Nov. 15, 2005
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The Setting ? The University of Iowa women’s basketball team opens its 2005-06 season when it hosts UW-Milwaukee Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youths. Iowa’s season opener is “Education Day”, which means free admission for students 18-and-under, teachers with I.D. and UI students and faculty with I.D.
On the Tube ? Sunday’s game will be televised locally in Milwaukee on WMLW. Daron Sutton and Jason Clark will call the action.
On the Radio ? Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call the action for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the game live on WMT-AM 600 in Cedar Rapids, WHO-AM 1040 in Des Moines and KXIC-AM 800 in Iowa City.
The game can also be heard over the Internet at www.hawkeyesports.com and clicking on “Hawkeye All-Access” at the top right of the page. “Hawkeye All-Access” is a subscription service.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 879 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 537-342 (.611). That includes a 267-125 (.681) mark in Big Ten games and a 238-58 (.804) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Season Openers Under Bluder ? Iowa is 5-0 in season opening games under sixth-year Head Coach Lisa Bluder. The Hawkeyes defeated Marquette (70-57) in 2000, Gonzaga (69-54) in 2001, IUPUI (84-75, ot) in 2002, Butler (83-60) in 2004 and Southern Illinois (66-50) in 2004. Iowa averaged 74.4 ppg and a +13.2 winning margin in its last five season openers.
Scouting UW-Milwaukee ? The UW-Milwaukee Panthers dropped their season opener (89-57) at Oklahoma in the first round of the Pre-season WNIT on Nov. 11. The Panthers will also host Oakland (MI) Friday before traveling to Iowa City Sunday.
Oklahoma scored the first 11 points of the game and never looked back in its 32-point triumph over UWM. The Sooners dominated the Panthers on the boards, 45-31. Oklahoma also forced 22 turnovers and converted the miscues into 21 points. The Panthers did have the edge at the foul line, converting 18-29 free throws compared to 9-17 for Oklahoma. Freshman Turquoise McCain and senior Nichole Drummond paced the Panthers. McCain netted a team-high 14 points, while Drummond tallied 12 points. The Panthers were just the second Horizon League team ever to compete in the event, joining Northern Illinois in 1994. UWMs game at Oklahoma was the earliest regular season contest in school history
UWM returns 12 letterwinners, including three starters from last year’s squad that went 14-14. The Panthers placed second in the Horizon League in 2005 with an 11-5 record. UWM posted a 6-9 road record last season. The Panthers return two all-Horizon League selections, Drummond and Molly O’Brien. O’Brien was also named to the all-league defensive team.
They are coached by Sandy Botham, who is in her 10th season at the helm.
All-Time Series Record ? Iowa and UW-Milwaukee played for the first time last year with the Hawkeyes coming out victorious (59-51) in Milwaukee on Dec. 28, 2004. The Panthers led Iowa by one (51-50) with 3:00 remaining, but the Hawkeyes scored the game’s final nine points to escape with the victory. Iowa’s Johanna Solverson netted a career-high 23 points en route to the Hawkeyes winning their 11th-straight contest to start the 2004-05 season. The Hawkeyes limited UWMs top scoring threat Nichole Drummond to eight points on 1-12 shooting from the field and 5-6 from the foul line.
Iowa is 5-1 all-time against current members of the Horizon League (Butler 2-0, Wright State 1-0, UW-Milwaukee 1-0 and Illinois-Chicago 1-1).
Common Opponents ? Iowa and UW-Milwaukee share five common opponents this season (Wisconsin AAU, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Northwestern and UW-Green Bay).
The Hawkeyes defeated Wisconsin AAU (81-61) on Nov. 6, while UWM lost (71-70) on Nov. 7 in exhibiton play. Iowa led by as many as 24 points in the second half, while Wisconsin AAU erased a 14-point second half deficit for the come-from-behind victory at Milwaukee.
Countdown to 100 ? Iowa Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lisa Bluder enters the 2005-06 season four victories away from her 100th on the Iowa sidelines. Bluder, who is the second all-time winningest Iowa coach, boasts a 96-59 (.619) record in five years.
All-Big Ten Returnees ? Iowa returns two players who received all-Big Ten accolades last season. Senior Crystal Smith, who averaged 16.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 2.4 spg, was a third team selection. Smith produced a +12.9 scoring increase from her sophomore to junior year to rank second nationally. Sophomore Krista VandeVenter, who averaged 7.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 2.0 apg, was named to the all-freshman team. VandeVenter pulled down an Iowa freshman single season record 252 rebounds.
Injured Hawkeyes ? Two players expected to start this year suffered season-ending ACL injuries over the summer. Point guard Lindsay Richards sustained her third ACL injury in as many years on her right knee in June playing a “pick-up” game in Pinehurst, North Carolina while serving as an intern for the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Like Richards, small forward Johanna Solverson sustained her ACL injury while playing a “pick-up” game. Solverson suffered the injury while playing a game at a DePaul Sports Camp in July. The Chicago area native has been a camp instructor at DePaul the last two summers.
On This Date ? Iowa is 4-1 in games played on November 20, including 2-0 under Bluder.
Preseason Roundup ? Iowa defeated Wisconsin AAU (81-61) and Minnesota State (84-75) in its two exhibition games. Pacing the Hawkeyes was Crystal Smith. The senior averaged 20.5 ppg and 3.5 spg. Sophomore Krista VandeVenter averaged 9.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Iowa’s center tandem of sophomore Stacy Schlapkohl and freshman Megan Skouby averaged 10.0 ppg and 11.5 ppg, respectively.
Fore! ? Iowa will play four games in seven days next week. The Hawkeyes host UW-Milwaukee Sunday, before hitting the road for games vs. Louisiana Tech (Tuesday), Oklahoma (Friday) and Rider/San Francisco (Saturday).
Young Guns ? Iowa is tied for 11th in the nation with the most underclassmen on its roster. The Hawkeyes are tied with 12 other schools, including Big Ten schools Northwestern and Illinois, with nine underclassmen on its roster. The Hawkeyes have four freshmen and five sophomores on its roster. Air Force (13) leads the nation, followed by New Orleans (12). Michigan is tied for sixth (10), while Penn State (8) and Wisconsin (8) are tied for 23rd.
Day-to-Day ? Freshman Lindsey Nyenhuis did not dress for Iowa’s two exhibition games due to a foot injury. The native of Grand Rapids, MI, is out indefinitely.
Long Distance ? Iowa played with an extended 3-point line in its two exhibition contests, shooting a combined 11-23 (.478). The Hawkeyes converted 8-15 (.478) from behind the arc in Iowa’s win over Minnesota State. Iowa converted 34.3 percent of its triples last season.
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.
Perfection ? Iowa was a perfect 5-0 in games that Krista VandeVenter pulled down double digit rebounds and 3-0 in contests that she posted a double-double in 2004-05.
Fresh Faces ? Iowa welcomes five talented freshmen to its 2005-06 roster. The Hawkeyes add two guards (Kristi Smith and Lindsey Nyenhuis), two forwards (Wendy Ausdemore and Nicole VanderPol) and one center (Megan Skouby). Smith is a 5-6 point guard, while Nyenhuis is a 5-7 shooting guard. Ausdemore is a 6-2 small forward, while VanderPol is a 6-1 power forward. Skouby is a 6-6 center and is the tallest Iowa women’s basketball player in history.
Around the Big Ten ? Six Big Ten teams (Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin) will be in action Sunday. All six will be playing home games.
Preseason Rankings ? Iowa can potentially play eight games against six teams ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Hawkeyes are slated to play fourth-ranked Ohio State and 11th-ranked Michigan State twice. Iowa will also play 17th-ranked Minnesota, 23rd-ranked Purdue and 25th-ranked Oklahoma once during the 2005-06 campaign. The Hawkeyes can potentially meet fifth-ranked Rutgers in the second game of the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge.
2004-05 Recap ? The 2004-05 Iowa Hawkeyes finished its season with a 23-10 overall record and 8-8 mark in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won their first 13 games and were the last Division I school to be undefeated. Iowa advanced to the semifinals of the WNIT before losing to the eventual champions (SMS) on the road. Iowa captured the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and the Junkanoo Jam holiday tournaments before entering the rigouris 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 single season in school history, matching the 1989-90 team. The Iowa single season record is 29, established by the 1987-88 squad.
Hawkeye Schedule ? Iowa will play one of its most challenging schedules during Bluder’s tenure. The Hawkeyes can potentially play 12 teams who played in the postseason last year, including 10 NCAA Tournament teams. Iowa is slated to play NCAA Tournament squads Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State twice during the regular season, while it will also square off against Minnesota, Purdue, Iowa State, UW-Green Bay, Oklahoma and Louisiana Tech once. Iowa and Rutgers can potentially meet in the second round of the Hawkeye Challenge. The Hawkeyes will also face WNIT opponents Illinois (twice) and Creighton. Iowa will play its 900th game as a varsity sport on Feb. 2, 2006 vs. Purdue in Iowa City.
Iowa Big Ten Schedule ? Iowa’s Big Ten portion of its schedule includes single games with Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Purdue, with the Golden Gophers and Boilermakers playing in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will play Big Ten favorites Michigan State and Ohio State in consecutive games twice this season. Iowa hosts the Spartans on Jan. 9 and the Buckeyes on Jan. 12. The Hawkeyes travel to Columbus on Feb. 12 and East Lansing on Feb. 16.
Home Grown Hawkeyes ? Iowa’s roster features six players from the state of Iowa (Wendy Ausdemore, Abby Emmert, Ebone Pope, Tiffany Reedy, Stacy Schlapkohl and Nicole VanderPol). The Hawkeyes also have four players from Illinois (Jenee Graham, Morgan Kasperek, Lindsay Richards, Johanna Solverson). Iowa’s 15-person roster also features players from Colorado (Kristi Smith), Louisiana (Crystal Smith), Michigan (Lindsey Nyenhuis), Minnesota (Krista VandeVenter) and Ohio (Megan Skouby).
Center of Attention ? For the fifth time during Coach Bluder’s Iowa tenure, the Hawkeyes will start the season with a different center. Jamie Cavey started for the Hawkeyes the last two years. She became Iowa’s first center to start consecutive seasons since Amy Herrig (1997-99). Randi Peterson was Iowa’s starter in 2000-01, followed by Beatrice Bullock (2001-02), Tracy Schrupp (2002-03) and Jamie Cavey (2003-05).
Iowa’s two centers on its 2005-06 roster are sophomore Stacy Schlapkohl and freshman Megan Skouby.
Smith Leads Big Ten All-Stars ? Guard Crystal Smith helped the Big Ten Foreign All-Star Team to a perfect 5-0 record last summer in games played in Belgium and the Netherlands. Smith ranked second in scoring (12.8) and assists (2.6). She sank a 10-foot jumper for the game-winning basket with seconds to play to lift the Big Ten All-Stars to a 78-77 victory over the Belgium National Team for the team’s fourth win of the trip.
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.
“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 6-7 p.m. Fans can call toll-free at (800) 332-5401 or locally at (319) 365-0600. The show originates from Bob’s Your Uncle restaurant on the eastside of Iowa City.
Brent and Lisa will field calls regarding Iowa’s opening game in the first show, which airs Wednesday, Nov. 16.
On the Horizon ? Iowa hits the road for three games away from Iowa City next week. The Hawkeyes play Louisiana Tech in Ruston, LA on Tuesday, followed by two contests in the Odwalla Classic in San Francisco, CA. Iowa will play No. 25 Oklahoma on Friday and either Rider or San Francisco on Saturday.