April 7, 2005
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HAWKEYES POST 23 WINS
The 2004-05 Hawkeyes finished their season with a 23-10 overall record and 8-8 mark in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won their first 13 games of the season and were the last Division I school to be undefeated. Iowa advanced to the semifinals of the WNIT before losing to the eventual champions (Southwest Missouri State) on the road. Iowa captured the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and the Junkanoo Jam holiday tournaments before entering the tough Big Ten schedule. The Hawkeyes finished their season winning seven of their last nine and posted a 13-1 mark against non-conference opponents. Iowa’s 23 wins are the most during Lisa Bluder’s five-year tenure and the most victories since the 1995-96 season (27). The 23 victories equal the seventh-most wins in a season in school history, matching the 1989-90 team. The Iowa single season record is 29, established by the 1987-88 squad.
In addition to the stellar play of center Jamie Cavey and Johanna Solverson, Hawkeye fans saw the emergence of shooting guard Crystal Smith and power forward Krista VandeVenter. Smith electrified fans around the country with her speed, quickness, scoring ability and determination, while VandeVenter in her first year dominated the glass and served as a perfect compliment to Cavey in the frontcourt.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2005-06
- Iowa will play its 900th game in the program’s storied history. The Hawkeyes will play game No. 900 during Big Ten play. In addition, Head Coach Lisa Bluder is only four victories from collecting win No. 100 at Iowa. Bluder boasts an Iowa record of 96-59 in five years.
- The Hawkeyes regain the services of point guard Lindsay Richards. Richards, who suffered her second ACL injury to her right knee last June during a practice with the Big Ten All-Stars, practiced with the team the final three months of the season. The native of Barrington, IL, started all 29 games for the Hawkeyes in 2003-04. 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.
- The 2005-06 edition of the Iowa Hawkeyes will include five upperclassmen. The Hawkeyes return nine letterwinners, including three starters.
- Iowa loses two seniors, but gain five talented freshmen: Megan Skouby, Lindsey Nyenhuis, Wendy Ausdemore, Nicole VanderPol and Kristi Smith.
- The Hawkeyes return two all-Big Ten honorees next season. Crystal Smith was a third team selection by the coaches and an honorable mention choice by the media, while Krista VandeVenter was named to the all-Freshman team.
MISCELLEANEOUS NOTES FROM 2004-05
- Iowa’s 91 points scored at Creighton is its 26th-highest scoring output in school history. Additionally, the 91 points are the most the Hawkeyes have ever scored in an overtime contest.
- The Hawkeyes’ 31-point loss (81-50) at Minnesota tied Iowa’s 18th-worst defeat in school history.
- Johanna Solverson became only the second Iowa player to amass over 350 points, 125 rebounds and assists and 70 steals in a single season. Michelle Edwards totaled 621 points, 150 rebounds, 140 assists and 89 steals during the 1987-88 season.
- Iowa’s 3-point field goal percentage of .343 (155-452) ties for ninth-best in a single-season in school history. In addition, the Hawkeyes’ field goal percentage of .469 (858-1831) ranks seventh, while its free throw percentage of .704 (433-615) ranks sixth. On a side note, the Hawkeyes made exactly 433 free throws in back-to-back years (2003-04 and 2004-05).
- Hawkeye opponents converted a blistering .748 percent (294-393) from the foul line. The .748 shooting percentage is the highest by an Iowa opponent in school history. Furthermore, the 294 free throws made are the second-fewest foul shots made in a single season by an Iowa opponent (273 in 1992-93). The Hawkeyes’ final three WNIT opponents (Nebraska, Arkansas State, Southwest Missouri State), combined for 34-35 (.971) from the charity stripe.
- Iowa opponents averaged 64.4 ppg and 33.1 rpg, which is the lowest average by Hawkeye opponents in eight years. Iowa opponents averaged 59.9 ppg and 32.8 rpg in 1996-97. The Hawkeyes’ .469 field goal percentage is the highest in 13 years as the 1991-92 team converted .470 of its field goal attempts.
- Crystal Smith ranks ninth in Iowa single season steals (2.4) and tied for ninth in scoring (16.8).
- Iowa’s 8-8 conference record marked the first time in school history the Hawkeyes posted an even .500 league record.
- Iowa was 14-0 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 20-2 when having a higher field goal percentage than its opponent, 10-0 when having fewer turnovers and 18-2 when leading at halftime.
- Iowa was 7-2 when Jamie Cavey recorded a double-double and 3-0 when Krista VandeVenter accomplished the feat.
- Iowa’s advancement to the WNIT semifinals marks the sixth time a Big Ten Conference team has reached the semifinals. Two teams (Ohio State and Penn State) captured WNIT titles.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 879 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 537-342 (.611). That includes a 284-152 (.651) mark in Big Ten games and a 238-58 (.804) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
RAINING THREES
Iowa has made at least one 3-pointer in 210 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.
IOWA’S RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY…
The Hawkeyes were 8-1 in games decided by 11-20 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 4-2 6-5 5-1 3-0 4-2 23-10
VANDEVENTER: IOWA’S FRESHMAN REBOUNDING LEADER
Krista VandeVenter pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds in Iowa’s victory over Arkansas State. The 12 boards helped propel the native of Osseo, MN, past Cindy Haugejorde to first on Iowa’s freshman single season rebounding chart. VandeVenter finished the season with 252 rebounds, eclipsing the previous record of 237, held by Haugejorde established during the 1976-77 season.
VandeVenter also ranks high on three other Iowa freshman lists. The 6-2 forward ranks third in steals (36) and fifth in blocks (16) and assists (66).
IOWA SCORING LEADERS
Crystal Smith (556) and Jamie Cavey (543) became only the second Iowa duo to score 500 points or more in a single season. Kristi Faulkner (539) and Jennie Lillis (537) accomplished the feat during the 2002-03 season. Smith’s 556 points rank sixth in Iowa single season history, while Cavey’s 543 points rank seventh. Johanna Solverson poured in 359 points, which ranks 45th. Krista VandeVenter contributed 242 points, which ranks 90th in a single season.
LAST TIME OUT
Jenni Lingor scored 32 points to lead Southwest Missouri State to an 89-80 victory over Iowa in the semifinals of the Women’s NIT.
K.C. Cowgill finished with 21 points and Sarah Klaassen added 12 for Southwest Missouri (24-8). Kari Koch finished with 12 assists.
Jamie Cavey had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Iowa (23-10). Crystal Smith finished with 18 points, Johanna Solverson added 14 points and Jenna Armstrong scored 12.
Southwest Missouri State went on to win the title over West Virginia.
Southwest Missouri shot 17-for-25 from 3-point range, two short of the school record. The 17 triples are an Iowa opponent school record in a single game. The Lady Bears shot 51 percent (30-of-59) from the field and converted all 12 of their free-throw chances.
Iowa shot 52 percent (34-of-66) and outscored Southwest Missouri 38-20 in the paint.
Cowgill shot 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the first half and Southwest Missouri made 11-of-15 shots from beyond the arc en route to a 51-40 lead at the break.
Iowa opened the second half with a 19-6 run. Smith scored seven in the outburst, including a 3-pointer with 14:12 left to give Iowa a 59-56 lead.
But Southwest Missouri countered with a 16-7 run and took a 72-66 lead with 7:35 left. After Iowa closed within 77-72 with 5:28 left, Southwest Missouri scored 10 straight to put the game away.
HAWKEYES BREAK SCHOOL WNIT RECORDS
A number of school WNIT records fell in Iowa’s Final Four run. Below is a list of the records broken:
IndividualRebounds 12, Jamie Cavey at SMS3-pointers 4, Jenna Armstrong at SMSAssists 8, Johanna Solverson at SMSFG Attempts 19, Jamie Cavey at SMS 19, Crystal Smith vs. Arkansas StateFG Made 9, Jamie Cavey at SMSFT Attempts 8, Jamie Cavey vs. Arkansas State
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HAWKEYES IN CRUNCH TIME
Iowa boasted a 22-1 record when leading with five minutes remaining in regulation — with the Hawkeyes’ only loss coming vs. Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa was only 1-9 when trailing or tied with five minutes left — with the lone win coming at Creighton in overtime.
THREE HAWKEYES EARN BIG TEN HONORS
Senior Jamie Cavey, junior Crystal Smith, and freshman Krista VandeVenter were named to all-Big Ten teams. Cavey was selected to the all-Big Ten second team by the media and the third team by the coaches. Smith was a third team selection by both the media and coaches, while VandeVenter was named to the all-Freshman team.
BLOCK PARTY
Senior Jamie Cavey rejected 58 shots in 2004-05, a total that ranks fourth in a single-season at Iowa. She was only one block from tying Jerica Watson (2001-02) for third place (59). Cavey’s 58 blocks rank second for a Hawkeye senior behind Watson.
ATTENDANCE RANKINGS
Iowa’s 15-game home attendance average (3,970) ranked 26th nationally. The Hawkeyes were the seventh-highest ranked Big Ten team behind No. 5 Minnesota (8,799), No. 6 Penn State (8,665), No. 7 Purdue (8,484), No. 14 Michigan State (6,143), No. 15 Wisconsin (6,047) and No. 19 Ohio State (5,143).
COMPARING GAME STATS
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSIowa .469 .343 .704 37.2 16.1 18.4 69.8Opp. .407 .361 .748 33.1 14.0 16.8 64.4
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Three Hawkeyes earned academic all-Big Ten recognition: Jamie Cavey, Morgan Kasperek and Tiffany Reedy. Cavey earned the academic honor for the third year, while Reedy and Kasperek became two-time honorees.
CAVEY BREAKS FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE RECORD
Jamie Cavey established a new school career field goal percentage record. Cavey converted .571 (497-871) of her field goal attempts during her four-year career. Michelle Edwards previously held the career mark (.535, 777-1451).
RPI RANKINGS
Iowa finished the 2004-05 season ranked No. 38 in the RPI and No. 75 in strength of schedule according to the WBCA/Summerville RPI. Iowa’s non-conference RPI was ranked No. 98.
The Big Ten ranked third in conference RPI, behind the ACC and SEC. Michigan State (4) was the highest Big Ten team ranked in the RPI, followed by Ohio State (10), Minnesota (13), Penn State (22), Purdue (33) and Iowa (38).
CAVEY RANKS HIGH ON CAREER CHARTS
Senior Jamie Cavey amassed 543 points in 2004-05. The senior totaled 1,265 career points, which ranks 11th at Iowa. The Mechanicsville, IA, native also collected 94 career blocks, which ranks fourth on Iowa’s career chart. Fifty-eight of her 94 blocks came during her senior year. Jerica Watson was the last Hawkeye player to collect 50 rejections or more in a season when she blocked 59 during the 2001-02 season.
Cavey also cracked the top 20 in career rebounding at Michigan State. She finished her career totaling 506 rebounds, which ranks 15th.
HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In 15 home games, Iowa out-scored its opponents 1,098-979 (+7.9 margin), shooting 47.4 percent from the field and holding opponents to a 42.2 shooting percentage. Iowa also posted 256 assists to its opponents’ 194 and attempted 108 more free throws (294-186). Iowa converted 75.5 percent of its free throws at home, while only 66.9 percent on the road. The Hawkeyes’ free throw percentage is 9.8 percent better at home than on the road.
In 18 games away from Iowa City, Iowa has out-scored its opponents 1,206-1,147 (+3.3 margin). Opponents recorded 181 steals to Iowa’s 160 (-1.17 margin) on the road. Also, the Hawkeyes recorded 60 blocks to their opponents 48 away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa posted 2.3 more turnovers per game than its opponents on the road. Here are the home and away comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSHome .474 .355 .755 37.5 17.1 17.7 73.2Away .464 .332 .657 36.8 15.3 19.0 67.0
WINS, LOSSES COMPARISONS
In Iowa’s 23 wins, it boasted a +12.6 scoring margin. Iowa averaged 71.8 ppg in its victories. The Hawkeyes also shot the ball well from the field (.481), while Hawkeye opponents have not (.374). Iowa out-rebounded its opponents 896-765 in its triumphs (+5.7 margin). Iowa attempted 193 more free throws (+8.4 margin) in its victories.
In the Hawkeyes’ ten defeats, they converted only 43.9 percent of their field goal attempts and scored only 65.3 ppg. In addition, Iowa turned the ball over 20.4 times in the ten setbacks. Opponents collected 117 steals to Iowa’s 72. Here are the wins and loss comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSWins .481 .331 .709 39.0 16.3 17.5 71.8Losses .439 .365 .693 33.0 15.7 20.4 65.3
FRESHMAN AMONG ELITE GROUP
Krista VandeVenter led the Hawkeyes in rebounding (7.6) through all 33 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).
Iowa’s single season freshman rebounding leader pulled down 252 rebounds, which eclipsed Iowa’s team-leader Jennie Lillis’ 180 in 29 games in 2003-04.
SHARING THE WEALTH
Iowa’s triangle offense generated many assists. The Hawkeyes had four players who averaged 2.0 assists or more. Small forward Johanna Solverson (4.12) led the team, followed by shooting guard Crystal Smith (2.9), center Jamie Cavey (2.24) and freshman power forward Krista VandeVenter (2.0).
VANDEVENTER CLEANS THE GLASS
Krista VandeVenter was Iowa’s leading rebounder in 17-of-33 games, including the first five contests of the season. VandeVenter pulled down 11 rebounds vs. Oklahoma (11/27) and Illinois (2/24) and a career-high 14 at Creighton (12/10). The freshman averaged 7.6 boards per game and ranked fifth in the Big Ten. She also ranked third in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (2.76). 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 also did a good job offensively. VandeVenter scored all of her nine points in the second half against the Sooners. She also tallied 15 vs. Arkansas State, 10 points vs. Iowa State and at Michigan, 12 vs. Illinois and at Purdue and a career-best 19 on 8-11 FG and 3-5 from the charity stripe at Creighton. VandeVenter averaged 7.3 ppg. The post player also ranked fourth in assists (66). She also recorded two steals or more in 12 games.
VandeVenter recorded three double-doubles in 2004-05 — Iowa was 3-0 when she recorded a double-double.
FAST START
Iowa enjoyed its best start in 17 years. The Hawkeyes’ 13-0 was 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 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.
SOLVERSON CRACKS CAREER LISTS
Johanna Solverson ranks 19th in Iowa career rebounding (408), 12th in career steals (157) and ninth in assists (284). She is only nine thefts from moving into 11th and 13 helpers from moving into 10th.
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 started all 33 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.
COMEBACK KIDS
Iowa posted three substantial second half comebacks in 2004-05 and nearly pulled off a fourth against Penn State.
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 12 (44-32) with 17:42 left in the second half vs. Arkansas State. Iowa responded with a 17-0 run to claim a five-point advantage (49-44) with 12:05 left and never looked back. Iowa held the Lady Indians to only three field goals in the second half, bolstered by its strong 2-3 zone defense.
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.
IOWA FAST BREAKS
- The Hawkeyes won their final four regular season games after going 3-8 during the middle portion of their difficult Big Ten schedule.
- Iowa and Michigan State were the only schools to have two student-athletes rank in the top ten in overall rebounding in the Big Ten (MSU: Liz Shimek and Kelli Roehrig; IOWA: Krista VandeVenter and Jamie Cavey).
- The Hawkeyes were one of only four conference teams to have three or more players average double figures in scoring (Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa).
- Iowa controlled the opening tip in 20-of-33 games.
- Iowa ranked second in the Big Ten in overall games field goal percentage (.469), third in scoring (69.8) and rebounds allowed (33.1), fourth in rebounding (37.2), 3-point field goal percentage (.343) and assists (16.09) and fifth in steals (8.85) and rebounding margin (+4.1).
- All 11 Iowa players scored at least one point in Iowa’s big win over Michigan on 3/3/05. It was the only contest in 2004-05 where all 11 Hawkeyes scored.
- Iowa was 13-0 when yielding 59 points or less, 21-2 when the Hawkeyes have a higher field goal percentage than their opponent, 15-0 when collecting more steals and 11-0 when having fewer turnovers.
- Iowa yielded a school record low two offensive rebounds the entire game to No. 2 Ohio State on Feb. 13.
- Indiana attempted only one free throw in Iowa’s 56-63 victory in Bloomington on Feb. 27. The one attempt from the foul line is a school record for an Iowa opponent in a single game.
- Iowa was 23-10, marking the 13th time in school history that the Hawkeyes posted 20 victories or more. It marked the second time Iowa reached the 20-win plateau under Coach Bluder (21 in 2000-01).
- Iowa recorded 11 wins over top 100 RPI teams, including three top 50 victories. Twelve of the Hawkeyes’ 20 triumphs came vs. teams over 100 in the RPI.
- Iowa stopped Michigan’s seven-game Big Ten Tournament opening game winning streak with a 28-point triumph (70-42) in the first round. The 28-point victory was the Hawkeyes’ largest margin of victory in 2004-05.
- Junior Ebone Pope scored her first career point vs. Michigan on 3/3/05, converting 1-2 free throws in the final minute of the game.
- The Hawkeyes attempted 615 free throws compared to their opponents’ 393. Iowa attempted 222 more free throws than opponents, attempting 6.7 more free throws per game.
- Iowa’s single-game season high in attendance was 5,753 (N’western).
- Jamie Cavey scored double figures in 30-of-33 games in 2004-05 and 56 of the last 59 contests dating back to the 2003-04 season.
- Iowa held seven teams to 53 points or less (Indiana — 51; UW-Milwaukee –51; Southern Illinois — 50; Northern Iowa — 50; Oklahoma — 47; Northwestern — 40, Indiana — 53, Michigan — 42, Creighton — 52, Arkansas State — 52).
- Twenty-eight of Iowa’s 33 opponents shot less than 50 percent from the field.
- Iowa is 3-5 in overtime games under Coach Bluder.
- Iowa had more assists than its opponents in 25-of-33 games and shot more free throws in 29-of-33 contests.
- The Hawkeyes posted season highs in field goal percentage (.615, 32-52) and 3-pointers made (11) vs. Illinois on Feb. 24.
- Iowa was 4-0 against teams from the Big XII and 5-1 vs. Missouri Valley Conference teams in 2004-05.
- 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.
- 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.
CAVEY REACHES THE CHARITY STRIPE
Senior Jamie Cavey attempted at least one free throw in 73 of her last 75 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).
HOME GROWN HAWKEYES
Iowa’s 2004-05 roster featured 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 featured players from Missouri (Jenna Armstrong), Minnesota ( Krista VandeVenter) and Louisiana (Crystal Smith).
IOWA BENCH PRODUCES
Iowa’s bench play was one of the keys to its 23-10 record. Iowa’s bench outscored and out-rebounded its opponents 469-438 and 308-233, respectively. The Hawkeyes averaged 14.2 ppg and 9.3 rpg from their bench players. Iowa out-scored 17-of-33 opponents in bench points.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
Guard Crystal Smith was one of league’s top offensive and defensive players in 2004-05. The junior was named MVP of the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and Junkanoo Jam and earned WNIT all-Tournament laurels. Smith ranked first on the team and fifth in Big Ten in scoring (16.8), first on the team and 10th in conference free throw percentage (.769) and first on the team and fourth in league steals (2.42). The native of Haughton, LA, netted 20 points or more 11 times, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. She netted a career-high 33 points at Drake on Dec. 18.
“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 as I’ve ever seen,” said Northern Iowa Head Coach Tony DiCecco. “She has a lot of tools. She’s extremely difficult to defend because in 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 was a force in the post. The senior tri-captain, ranked second on the team and sixth in the Big Ten in scoring (16.3) and first on the team and third in the conference in field goal percentage (.551).
Cavey scored double figures in 30-of-33 contests. Furthermore, she scored double digits in 72 of her last 75 games, dating back to the 2002-03 season. Cavey led Iowa in scoring 13 of the last 21 contests. She was named to the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and Junkanoo Jam all-Tournament teams.
HAWKEYES RANKED HIGH NATIONALLY
Iowa ranked sixth nationally in least fouls per game (13.5), 10th in field goal percentage (.469), 33rd in assists per game (16.1) and 43rd in scoring offense (69.8). Individually, Jamie Cavey ranked 21st in field goal percentage (.551).
BLUDER BECOMES SECOND ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH
Lisa Bluder and the Iowa Hawkeyes collected 23 victories in 2004-05, which raises her five-year total with the Hawkeyes to 96. The 96 wins ranks second in Iowa history behind Hall of Fame Coach Vivian Stringer (269) and ahead of Angie Lee (84).
JANE MEYER APPOINTED TO NCAA BASKETBALL COMMITTEE
University of Iowa Senior Associate Athletic Director Jane Meyer has been appointed by the NCAA Championships/Competition Cabinet to the 10-member Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. Meyer’s five-year term begins Sept., 2005 and continues through Sept., 2010. Meyer joins Jacki Silar of Duke and Tina Cheatham of the Southland Conference as new additions to the committee.
The basketball committee is responsible for the administration of the NCAA Basketball Championship Tournament. One of its primary functions is the selection of teams and creation of the bracket for the annual tournament. The committee also selects sites for future tournaments and assigns crews of officials.
“With my background in basketball, I have always had an interest in serving on this committee,” said Meyer. “This is a good opportunity to represent our institution and conference.”
Meyer’s appointment marks the first time an Iowa administrator has been chosen to the Women’s Basketball Committee. Bob Bowlsby was on the Men’s Basketball Committee the past five seasons, serving as chair the last two.
HAWKEYES WIN TOURNAMENTS
Iowa won two holiday tournaments in 2004-05. 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.