Hawkeyes Travel to Northwestern

Feb. 7, 2005

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THE SETTING
Iowa (15-6, 4-6) travels to Evanston to face Northwestern (5-18, 2-8) Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7:06 p.m. in Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117). Thursday will be the second regular season meeting between the two teams. Northwestern is the first league school the Hawkeyes will face twice.

ON THE TUBE
Thursday night’s game will be televised live to a regional cable audience on FSN Chicago. Dave Eanet and Toni Roesch will call the action.

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.

SINGLE-SESSION BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
Single-session tickets for the 2005 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Conseco Fieldhouse box office. The tournament takes place March 3-7 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Single-session tickets range from $10-$14 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster charge-by-phone numbers and www.ticketmaster.com.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 867 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 529-337 (.610). That includes a 280-150 (.651) mark in Big Ten games and a 236-56 (.808) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

RPI RANKINGS
Iowa ranks No. 31 in the RPI ranking and No. 34 in strength of schedule. Northwestern ranks No. 140 in the RPI and No. 18 in strength of schedule. The Big Ten ranks third in conference RPI, behind the ACC and SEC. Ohio State (5) is the highest Big Ten team ranked in the RPI, followed by Michigan State (7), Minnesota (14), Penn State (22, Iowa (31) and Purdue (38).

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

HAWKEYES RANK HIGH NATIONALLY
As of games played through Jan. 31, Iowa ranks fourth nationally in least fouls per game (12.8), sixth in field goal percentage (48.0) and 34th in scoring offense (71.3). Individually, Crystal Smith ranks 45th in field goal percentage (52.2). Jamie Cavey ranks 15th in field goal percentage (59.4) and 45th in blocks (2.1).

ON THIS DATE
Iowa is 6-2 in games played on February 10, including winning six of the last seven. Iowa has never played Northwestern on this date.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK – – 2
Morgan Kasperek drained her only 3-point attempt Sunday vs. Wisconsin. The junior has attempted only two triples in her career and has made both.

HEAD OF THE CLASS
Jamie Cavey leads Big Ten seniors in field goal percentage (.589). Crystal Smith leads conference juniors in scoring (16.9) and field goal percentage (.514), while Johanna Solverson leads league juniors in assists (3.81). Krista VandeVenter leads league freshman in rebounding (7.4).

LAST TIME OUT
Close wasn’t good enough for the Hawkeyes Sunday as Wisconsin downed the Hawkeyes (88-78) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The same storylines repeated themselves for the Hawkeyes, who felt they needed a win to stay competitive in the Big Ten. They’ve won two of their last eight games in a difficult stretch of the schedule.

But Iowa’s defense let go of the perimeter, its offense had 22 turnovers, and two starters fouled out while two more were perilously close with four by the end of the game.

The Badgers were in a similar situation, having won just three of their last nine games. And for the first eight minutes, it looked like Iowa was going to benefit.

Iowa took early control of the contest building up a 15-point lead in the opening eight minutes with strong post play by Krista VandeVenter and Jamie Cavey. VandeVenter, an all-Big Ten freshman contender, scored the Hawkeyes’ first eight points and had 11 for the game.

Exploiting Wisconsin’s weak post defense, Iowa scored 16 of its first 20 points off layups.

But the Badgers answered with a 13-0 charge of their own, getting the score to within three with nine minutes to play in the half. Kjersten Bakke tied the game, 26-26, on a three-point play thanks to a foul by Johanna Solverson, and Wisconsin kept it close the rest of the way.

The Badgers held a 43-37 advantage at halftime.

While Iowa benefited from the Badgers’ poor defense in the opening minutes, Wisconsin struck back at the perimeter, taking advantage of Iowa’s weakness. For the game, Wisconsin hit 8-of-12 triples.

Ashley Josephson nailed 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and scored a career-high 29 points for the Badgers as Wisconsin pulled away in the second half.

Iowa came out of the intermission and rallied back from its six-point deficit with a three-point play by Cavey, who went inside, and an equalizing 3-pointer by junior guard Crystal Smith.

That start sparked a 13-2 run that gave the Hawkeyes their largest lead since the 15-pointer they gave up in the first, 53-47.

But Wisconsin didn’t let the game get away from it too much. After Bakke tied it up again with 10 minutes to play, the Badgers held the Hawkeyes scoreless for the next 7 minutes and 14 seconds. Wisconsin outscored the Hawkeyes by six in the stretch.

The Hawkeyes closed the game by sending Anderson and Rich to the line, who turned around four straight free throws.

FINAL GAME NOTES

• Jamie Cavey fouled out with 5:14 left, while Johanna Solverson fouled out with 4:23 remaining. Solverson becomes just the second Hawkeye to foul out of a game this season (Cavey — four times).
• Krista VandeVenter tallied Iowa’s first eight points in 2:32, but recorded her second foul just a minute later and was forced to sit the remainder of the half in foul trouble. The freshman played only 22 minutes for the game.
• Iowa converted a season-high nine treys and matched a season-high with 27 attempts. The Hawkeyes also were whistled for a season-high 24 fouls.
• Wisconsin posted Iowa opponent season highs in points (88), field goals made (33) and 3-point field goal percentage (.667).
• Iowa collected 22 turnovers, marking the seventh consecutive contest the Hawkeyes have posted 20 or more miscues.
• Wisconsin’s bench overwhelmed Iowa (44-18), which is the largest bench scoring differential (-26) against the Hawkeyes this season.
• Morgan Kasperek played a career-high 21 minutes and equaled career bests in assists (2) and blocks (2).
• Jamie Cavey only scored nine points, marking only the second contest this season where she failed to reach double figures (Penn State — 6).
• Johanna Solverson dished out a game-high five assists, marking the fifth straight game the small forward has collected five assists or more.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern has had one week to prepare for the Hawkeyes after Michigan State overwhelmed the Wildcats (101-40) in East Lansing on Feb. 3.

Sarah Kwasinski blocked three shots in the loss to become Northwestern’s career shot block leader.

Michigan State’s Victoria Lucas-Perry hit her first eight shots, including three 3-pointers, and had 21 points in the first half — the same total as the Wildcats. Northwestern’s Samantha McComb went 3-of-5 from 3-point land to extend her league-best 3-point percentage in Big Ten play. She finished with a team-high 11 points. The 101 points was the Spartans’ third-highest point total in conference play and their first 100-point game in the Big Ten since 1997. Kwasinski added 10 points for Northwestern, which handed Big Ten leader Penn State its first conference loss on Jan. 27.

Kwasinsky ranks first on the team and 19th in the Big Ten in scoring (12.6). Melissa Miller ranks first on the squad and 12th in the league in rebounding (6.4), while Samantha McComb ranks sixth in the conference in assists (3.74).

The Wildcats are coached by first-year head coach Beth Combs. Combs, who graduated from the University of Illinois in 1992, joined Northwestern after three seasons as head coach at Colgate University. She is the Wildcats’ fifth head coach. Her overall record stands at 49-63 (.438).

IOWA, NORTHWESTERN GAME NOTES

• Iowa has more players from the state of Illinois on its roster than Northwestern. Four Hawkeye student-athletes hail from Illinois and all four are from the Chicagoland area: Johanna Solverson (Lake Zurich), Morgan Kasperek (Hinsdale), Lindsay Richards (Barrington) and Jeneé Graham (Bolingbrook). Northwestern has three players from the “Land of Lincoln”: Sarah Kwasinsky (Chicago), Sara Stutz (Glenview) and Breanne Smilie (Hawthorn Woods).
• Seven of Iowa’s last eight wins over Northwestern have come by 12 points or more with the other being a five-point margin. The Hawkeyes’ scoring margin vs. the Wildcats the last eight contests is +19.9.
• Iowa is the only Big Ten team who has two players ranked in the top seven in scoring (Crystal Smith — sixth and Jamie Cavey — seventh).
• Thursday is the first game of a two-game homestand (Iowa and Indiana) for Northwestern before hitting the road for three straight (Illinois, Penn State and Wisconsin).
• Iowa (-2.81) and Northwestern (-3.26) rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in turnover margin in the Big Ten.
• Iowa ranks fourth in the league in scoring offense (70.6), while Northwestern ranks 10th in scoring defense (72.0). The Wildcats ranks third in assists (16.04), while the Hawkeyes rank fourth (15.62). Iowa ranks fourth in rebounding margin (+4.6), while Northwestern ranks 11th (-6.3).

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa holds a commanding 34-12 advantage in the series, including winning the last eight overall contests. Iowa’s last loss to Northwestern came at the 2000 Big Ten Tournament (68-59), in Angie Lee’s last game as Iowa’s head coach.

The Hawkeyes boast a 15-5 edge in games played in Evanston. Iowa has won six of the last seven meetings in Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Iowa bounced Northwestern 81-76 earlier this season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

LAST MEETING
Senior Jamie Cavey scored 29 points and Iowa overcame a 17-point second half deficit to beat Northwestern (81-76) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 16. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa 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.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has out-scored its opponents 706-652 in the first half, 763-750 in the second half and 14-5 in overtime. The Hawkeyes have led at halftime in 13-of-21 contests. Iowa has out-scored its opponent in the second half in 10-of-21 games.

FRESHMAN AMONG ELITE GROUP
Krista VandeVenter leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding (7.4) through 21 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 third in rebounding for an Iowa freshman. The Osseo, MN, native trails Jennie Lillis (2000-01) by 17 for second on the list.

TOP PERFORMANCES AGAINST THE HAWKEYES
Iowa has had a player from the opposing team have big games in four of the last five contests. Wisconsin’s Ashley Josephson, who averages 6.6 ppg, tallied a career-high 29 points on Feb. 6. Michigan’s Kelly Helvey, who averages 6.4 ppg, tallied 14 points on Jan. 27, which is two points shy of a career-high. Purdue’s Aya Traore, who averages 6.5 ppg, notched a career-high 16 points in Jan. 23. Northwestern’s Ifeoma Okonkwo, who averages 12.1 ppg, netted a career-high 30 points on Jan. 16.

IOWA’S RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY…
The Hawkeyes are 6-2 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 2-1 6-2 3-1 1-0 2-2 15-6

ATTENDANCE RANKINGS
Iowa’s home attendance average (4,042) ranks 24th nationally in the latest attendance rankings released Feb. 7. The Hawkeyes are the sixth-highest ranked Big Ten team behind No. 5 P urdue (8,456), No. 6 Penn State (8,137), No. 7 Minnesota (7,983), No. 14 Wisconsin (5,858) and No. 17 Michigan State (5,171).

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In 11 home games, Iowa has out-scored its opponent 824-730 (+8.5 margin), shooting 47.9 percent from the field and holding opponents to a 41.7 shooting percentage. Iowa also posted 190 assists to its opponents’ 147 and has attempted exactly 100 more free throws (235-135).

In 10 games away from Iowa City, Iowa opponents have out-scored the Hawkeyes 677-659 (-1.8 margin). Opponents have recorded 109 steals to Iowa’s 78 (-3.1 margin) on the road. Also, the Hawkeyes have recorded 39 blocks to their opponents 31 away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Here are the home and away comparisons:

    FG%  3-PT%   FT% REB AST TO  PTSHome    .479    .347    .753    38.3    17.3    17.6    74.9Away    .408    .296    .651    37.1    13.8    20.1    65.9

WINS, LOSSES COMPARISONS
In Iowa’s 15 wins, the Hawkeyes boasted a +10.8 scoring margin. Iowa averaged 73.1 ppg in its victories. The Hawkeyes also shot the ball well from the field (.485) and the charity stripe (.717). Iowa out-rebounded its opponents 595-496 in its triumphs (+6.6 margin).

In the Hawkeyes’ six defeats, Iowa converted only 68.5 percent of their free throw attempts and scored only 64.5 ppg. In addition, Iowa attempted only 52 field goals per game in the six losses. Opponents collected 65 steals to Iowa’s 34. Here are the wins and losses comparisons:

    FG%  3-PT%   FT% REB AST TO  PTSWins    .485    .306    .717    39.7    16.5    17.9    73.1Losses  .429    .366    .685    32.8    13.5    21.2    64.5

CAVEY CLIMBS CAREER CHARTS
Senior Jamie Cavey has amassed 355 points through 21 games this season. The senior has totaled 1,062 career points, which ranks 18th at Iowa. Cavey is 39 points from passing Shanda Berry (1985-89) for 17th.

The Mechanicsville, IA, native has also collected 76 career blocks, which ranks eighth on Iowa’s career chart. Forty of her 75 blocks have come this season. Jennie Lillis was the last Hawkeye player to collect 40 rejections or more in a season when she blocked 40 during the 2002-03 season. Cavey is only three swats from passing Lisa Long (1983-87) for seventh on the career chart. Furthermore, the senior is only 10 blocks from moving into fourth place.

Cavey also cracked the top 20 in career rebounding at Michigan State. She has totaled 406 rebounds, which ranks 18th. Cavey is 31 boards from passing Virgie Dillingham (1990-94) for 17th.

RAINING THREES
Iowa has made at least one 3-pointer in 198 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.

ARMSTRONG STARTS FIRST CAREER GAME
Senior Jenna Arnstrong started her first collegiate game vs. Michigan on Jan. 27. Armstrong scored three points, grabbed four rebounds and collected two assists in the victory.

She equaled a career high playing 29 minutes at Purdue on Jan. 23. Against the Boilermakers, she scored all 12 Iowa bench points and they all were scored from beyond the arc. Armstrong also hauled in five defensive rebounds against the Boilermakers, four in the first half.

Armstrong has drained 17 field goals the last seven games, with 15 of the 17 coming from beyond the arc. She tallied eight points at Michigan State, nine vs. Northwestern and 13 vs. Wisconsin.

The native of Stockton, MO, ranks 10th in Big Ten 3-point field goals made (1.33) and 15th in 3-point field goal percentage (.329).

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”.

Iowa’s quality wins include: Iowa State (24), Oklahoma (39), Florida (40), Creighton (53) and Illinois (68).

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

IOWA BENCH COMING THROUGH
Iowa’s bench play has been one of the keys to its 15-6 record. Iowa’s bench has outscored and out-rebounded its opponents 346-279 and 216-135, respectively. The Hawkeyes average 16.5 ppg and 10.3 rpg from their bench players. Iowa has out-scored 13-of-21 opponents in bench points.

VANDEVENTER CLEANS THE GLASS
Krista VandeVenter has been Iowa’s leading rebounder in 12 of its 21 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 7.4 boards per game and ranks sixth in the Big Ten. She also ranks second in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (3.1). 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 7.7 ppg. The post player also ranks fourth in assists (42). She has also recorded two steals in six 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.

CAVEY ON PACE TO BREAK FG PERCENTAGE RECORDS
Jamie Cavey is on pace to break the school’s season and career field goal percentage records. Currently, Cavey is shooting 58.9 percent for the season and 58.7 for her career. Lisa Becker currently holds the season record (.584, 184-315), while Michelle Edwards holds the career mark (.535, 777-1451).

IOWA FAST BREAKS

• Iowa has controlled the opening tip in 16-of-21 games.
• Iowa’s last four road contests have come against ranked opponents (#6 Michigan State, #5 Ohio State, #23 Purdue and #14 Minnesota).
• The Hawkeyes have attempted 427 free throws compared to their opponents’ 267. Iowa has attempted 160 more free throws than its opponents, attempting 7.62 more free throws per game than its opponent.
• The Hawkeyes will play back-to-back home games vs. Ohio State (Feb. 13) and Michigan State (Feb. 17). The consecutive home games are the only two back-to-back home games during conference play and first consecutive home games played since the Hawkeyes entertained Northern Iowa (Dec. 5) and Marquette (Dec. 8).
• Iowa’s single-game season high in attendance is 5,753 (Northwestern).
• Jamie Cavey has scored double figures in 19-of-21 games this year and 45 of the last 47 contests dating back to last season.
• Iowa has led at the half in 13-of-21 games.
• Iowa has held four teams to 51 points or less (Indiana — 51; UW-Milwaukee –51; Southern Illinois — 50; Northern Iowa — 50; Oklahoma — 47).
• Seventeen of Iowa’s 21 opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the field. Ohio State and Purdue shot an Iowa opponent season-best 54.2 percent on Jan. 13 and Jan. 23, respectively.
• Iowa has had more assists than its opponents in 14-of-21 games and have shot more free throws in 20-of-21 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).
• 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.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
As a team, the Hawkeyes rank third in Big Ten field goal percentage (.470), offensive rebounds (13.05) and fourth in assists (15.62), scoring offense (70.6), rebounds allowed (33.1) and rebounding margin (+4.6).

Individually, Crystal Smith ranks sixth in league scoring (16.9), seventh in field goal percentage (.514), eighth in free throw percentage (.810), fifth in steals (2.38) and 11th in 3-pointers made (1.29). Jamie Cavey ranks seventh in scoring (16.2), 14th in rebounding (6.3), fourth in field goal percentage (.589) and blocked shots (1.9). Krista VandeVenter ranks seventh in rebounding (7.4) and second in offensive rebounds (3.1). Johanna Solverson ranks seventh in steals (2.24), fourth in assists (3.81) and 24th in scoring (10.9).

SOLVERSON CRACKS CAREER LISTS
Johanna Solverson ranks 21st in Iowa career rebounding (366) and 14th in career steals (135). She is 18 rebounds from moving into 20th place and 12 thefts from moving into 13th.

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 sixth in Big Ten in scoring (16.9), first on the team and eighth in conference free throw percentage (.810) and first on the team and fifth in league steals (2.38). The native of Haughton, LA, has netted 20 points or more seven times, which ranks sixth 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 seventh in the Big Ten in scoring (16.2) and first on the team and fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (.589).

Cavey has scored double figures in 19-of-21 contests. Furthermore, she has scored double digits in 60 of her last 63 games, dating back to the 2002-03 season. Cavey has led Iowa in scoring five of the last seven contests. She was named to the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and Junkanoo Jam all-Tournament teams.

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.

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 had single games with Penn State, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa traveled to Minneapolis and West Lafayette, while the Lady Lions and Badgers visited Iowa City. Iowa went 0-4 vs. the teams it played only once.

SHARING THE WEALTH
Iowa’s triangle offense generates many assists. The Hawkeyes have three players who average 2.57 assists or more. Small forward Johanna Solverson (3.81) leads the team, followed by shooting guard Crystal Smith (2.57) and center Jamie Cavey (2.57).

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.

CAVEY REACHES THE CHARITY STRIPE
Senior Jamie Cavey has attempted at least one free throw in 60 of her last 62 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).

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).

NCAA TOURNAMENT PROJECTIONS
Projections have begun for the NCAA Tournament and www.collegerpi.com has the Hawkeyes as a No. 9 seed in the Temple Region in its first bracket projection. The web site has Iowa playing No. 8 Southern California in the first round, with the game being played in Chapel Hill, NC.

Iowa is one of five Big Ten teams (Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Minnesota) projected, while the web site projects the ACC (8) and the Big XII (6) to lead the pack.

The web site projects a new bracket every week, usually Monday afternoons.

FRESHMEN START FOR HAWKEYES
Power forward Krista VandeVenter has started all 19 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.

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.

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 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.

AFTER THIS
Iowa returns home for a pair of games vs. No. 2 Ohio State (Feb. 13) and No. 9 Michigan State (Feb. 17).