Feb. 19, 2005
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Coach Lisa Bluder’s Iowa women’s basketball team got double-digit scoring efforts from four of its five starters – including 19 points from senior center Jamie Cavey and 18 points from sophomore forward Johanna Solverson – en route to a 78-59 victory over Michigan in a rare Saturday night game in the Big Ten Conference.
“I thought Jamie Cavey had another outstanding effort again tonight. She proved again tonight why she is one of the best posts in the conference.”
UI Coach Lisa Bluder on Jamie Cavey
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Jenna Armstrong’s three-point basket at the 5:27 mark of the second stanza gave Iowa a one-point lead. Less than 30 seconds later that margin stretched to four when Solverson sank a three-pointer. A pair of free throws and two buckets by Cavey, and another three-point bucket by Armstrong gave Iowa a 69-55 lead and a much-needed victory.
Bluder’s Bunch was coming off a pair of tough losses – a 67-60 loss to No. 2 ranked Ohio State and a 67-60 loss to No. 9 Michigan State – and needed a win to stop the bleeding and, more importantly, keep Iowa on the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s radar screen. The win pushed Iowa’s overall record to 17-8 and its Big Ten mark to 6-8.
“I feel fortunate to come out of here with a win tonight, especially after coming off two difficult home losses, having only one day to prepare and playing Michigan on `Senior Day’,” Bluder said after her team closed fast, scoring 23 of the game’s final 27 points.
That run put the finishing touch on a 51-point second half offensive explosion for the Hawkeyes that was sparked by Cavey’s fifth double-double of the year.
“I thought Jamie Cavey had another outstanding effort again tonight. She proved again tonight why she is one of the best posts in the conference,” Bluder said of her post player
Iowa entertains Illinois Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena before traveling to Indiana for a date with the Hoosiers on Feb. 27. Conventional wisdoms says the Hawkeyes need to capture both of those games and win at least one game at the 2005 Big Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis if they want to be assured of an invitation to the NCAA’s post-season party.
Crystal Smith chipped in 12 points and Krista VandeVenter 10 for the winners. Michigan was paced by Tabitha Pool, who scored a game-high 20.
Iowa won the game on the boards, where it claimed a commanding 50-29 edge thanks in great measure to 14 rebounds – 10 off the defensive glass – by Cavey. That dominance resulted in 66 total shots – seven more than Michigan. Iowa limited the home team to just 37 percent shooting.