-6 overall mark and 1-0 in Big Ten play.

The Lady Lions dropped a 63-51 decision to Marquette last Sunday in Milwaukee, WI. Penn State led by one at the half (32-31), but were outscored 32-19 in the second half. Jess Strom paced the Lady Lions with a game-high 22 points. Amanda Brown contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, while Tanisha Wright added 10 points and eight boards.

Penn State upset No. 7 Ohio State last Thursday in State College (69-62). The Lady Lions out-scored the Buckeyes 18-7 at the charity stripe en route to their conference opening victory. Jennifer Harris and Wright combined for 44 of Penn State’s 69 points.

The Lady Lions rank second in the conferene in free throw percentage (.791), third in steals (10.58) and fourth in turnover margin (+0.83). Wright leads the Big Ten in scoring (20.9), while Strom ranks sixth in 3-pointers made (1.83).

Rene Portland is in her 29th season as a collegiate head coach and her 25th with the Lady Lions. Portland boasts an overall record of 655-228 (.752) and 568-199 (.741) while mentoring Penn State.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Penn State leads the all-time series 15-11, however the Hawkeyes own an 8-4 advantage in games played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won two of the last three contests played in Iowa City.

The Lady Lions won both games last year, 92-64 in State College, and 70-58 in Iowa City.

There has been one overtime game played in the 26-game series, with Penn State winning (69-66) in 1986. That contest was played in the first round of the NC State Classic before the Lady Lions joined the Big Ten Conference.

COMMON OPPONENTS
Iowa and Penn State shared one non-conference opponent (Marquette). The Lady Lions lost 63-51 at Marquette on Jan. 2, while the Hawkeyes were victorious over the Golden Eagles (78-72) in Iowa City on Dec. 8.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has out-scored its opponents 474-369 in the first half, 456-421 in the second half and 14-5 in overtime. The Hawkeyes have led at halftime in 11-of-13 contests. Iowa has out-scored its opponent in the second half in seven-of-13 games.

HEAD OF THE CLASS
Jamie Cavey leads Big Ten seniors in field goal percentage (.618). Crystal Smith leads conference juniors in scoring (18.1) and field goal percentage (.547), while Johanna Solverson leads in steals (2.77). Krista VandeVenter leads league freshman in rebounding (8.2).

FRESHMAN AMONG ELITE GROUP
Krista VandeVenter leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding (8.2) through 13 games. The last time a true-freshman led Iowa in rebounding was Tangela Smith (1994-95). In fact, only four other Hawkeyes have led the team in rebounding as freshman (Tangela Smith, 1994-95; Lynn Kennedy, 1983-84; Cindy Haugejorde, 1976-77; Jenni Mayer, 1975-76).

SHARING THE WEALTH
Iowa’s triangle offense generates many assists. The Hawkeyes have five players who average two assists or more. Small forward Johanna Solverson (3.5) leads the team, followed by center Jamie Cavey (2.7), shooting guard Crystal Smith (2.5), power forward Krista VandeVenter (2.1) and point guard Abby Emmert (2.0).

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In seven home games, Iowa has out-scored its opponent 523-426 (+13.9 margin), shooting 49.4 percent from the field and holding opponents to a 38.7 shooting percentage. Iowa also posted 126 assists to its opponents’ 86.

In six games away from Iowa City, Iowa has out-scored its opponents 421-369 (+8.7 margin). Opponents have recorded 64 steals to Iowa’s 52 (-2.0 margin) on the road. Also, the Hawkeyes have recorded 27 blocks to their opponents 18 away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA BENCH COMING THROUGH
Iowa’s bench play has been one of the keys to its perfect 13-0 start. Iowa’s bench has outscored and out-rebounded its opponents 227-157 and 145-96, respectively. The Hawkeyes average 17.5 ppg and 11.2 rpg from their bench players. Iowa has outscored nine-of-13 opponents in bench points.

GRAHAM PROVIDES STRONG DEFENSIVE PRESCENCE
One of Iowa’s top producers off the bench has been Jenee Graham. The freshman has pulled down two or more rebounds in all 11 games she has played. Graham ranks sixth on the team in rebounding (2.7 rpg). She scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in Iowa’s road win at Illinois Sunday.

INSIDE, NOT OUTSIDE
Iowa attempted a season-low two 3-pointers in its victory over in-state rival Northern Iowa on Dec. 5. The Hawkeyes made one of the two to extend its streak of consecutive games with at least one triple.

The last time Iowa attempted two 3-pointers or less in a game was in a 77-57 win vs. Weber State on Nov. 20, 1998 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes were 1-1 from beyond the arc.

Iowa stayed with its inside game at Creighton and UW-Milwaukee. The Hawkeyes attempted only five triples at Creighton, making one of the five attempts. Iowa out-scored UW-Milwaukee 44-6 in the paint on Dec. 28. The Hawkeyes converted only two triples against the Panthers.

OUTSIDE AND INSIDE
After attempting a season-low two 3-pointers in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa on Dec. 5, the Hawkeyes attempted a season-high 24 triples vs. Marquette on Dec. 8. Iowa made a season-high nine 3-pointers in the victory, with seven of the nine coming in the first half. The Hawkeyes also had success in the paint, scoring 30 points.

CAVEY CLIMBS CAREER CHARTS
Senior Jamie Cavey has amassed 204 points through 13 games this season. The senior has totaled 926 career points, which ranks 22nd at Iowa. Cavey is only 11 points from passing Randi Peterson (1997-00) for 21st.

The Mechanicsville, IA, native has also collected 65 career blocks, which ranks ninth on Iowa’s career chart. Cavey is only two rejections from

IOWA FAST BREAKS

• Iowa has controlled the opening tip in 11-of-13 games.
• Iowa’s single-game season high in attendance is 4,912 (Indiana).
• The Hawkeyes have out-scored their opponents 452-260 in the paint.
• Jamie Cavey fouled out vs. Marquette, becoming the first Hawkeye to foul out of a game this season. Cavey fouled out a team-high eight times last season.
• Jamie Cavey is the only Hawkeye to score double figures in all 13 games.
• Iowa has led at the half in 11-of-13 games.
• Iowa has held four teams to 51 points or less (Indiana — 51; UW-Milwaukee –51; Southern Illinois — 50; Northern Iowa — 50; Oklahoma — 47).
• All 13 of Iowa’s opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the field.
• Iowa has had more assists than its opponents in 12-of-13 games and have shot more free throws in all 13 contests.
• Iowa was 3-0 against teams from the Big XII (Iowa State, Missouri, Oklahoma) and 4-0 vs. Missouri Valley Conference teams (Drake, Southern Illinois, Creighton, Northern Iowa).
• Only one of Iowa’s starters is a senior (Jamie Cavey).
• The victory over No. 21 Oklahoma marked Iowa’s first win over a ranked opponent on a neutral floor since dropping Minnesota (80-77) on March 3, 2003 in the Big Ten Tournament.
• Jenna Armstrong’s 12 three-point attempts vs. Iowa State is the most attempts by an individual since Lindsey Meder attempted 14 twice during the 2001-02 season.
• Iowa is 3-5 in overtime games under Coach Bluder.
• Iowa’s 54-47 victory over then-No. 21 Oklahoma in the championship game of the Junkanoo Jam marked the first time the Hawkeyes won a game scoring 54 points or less since a 50-47 triumph over Michigan State on Feb. 22, 2001, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa’s 15-point second half rally at Creighton is the second-largest comeback under Coach Bluder. The Hawkeyes rallied from 18 down in the second half to bounce Indiana (81-76) from the 2001 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

ATTENDANCE RANKINGS
Iowa’s home attendance average (3,773) ranks 23rd nationally in the latest attendance rankings released Jan. 3. The Hawkeyes are the sixth-highest ranked Big Ten team behind No. 5 Minnesota (7,797), No. 6 P urdue (7509), No. 8 Penn State (7,250), No. 11 Wisconsin (5,882) and No. 17 Michigan State (4,811).

SUCCESS AT THE FOUL LINE
Iowa has had four players shoot 100 percent from the free throw line in games (min. 6 att.). Crystal Smith converted 7-7 vs. Missouri, Jamie Cavey drained all nine attempts against Iowa State. Stacy Schlapkohl was a perfect 6-6 vs. Northern Iowa, while made all six attempts vs. Western Illinois.

As a team, the Hawkeyes posted season highs in free throws made (25), attempted (29) and percentage (.862) vs. Western Illinois. Johanna Solverson converted a career-high 11-13 (.846) against the Westerwinds. Prior to that game, Solverson’s career bests in a single game were four free throws made and attempted.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
Guard Crystal Smith has been one of league’s top offensive and defensive player through nine games. The junior was named MVP of the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and Junkanoo Jam. Smith ranks first on the team and fifth in Big Ten in scoring (18.1), first on the team and eighth in conference free throw percentage (.846) and second on the team and third in league steals (2.69). The native of Haughton, LA, has netted 20 points or more four times, which ranks second in the Big Ten. She netted a career-high 33 points at Drake on Dec. 18. Smith’s performances has turned some heads around the nation.

“Crystal is just an outstanding player,” said Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly. “She’s an impact player on both ends of the floor. I hope we don’t have to play a guard as good as her the rest of the season.”

“I’ve been around the game a long time and Crystal is as good a player I’ve ever seen,” said Northern Iowa Head Coach Tony DiCecco. “She has a lot of tools. She’s extremely difficult to defend because at a split second she’s at full speed. She’s lightning quick and I tip my hat to her.”

Center Jamie Cavey has been a force down in the post. The senior tri-captain, ranks second on the team and 11th in the Big Ten in scoring (15.7) and first on the team and third in the conference in field goal percentage (.618).

Cavey is the only Iowa player to score double figures all 13 contests. She was named to the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and Junkanoo Jam all-Tournament teams.

HAWKEYES CAPTURE MYTHICAL STATE TITLE
Iowa captured its second mythical state title in three years. The Hawkeyes first defeated Iowa State (89-80) on Dec. 1, followed by victories over and Northern Iowa (77-50) on Dec. 8 and Drake (80-69) on Dec. 18.

EMMERT MAKES HISTORY
Abby Emmert became only the second Iowa freshman to start at point guard. Prior to this season, Cara Consuegra was Iowa’s only freshman to start at point guard (1997).

VANDEVENTER CLEANS THE GLASS
Krista VandeVenter has been Iowa’s leading rebounder in nine of its 13 games, including the first five contests of the season. VandeVenter pulled down six rebounds vs. Florida, 11 against Oklahoma and a career-high 14 at Creighton. The freshman averages 8.2 boards per game. The last time an Iowa player led the team in rebounding five consecutive games was Jerica Watson in the last five games of the 2001-02 season.

The Osseo, MN, native has also done a good job offensively. VandeVenter scored all of her nine points in the second half against the Sooners. She also tallied 10 points vs. Iowa State and a career-best 19 on 8-11 FG and 3-5 from the charity stripe at Creighton. VandeVenter averages 7.3 ppg. The post player also ranks fourth in assists (27). She has also recorded two steals in five games.

RAINING THREES
Iowa has made at least one 3-pointer in 190 consecutive contests. It is a streak that has occurred over a span of seven seasons. The last time the Hawkeyes did not make a 3-pointer was against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament on March 1, 1998.

FRESHMEN START FOR HAWKEYES
Point guard Abby Emmert and power forward Krista VandeVenter started Iowa’s first 13 games.

Emmert and VandeVenter became the first Iowa freshmen duo to start since the 1994-95 season where newcomers Tiffany Gooden and Tangela Smith started 17 and 15 games, respectively.

SENIOR STARTS (ARM)STRONG
Senior Jenna Armstrong has had a good start to the 2004-05 season. Armstrong averages 18.5 minuntes per game and ranks fifth on the team in scoing (5.7). She has already eclipsed her scoring total from last year. Last season, Armstrong scored 36 points in 24 games, while she has already amassed 74 this year. Armstrong has scored double figures three times this season and six in her career.

The native of Stockton, MO, ranks second on the squad in 3-pointers made (13). She also pulled down a career-high six rebounds in Iowa’s win over Marquette.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
As a team, the Hawkeyes rank second in Big Ten field goal percentage (.484), third in offensive rebounds (13.23), fourth in scoring offense (72.6) and assists (16.08).

Individually, Crystal Smith ranks fifth in league scoring (18.1), seventh in field goal percentage (.547), eighth in free throw percentage (.846) and third in steals (2.69). Jamie Cavey ranks 11th in scoring (15.7), 13th in rebounding (6.5) and third in field goal percentage (.618) and blocked shots (2.23). Krista VandeVenter ranks fifth in rebounding (8.2) and second in offensive rebounds (3.46). Johanna Solverson ranks second in steals (2.77) and 21st in scoring (12.5).

IOWA’S BIG TEN SCHEDULE
Iowa’s Big Ten portion of its schedule includes home-and-away contests against Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Ohio State.

The Hawkeyes have single games with Penn State, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa will travel to Minneapolis and West Lafayette, while the Lady Lions and Badgers will visit Iowa City.

Crystal Smith NAMED CO-BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Crystal Smith was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week along with Minnesota senior Janel McCarville on Dec. 20. The honor, the first of Smith’s career, marked the first time a Hawkeye has earned the accolade this season.

Smith sparked the Hawkeyes to their ninth consecutive victory to start the season as Iowa defeated Drake (80-69) in Des Moines.

In the 11-point win over the Bulldogs, Smith netted a game and career-high 33 points on 12-16 shooting from the field, including 2-4 from 3-point range and 7-8 from the foul line. The 12 field goals made is also a career best, which ranks second among Big Ten players this season. The native of Haughton, LA, also pulled down six rebounds and dished out one assist. Her 33-point effort tied Lindsey Bowen of Michigan State for the highest point total by a Big Ten student-athlete this season.

Iowa’s junior shooting guard is in the midst of a career season. Smith averaged 3.9 points per game last year and so far this season ranks second in Big Ten scoring (18.7 ppg). The 5-6 senior, also ranks eighth in Big Ten field goal (.558) and free throw (.857) percentage. She has led Iowa in scoring four times and has posted 20 points or more four times this season.

SOLVERSON TIES ARENA RECORD
Johanna Solverson’s perfect 4-4 shooting from 3-point range vs. Southern Illinois tied a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record for 3-point field goal percentage. Solverson joins Minnesota’s Jodi Olson (4-4), Miami of Ohio’s Adrienne Spatz (4-4), Iowa’s Steph Schueler (4-4), Iowa’s Stacy Frese (5-5) and Southwest Missouri State’s Jennifer Lingor (5-5) in the record books.

Solverson’s overall 6-6 shooting from the field was perfect, but did not tie an arena record. The record, which is a minimum of eight attempts, is held by Andrea Harmon (8-8) and current teammate Jamie Cavey (9-9).

HAWKEYES WIN TOURNAMENTS
Iowa won two holiday tournaments this season. The Hawkeyes opened the season with wins over Southern Illinois (66-50) and Missouri (75-54) to claim its 16th KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge championship.

One week later, the Hawkeyes defeated Florida (65-62) and then-No. 21 Oklahoma (54-47) to capture the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.

Crystal Smith was named MVP of both tournaments. Smith averaged 12.0 ppg and was the defensive star of the Junkanoo Jam. The junior averaged 17.5 ppg and 3.5 spg in the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge. The native of Haughton, LA, scored 26 points in the championship game vs. Missouri, shattering her previous career high (10 points). Furthermore, Smith was a perfect 7-7 from the foul line, setting new career highs in free throws made and attempted.

Jamie Cavey joined Smith on both all-tournament teams. Cavey averaged 15.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg in the Junkanoo Jam and 12.5 ppg in the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge. Johanna Solverson joined Smith and Cavey on the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament team. Solverson averaged 12.5 ppg in the two games and was a perfect 6-6 shooting from the field, including 4-4 from beyond the arc in Iowa’s first round 66-50 win over Southern Illinois. The four 3-pointers is a career high, as is her game-high six steals against the Salukis.

HAWKEYES ADD WALK-ON
Head Coach Lisa Bluder announced that Ebone Pope (Ottumwa, IA) has been added to the 2004-05 roster as a walk-on. The 5-9 guard will wear No. 15.

Pope was a two-year starter at Marshalltown Community College. Pope averaged a team-best 11.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 2.7 apg last year. She was team captain, earned first team all-conference and first team all-tournament honors last season. She averaged 9.0 ppg and earned all-region honorable mention accolades her freshman year.

She graduated from Ottumwa High School in 2002, where she averaged 14.5 ppg, 3.5 apg and 3.3 rpg. Pope earned second team all-conference laurels her junior and senior years. Her high school team competed in the state tournament her senior season.

Pope joins Kristi Faulkner (2001-04) as the only walk-ons to make a Hawkeye roster under Coach Bluder.

CENTER OF ATTENTION
For the first time under Coach Bluder, Iowa started its season with a returning starting center.

Since Bluder began coaching the Hawkeyes in 2000 Iowa has had a different center to start the season. Randi Peterson was Iowa’s starter in 2000-01, followed by Beatrice Bullock (2001-02), Tracy Schrupp (2002-03) and Jamie Cavey (2003-04). Peterson, Bullock and Schrupp were all seniors.

Cavey becomes Iowa’s first center to start consecutive seasons since Amy Herrig (1998-99).

HAWKEYES ADD THIRD JERSEYS
For the first time under Coach Bluder’s tenure, Iowa will have three colored jerseys this season (white, black and gold). The last time Iowa played in gold jerseys was during the 1999-00 season.

RICHARDS STARTS SEASON ON THE SIDELINES
Point guard Lindsay Richards underwent successful surgery on July 7 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.

The junior is expected to make a full recovery and hopes to return to the Hawkeye lineup in January. The native of Barrington, IL, sustained the injury during practice with the Big Ten All-Stars before the team left for Australia in early-June. This is the second time in as many years she has undergone surgery to repair a damaged ACL in her right knee. Richards’ first ACL injury came in a home game against Denver on December 12, 2002.

Richards started all 29 games for the Hawkeyes last year. She ranked fifth on the team in scoring (5.4 ppg) and free throw percentage (39-51, .765), second in assists (85) and fourth in steals (27). Her 2.93 assists average ranked 11th in the Big Ten. Richards was also an academic all-Big Ten selection last year.

Before injuring her knee as a freshman, she played in eight games as a reserve, averaging 4.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg and dishing out 29 assists. Richards will not receive a medical redshirt for her freshman season.

HOME GROWN HAWKEYES
Iowa’s roster features five players from the state of Iowa (Jamie Cavey, Abby Emmert, Ebone Pope, Tiffany Reedy and Stacy Schlapkohl). The Hawkeyes also have four players from the state of Illinois (Lindsay Richards, Johanna Solverson, Jeneé Graham and Morgan Kasperek). Iowa’s 12-person roster also features players from Missouri (Jenna Armstrong), Minnesota (Krista VandeVenter) and Louisiana (Crystal Smith).

NUTHIN’ BUT NET
Catch all the University of Iowa women’s basketball games over the Internet at www.hawkeyesports.com. Fans can listen to live or replay previously played games. Just click on the “Multimedia” link near the top of the page. There is a cost for the service.

“HAWK TALK WITH Lisa Bluder”
Catch “Hawk Talk with Lisa Bluder”, the radio call-in program Monday nights featuring Iowa Hawkeye women’s head coach Lisa Bluder, on KXIC-AM 800 in Iowa, WHO-AM 1040 in Des Moines and WMT-AM 600 in Cedar Rapids from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Fans can call toll-free at (800) 332-5401 or locally at (319) 365-0600.

IOWA INFORMATION ON THE WEB
Statistics and play-by-play accounts of all Iowa home games and most road contests will be available live on the internet. The statistical program allows viewers to read the play-by-play action just moments after it takes place, and to view all individual and team statistics while the game is in progress.

The program can be accessed through www.hawkeyesports.com and then clicking on the Gametracker link.

HY-VEE CY-HAWK SERIES
Iowa leads the inaugural Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series 9-4. Iowa has recorded victories in football (17-10), women’s basketball (89-80), women’s swimming and diving (214-85) and men’s basketball (70-63). Iowa State won in women’s soccer (6-1) and wrestling (19-16).

A point system will track each institution’s performance and will culminate in one institution winning the annual trophy for the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Intercollegiate athletic teams from Iowa and Iowa State will square off in head-to-head competition nine different times during the 2004-05 academic year. The competition this year is in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, softball and women’s swimming and diving. Additional points will be available for each school to secure based on successful performance in the classroom by its student-athletes. Listed below is the upcoming competition schedule:
Jan. 28, W. Gymnastics — 2 points
Feb. 19, W. Gymnastics — 2 points
Apr. 19, Softball — 2 points
2 points for an institution if the student-athlete graduation rate for all student-athletes is greater than the national average for all student-athletes.

AFTER THIS
Iowa hits the road for a pair of games No. 6 Michigan State (Jan. 9) and No. 9 Ohio State (Jan. 13). The two-game road trip will be the last for two-game roadie for Iowa this season. The Hawkeyes return home to host Northwestern (Jan. 16).