No. 23 Purdue to Host No. 22 Iowa

Jan. 19, 2005

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THE SETTING
No. 22/22 Iowa (14-3, 3-3) travels to West Lafayette, IN, Sunday to face No. 23/24 Purdue (10-6, 3-2). Tip-off is slated for 1:05 p.m. (CST) in Mackey Arena (14,123).

Sunday’s game will be the only regular season contest between the two teams.

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.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa is ranked No. 22 both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls this week. Four other Big Ten teams join the Hawkeyes in the rankings: Ohio State (3/4), Michigan State (8/8), Minnesota (12/13) and Purdue (24/23). The Big Ten and Big XII boast the most teams in the top 25 with five each. The Big East and ACC 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 16, while the women are rated eighth. The Hawkeye men are No. 23, while the women are No. 22.

20TH ANNIVERSARY APPROACHING
On Feb. 3, 1985, the Iowa Hawkeyes shattered the NCAA and Big Ten Conference attendance records when 22,157 fans squeezed into the 15,500 seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes lost the game to Ohio State (56-47). Iowa plays at Minnesota on Feb. 3, 2005.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 863 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 528-335 (.612). That includes a 279-147 (.655) mark in Big Ten games and a 235-55 (.810) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

RPI RANKINGS
Iowa ranks No. 7 in the RPI ranking and No. 13 in strength of schedule. Purdue ranks No. 30 in the RPI and No. 6 in strength of schedule. The Big Ten ranks first in conference RPI, followed by the ACC and SEC. Ohio State (4) is the highest Big Ten team ranked in the RPI, followed by Michigan State (5), Iowa (7), Minnesota (9) and Penn State (13).

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

ON THIS DATE
The Hawkeyes are 2-5 in games played on January 23, with their last defeat coming at Purdue (83-64) in 2003.

HAWKEYES RANK HIGH NATIONALLY
As of games played through Jan. 17, Iowa ranks fourth nationally in least fouls per game (12.7), fifth in field goal percentage (48.0) and 37th in scoring offense (71.1). Individually, Crystal Smith ranks 37th in field goal percentage (53.0). Jamie Cavey ranks 15th in field goal percentage (58.9) and 44th in blocks (2.1).

SHARING THE WEALTH
Iowa’s triangle offense generates many assists. The Hawkeyes have three players who average 2.4 assists or more. Small forward Johanna Solverson (3.47) leads the team, followed by shooting guard Crystal Smith (2.59) and center Jamie Cavey (2.47).

NUMBER OF THE WEEK – – 10
Iowa only has 10 regular season games remaining; five at home and five on the road.

HEAD OF THE CLASS
Jamie Cavey leads Big Ten seniors in field goal percentage (.589). Crystal Smith leads conference juniors in field goal percentage (.530). Krista VandeVenter leads league freshman in rebounding (7.7).

LAST TIME OUT
Senior Jamie Cavey scored 29 points and Iowa overcame a 17-point second half deficit to beat Northwestern (81-76) Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hawkeyes.

The Hawkeyes rallied to score 54 second half points, one point shy of the Carver-Hawkeye Arena record set vs. Western Illinois in 2000.

Cavey scored 16 of her team-high 29 points in the second half, 12 in the first 10 minutes, to tie the game at 54 with 9:33 to play. Junior Crystal Smith added 18 points and Krista VandeVenter contributed eight points and nine rebounds for Iowa.

Ifeoma Okonkwo led Northwestern with a game-high 30 points. Sarah Kwasinski had 17 and Sara Stutz added 13.

The Wildcats scored 16 points off 15 Iowa turnovers in the first half. After a Tiffany Reed layup gave Iowa its first lead of the half, Northwestern went on a 19-4 run with seven steals to take a 41-27 halftime lead.

Iowa rebounded with a 17-2 run midway through the second half. Senior Jenna Armstrong was 2-2 from 3-point range during the stretch and 3-4 for the game, finishing with nine points.

The Hawkeye bench out-scored the Wildcat reserves 14-0.

Iowa out-rebounded Northwestern 36-25 and shot exactly 50 percent from the field for the second consecutive contest.

SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue has lost its last two games, something that hasn’t happened since December 2001. The Boilermakers dropped a 58-38 decision to Minnesota at home on Jan. 13 and lost at Notre Dame (86-69) on Jan. 16. The 38 points scored against the Golden Gophers was a season low.

Notre Dame out-scored the Boilermakers 20-11 at the foul line and scored 29 points off 21 Purdue turnovers. Purdue had five players score double figures, with sophomore Erin Lawless scoring a team-high 16 points. Senior Emily Heikes collected 10 points and hauled in a team-high nine rebounds in defeat.

Lawless ranks 11th in Big Ten scoring (15.2) and eighth in field goal percentage (.522). Freshman Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton ranks third in blocked shots (2.19) and ninth in field goal percentage (.516).

The Boilermakers rank fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense (.432) and sixth in blocked shots (6.6).

Purdue is coached by Kristy Curry, who is in her sixth season as a collegiate head coach, all at Purdue. Curry boasts an overall record of 146-47 (.756) with the Boilermakers.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Purdue owns a 25-22 advantage over the Hawkeyes, including a 12-9 edge in games played in West Lafayette.

The Boilermakers have won the last six overall meetings, including both contests last season. Purdue defeated the Hawkeyes in Iowa City (90-79) and in West Lafayette (84-55).

Iowa has lost the last five games played in Mackey Arena. The Hawkeyes’ last victory in Mackey Arena was a 73-67 triumph on Feb. 6, 1998.

Iowa has played four overtime games against Purdue, which are the most against any Big Ten team.

IOWA, PURDUE GAME NOTES

• Purdue has three players from the state of Illinois on its roster and all three start: center senior Emily Heikes (Palos Hills), sophomore forward Erin Lawless (Berwyn) and freshman guard Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Naperville). Two of Iowa’s four players from the state of Illinois start: junior forward Johanna Solverson (Lake Zurich) and freshman guard Jeneé Graham (Bolingbrook) start, while junior guard Lindsay Richards (Barrington) is redshirting this season and junior forward Morgan Kasperek (Hinsdale) is a reserve.
• Purdue’s Katie Gearlds scored a career-high 32 points vs. the Hawkeyes in a 90-79 defeat to the Boilermakers in Iowa City on Feb. 10, 2004. Gearlds netted 12-16 field goals, including a perfect 4-4 from 3-point range, and 4-6 from the foul line. She scored 15 points in an 84-55 win vs. Iowa in West Lafayette on Feb. 26, 2004.
• Jamie Cavey has netted 999 career points and will most likely score her 1,000 career point at Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 23. Two years ago to the day, former Iowa player Jennie Lillis scored her 1,000 career point at Purdue on Jan. 23, 2003.
• Jamie Cavey will become the 21st Hawkeye to reach 1,000 career points.
• Sunday will be Iowa’s third straight road contest against a ranked opponent. In fact, the Hawkeyes will play four consecutive road games vs. ranked foes (Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Minnesota).
• Iowa ranks in the top five in seven Big Ten statistical categories, while Purdue ranks in the top five in eight categories. The Hawkeyes second in field goal percentage (.480), third in scoring offense (71.1), rebounds allowed (33.0) and offensive rebounds (13.29) and fourth in rebounding margin (+5.4). The Boilermakers rank first in blocked shots (6.62), field goal percentage defense (.332) and defensive rebounds (27.06) and fourth in scoring defense (56.2).
• Purdue has nine players who have attempted at least one 3-pointer, while Iowa has only four playes who have attempted at least one triple this season. Both teams attempted 187 treys as of games played through Jan. 16.
• Purdue has won the last six games in the series, boasting a winning margin of +18.3 during the six-game stretch.

LAST MEETING
Cold second half shooting doomed the Hawkeyes as Purdue took advantage and cruised to an 84-55 triumph over Iowa in Mackey Arena. The 29-point victory is the largest margin of victory on the series history.

Iowa and Purdue were involved in a close game for most of the first half. There were five ties and three lead changes. The Boilermakers were up five with the half coming to a close. Freshman Katie Gearlds drained a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give Purdue an eight-point (38-30) halftime lead and momentum heading into the locker room.

Playing in its final home game, Purdue came out firing in the second half. The Boilermakers converted 19-27 (70.4 percent) of its second half field goals, while the Hawkeyes made only 9-28 (32.1 percent) of its attempts. Iowa sank only two buckets in the first 10 minutes of the second half, enabling Purdue to build a 62-36 advantage.

Purdue’s Shereka Wright scored a game-high 21 points, while Erika Valek collected eight points and 12 assists.

Jamie Cavey scored a team-high 12 points, while Kristi Faulkner added 11 points. Jennie Lillis contributed seven points in the loss. After scoring in double figures the first 24 games, Lillis failed to reach double figures the last two contests. Point guard Lindsay Richards and Lillis tied for the team lead in rebounding (4).

Purdue out-rebounded Iowa by 17 (41-24) and the Boilermakers converted 19 Hawkeye turnovers into 28 points.

IOWA HEAD COACH Lisa Bluder
Lisa Bluder (pronounced BLUE-dir) is in her fifth season as head coach at the University of Iowa and her 20th season as a college head coach.

Bluder, 42, has a career record of 443-194 (.695), including an 87-52 (.626) record at Iowa, a 187-106 (.638) record in 10 seasons (1990-2000) at Drake and a six-year mark (1984-90) of 169-36 (.824) at St. Ambrose. Bluder is Iowa’s second all-time winningest coach and trails only C. Vivian Stringer. She has guided the Hawkeyes to four post-season tournaments (3 NCAA, 1 WNIT) and three upper division finishes in the Big Ten Conference.

In her first season with the Hawkeyes, Bluder transformed a struggling program into a 21-game winner. Iowa finished second in the Big Ten, won the conference tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Bluder became Iowa’s third coach to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year. She was also honored as the College Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball News Service and was named the WBCA District 6 Coach of the Year. Iowa’s 2001-02 squad finished fourth in the Big Ten and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. In 2003, Bluder guided the Hawkeyes to its first-ever WNIT appearance. Iowa, which had nine underclassmen on its roster, advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Creighton.

In her 10 years at Drake, Bluder brought great success and tradition to the Bulldog program and established herself as one of the top coaches in the country. She led Drake to five 20-plus win seasons in the last six years, including five post-season appearances. She guided the Bulldogs to eight Missouri Valley Conference Tournament appearances, reaching the semifinals six times and winning the tournament four times. Bluder was also named the Conference Coach of the Year three times as Drake.

Bluder began her coaching career at St. Ambrose, where she coached six successful seasons building the Bees into a NAIA powerhouse. During her tenure at St. Ambrose, Bluder guided the Bees to four straight national tournaments, including two consecutive Final Four appearances. The 1990 St. Ambrose team was ranked No. 1 and Bluder was named the NAIA Converse Coach of the Year.

A graduate of Linn-Mar High School in Marion, IA, Bluder was a three-year starter at Northern Iowa. She graduated from UNI in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

Bluder and her husband David have two daughters, Hannah (7) and Emma (4) and one son, David (2).

Bluder is 3-7 against Purdue and Boilermaker Coach Kristy Curry.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has out-scored its opponents 569-514 in the first half, 626-577 in the second half and 14-5 in overtime. The Hawkeyes have led at halftime in 11-of-17 contests. Iowa has out-scored its opponent in the second half in 10-of-17 games.

COMPARING GAME STATS
FG%  3-PT%   FT% REB AST TO  PTSIowa    .480    .326    .696    38.4    266 305 71.1Opp.    .397    .354    .745    33.0    227 266 64.5

FRESHMAN AMONG ELITE GROUP
Krista VandeVenter leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding (7.7) through 17 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).

Furthermore, VandeVenter currently ranks sixth in rebounding for an Iowa freshman. The Osseo, MN, native trails Amy Herrig (1995-96) by 10 for fifth and Toni Foster (1989-90) by 12 for fourth on the list.

STARTING OFF FAST
Jamie Cavey scored Iowa’s first seven points in 2:47 at Michigan State on Jan. 9 and first 10 points in 6:10 vs. Northwestern on Jan. 16. Johanna Solverson tallied the Hawkeyes’ first eight points in 1:54 vs. Penn State on Jan. 6.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In nine home games, Iowa has out-scored its opponent 675-579 (+10.7 margin), shooting 49.1 percent from the field and holding opponents to a 40.8 shooting percentage. Iowa also posted 159 assists to its opponents’ 118.

In eight games away from Iowa City, Iowa has out-scored its opponents 534-517 (+2.1 margin). Opponents have recorded 89 steals to Iowa’s 60 (-3.6 margin) on the road. Also, the Hawkeyes have recorded 35 blocks to their opponents 26 away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Here are the home and away comparisons:

    FG%  3-PT%   FT% REB AST TO  PTSHome    .491    .367    .762    37.9    159 152 75.0Away    .468    .281    .610    39.0    107 153 66.8

CAVEY CLIMBS CAREER CHARTS
Senior Jamie Cavey has amassed 277 points through 17 games this season. The senior has totaled 999 career points, which ranks 21st at Iowa. Cavey is 26 points from passing Tiffany Gooden (1994-98) for 20th.

The Mechanicsville, IA, native has also collected 72 career blocks, which ranks eighth on Iowa’s career chart. Thirty-six of her 72 blocks have come this season. Jennie Lillis was the last Hawkeye player to collect 36 blocks or more in a season when she rejected 40 shots during the 2002-03 season. Cavey is only seven rejections from passing Lisa Long (1983-87) for seventh on the career chart. Furthermore, the senior is only 15 blocks from moving into fourth place.

Cavey also cracked the top 20 in career rebounding at Michigan State. She has totaled 387 rebounds, which ranks 19th. Cavey is eight rebounds from passing Lindsey Meder (1998-02) for 18th.

IOWA BENCH COMING THROUGH
Iowa’s bench play has been one of the keys to its 14-3 record. Iowa’s bench has outscored and out-rebounded its opponents 288-189 and 179-120, respectively. The Hawkeyes average 16.9 ppg and 10.5 rpg from their bench players. Iowa has outscored 12-of-17 opponents in bench points.

IOWA’S RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY…
The Hawkeyes are 5-1 in games decided by 6-10 points. Here is a glance at Iowa’s record in games decided by…

    OT   1-5 6-10    11-15   16-20   21+ Total    1-0 2-0 5-1 3-1 1-0 2-1 14-3

RAINING THREES
Iowa has made at least one 3-pointer in 194 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.

GRAHAM COMING ON STRONG
Jeneé Graham started her first collegiate game at Michigan State on Jan. 9. Graham played 24 minutes, scored one point and collected three rebounds and one steal. She started again at Ohio State and collected four points and four rebounds in a career-high 29 minutes of action. Graham tallied nine points, six rebounds and two steals in her third start vs. Northwestern.

She was one of Iowa’s top producers off the bench the first 14 games. The freshman has pulled down two or more rebounds in all 15 games she has played. Graham ranks fifth on the team in rebounding (3.3 rpg).

Graham had the best game of her career vs. Penn State on Jan. 6. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, posted career bests in points (11), field goals made (4) and attempted (6), rebounds (7), assists (2), free throws made (3) and attempted (6).

ATTENDANCE RANKINGS
Iowa’s home attendance average (3,989) ranks 23rd nationally in the latest attendance rankings released Jan. 17. The Hawkeyes are the sixth-highest ranked Big Ten team behind No. 5 P urdue (8,349), No. 6 Minnesota (7,790), No. 7 Penn State (7,246), No. 13 Wisconsin (5,877) and No. 16 Michigan State (5,218).

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa has recorded at least one victory over a ranked opponent in each of the five years under Coach Bluder. These are Iowa’s most recent wins vs. nationally ranked opponents:

At Home: 81-61 over 11th-ranked Minnesota, 2/19/04
On the Road: 78-67 over 18th-ranked Michigan State, 2/1/04
Neutral Court: 54-47 over 21st-ranked Oklahoma, 11/27/04

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.

QUALITY WINS
One of the key factors that the NCAA Tournament selection committee looks at when selecting teams and seeding teams for the tournament is “quality wins and losses”.

Iowa’s quality wins include: Florida (21), Iowa State (33), Oklahoma (35), Creighton (42) and Marquette (57).

All three of the Hawkeyes’ losses have come against elite competition: Michigan State (5), Ohio State (4) and Penn State (13).

The numbers in parentheses represent the respective team’s RPI ranking.

IOWA FAST BREAKS

• Iowa has controlled the opening tip in 13-of-17 games.
• Iowa’s single-game season high in attendance is 5,753 (Northwestern).
• The Hawkeyes have out-scored their opponents 528-336 in the paint (+11.3 margin). Only three teams have out-scored Iowa in the paint this season (Florida, Oklahoma and Ohio State).
• Jamie Cavey is the only Hawkeye to foul out this season (Marquette, Michigan State). Cavey fouled out a team-high eight times last season.
• Jamie Cavey has scored double figures in 16-of-17 games this year and 42 of the last 43 contests dating back to last season.
• Iowa has led at the half in 11-of-17 games.
• Iowa has held four teams to 51 points or less (Indiana — 51; UW-Milwaukee –51; Southern Illinois — 50; Northern Iowa — 50; Oklahoma — 47).
• Fifteen of Iowa’s 17 opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the field. Ohio State shot an Iowa opponent season-best 54.2 percent on Jan. 13.
• Iowa has had more assists than its opponents in 13-of-17 games and have shot more free throws in all 17 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.

VANDEVENTER CLEANS THE GLASS
Krista VandeVenter has been Iowa’s leading rebounder in 10 of its 17 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 7.6 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 (36). She has also recorded two steals in five games.

COMEBACK KIDS
Iowa has posted two substantial second half comebacks this season and nearly pulled off a third.

The Hawkeyes trailed by 17 points with 16 minutes remaining vs. Northwestern on Jan. 16. Iowa rallied to win 81-76 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa erased a 15-point second half deficit with 13 minutes left in regulation at Creighton on Dec. 10. The Hawkeyes won 91-82 in overtime in the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

The Hawkeyes trailed by as many as 20 points with 11:30 remaining vs. Penn State on Jan. 6. Iowa trimmed the Lady Lion advantage to two points with 3:30 left, but were unable to tie or take the lead down the stretch. Penn State won the contest 77-71 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes’ biggest comeback under Coach Bluder was a 19-point second half rally with 19 minutes remaining to bounce Indiana (81-76) from the 2001 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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 seventh in Big Ten in scoring (16.6), first on the team and eighth in conference free throw percentage (.831) and first on the team and eighth in league steals (2.29). The native of Haughton, LA, has netted 20 points or more five times, which ranks fourth 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.”

“She’s so lighting fast. She has to be the most improved player in the Big Ten,” said Penn State Head Coach Rene Portland.

Center Jamie Cavey has been a force down in the post. The senior tri-captain, ranks second on the team and ninth in the Big Ten in scoring (16.3) and first on the team and fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (.589).

Cavey has scored double figures in 16-of-17 contests. Furthermore, she has scored double digits in 57 of her last 59 games, dating back to the 2002-03 season. She was named to the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and Junkanoo Jam all-Tournament teams.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
As a team, the Hawkeyes rank second in Big Ten field goal percentage (.480), third in offensive rebounds (13.29), rebounds allowed (33.0) and scoring offense (71.1) and fourth in assists (15.65) and rebounding margin (+5.4) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.326).

Individually, Crystal Smith ranks seventh in league scoring (16.6) and field goal percentage (.530) and eighth in free throw percentage (.831) and steals (2.29). Jamie Cavey ranks ninth in scoring (16.3), 10th in rebounding (6.7), fourth in field goal percentage (.589) and blocked shots (2.12). Krista VandeVenter ranks fifth in rebounding (7.7) and third in offensive rebounds (3.18). Johanna Solverson ranks fifth in steals (2.47), 12th in assists (3.47) and 24th in scoring (11.9).

FAST START
Iowa enjoyed 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, started better than these Hawkeyes. In addition, Iowa was the last Division I team to be beaten.

Iowa’s 13-0 start matched Coach Bluder’s best start at a Division I school. The native of Marion, Iowa, guided the Drake Bulldogs to a 13-0 start in 1994 and eventually advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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).

FRESHMEN START FOR HAWKEYES
Power forward Krista VandeVenter has started all 17 games, while point guard Abby Emmert started 14 contests.

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.

CAVEY REACHES THE CHARITY STRIPE
Senior Jamie Cavey has attempted at least one free throw in 57 of her last 59 games, dating back to the 2002-03 season. She failed to reach the free throw line vs. Indiana (1/15/04) and vs. Marquette (12/8/04).

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.

RICHARDS TO REDSHIRT
Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder on Jan. 11, announced that junior point guard Lindsay Richards will redshirt this season.

“Lindsay has decided to take the redshirt this year,” said Bluder. “I think it’s a great decision. For us to have her healthy for two full years will be a great benefit to our program.”

The junior has recovered and has been participating in practices.

“In the back of my mind I made my decision a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to make sure I took everything into consideration,” commented Richards. “There’s a big difference between being able to participate and being able to compete. At this time I don’t feel I’m at the level I need to be at.”

Richards underwent successful surgery on July 7 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. The native of Barrington, IL, sustained the injury during practice with the Big Ten All-Stars before the team left for Australia in June, 2004. This was the second time in as many years she underwent 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).

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.

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.

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.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
Third-ranked Ohio State (17-2, 4-1) can really make some noise the next three weeks. The Buckeyes’ next six conference opponents (at Indiana, vs. Northwestern, at Wisconsin, at Illinois, vs. Indiana, vs. Michigan) have a combined record of 7-25.

AFTER THIS
Iowa returns home to host Michigan (Jan. 27) before receiving its second of two byes (Jan. 30). The Hawkeyes return to the road at nationally-ranked Minnesota (Feb. 3).