Jan. 13, 2006
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The Setting ? Iowa (10-6, 3-2) returns to the road Sunday when it travels to Evanston, IL, to face Northwestern (4-11, 0-5). Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m. inside Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117). The Hawkeyes have won nine-straight games over Northwestern, all under sixth-year Head Coach Lisa Bluder.
On the Radio ? Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call the action for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the game on WHO 1040-AM in Des Moines and WMT 600-AM in Cedar Rapids. Sunday’s game will not be carried on KXIC in Iowa City due to the Iowa wrestling team competing at the National Duals.
The game can also be heard live over the Internet at www.hawkeyesports.com. Just click “Hawkeye All-Access” at the top right of the page. “Hawkeye All-Access” is a subscription service.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 895 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 547-348 (.611). That includes a 270-127 (.680) mark in Big Ten games and a 245-60 (.803) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
On This Date ? Iowa is 4-2 in games played on January 15, losing two of its last three.
Crystal Smith Nets Career Point No. 1,000 ? Crystal Smith became the 22nd Iowa player to amass 1,000 career points when the senior netted 26 points vs. No. 8 Ohio State to put her over the 1,000-point plateau. Smith currenlty ranks 22nd in Hawkeye career scoring (1,014), 876 of which came in the last 49 games (17.9 ppg). She also ranks sixth in career 3-pointers (98) and seventh in steals (182). Smith will play in career game No. 100 Sunday at Northwestern.
Smith averaged 1.1 points per game in 21 games her freshman year, followed by a 3.9 scoring average in 29 contests her sophomore season and 16.8 ppg her junior year. Smith currently averages 19.6 ppg through 15 games in her senior campaign. Smith’s scoring average ranks first in the Big Ten and 15th nationally. She has led Iowa in scoring 12 times this season.
The native of Haughton, LA, averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounding, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals in two games against Northwestern last year.
Scouting Northwestern ? Northwestern enters Sunday’s game losers of sixth-straight games and nine of its last ten after its 69-56 setback to Indiana Thursday in Evanston. The Hoosiers built a 16-point halftime cushion (37-21) and held on for the 13-point victory. Sara Stutz and A.J. Glasauer paced the Wildcats scoring 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Ifeoma Okonkwo ranks first in team scoring (13.7), rebounding (8.1) and steals (30). Glasauer ranks second in scoring (11.7) and assists (53). Nadia Bibbs ranks fourth in Big Ten assists (60). The Wildcats rank last in Big Ten scoring defense (75.5), scoring margin (-12.7), field goal percentage (.383), rebounding (36.1) and rebounding margin (-8.1).
Freshman Kristin Cartwright, who averages 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds, is the daughter of former Chicago Bulls player and Head Coach Bill Cartwright.
Northwestern is coached by Beth Combs, who is in her fifth year (53-81, .396) as a head coach and her second season (9-36, .200) with the Wildcats.
All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the 48th meeting between Iowa and Northwestern, with the Hawkeyes holding a commanding 35-12 advantage. Iowa boasts a 16-5 edge in games played in Evanston.
Iowa has won the last nine overall meetings against the Wildcats. Northwestern’s last victory over the Hawkeyes came on Mar. 2, 2000 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, which was Angie Lee’s last game as Hawkeye head coach.
Iowa and Northwestern Notes ? Iowa has four players on its roster from the state of Illinois: Johanna Solverson (Lake Zurich), Lindsay Richards (Barrington), Jeneé Graham (Bolingbrook) and Morgan Kasperek (Hinsdale).
Iowa boasts a +19.9 margin of victory during its active nine-game winning streak over the Wildcats.
Iowa ranks second in Big Ten scoring offense (73.9), while Northwestern ranks 11th in scoring defense (75.5).
The Hawkeyes overcame a 17-point second half deficit to upend Northwestern 81-76 in last year’s game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 16, 2005. Iowa rallied to score 54 second-half points, one shy of the arena record.
RPI Ratings ? Despite its 10-point loss to No. 8 Ohio State Thursday, Iowa improved seven spots in the RPI Ratings published Jan. 13 on www.collegerpi.com. The Hawkeyes jumped from 52nd to 45th, while their strength of schedule vaulted from 36th to 18th. Northwestern’s RPI ranks 150th and its strength of schedule rates 34th. All six Iowa losses came to opponents with an RPI of 81 or better, including four in the top 20.
Common Opponents ? Iowa and Northwestern share four common opponents: Creighton, Ohio State, Illinois and Indiana. The Hawkeyes defeated Creighton (74-64) and Illinois (84-65), while it lost to Indiana (65-53) and Ohio State (72-62). The Wildcats defeated Creighton (93-77), but fell to Ohio State (82-54), Illinois (64-55) and Indiana (69-56).
Last Meeting ? Iowa cruised to a 60-40 triumph over Northwestern in Welsh-Ryan Arena on Feb. 10, 2005. The 40 points were a season low for an Iowa opponent in 2005-06. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 31 points and led start-to-finish.
The Hawkeyes were led by Johanna Solverson, who played prep ball at nearby Lake Zurich High School. Solverson, who had been in a funk her previous five games, snapped out of it by scoring 14 points, collecting three rebounds, two steals and posting only one turnover. Jamie Cavey led all scorers with 15 points, while Krista VandeVenter and Jeneé Graham each pulled down seven boards.
Iowa jumped out to a quick 10-0 advantage and stretched its lead to 26-9 with 7:05 left. However, the Hawkeyes made only one field goal the rest of the half and the Wildcats closed the half on an 8-2 run to trim Iowa’s lead to 11 points (28-17).
Northwestern would get no closer as Iowa’s offense and defensive intensity increased and the Hawkeyes opened the second stanza on a 26-6 run to build their lead to 31 points (54-23). Iowa led 60-30 with 4:12 left before Northwestern scored the contest’s last 10 points.
The Wildcats were led by Sara Stutz and Suzanne Morrison. Stutz tallied a team-high 10 points, while Morrison netted six points and seven rebounds. Sarah Kwasinsky, who entered the game as Northwestern’s leading scorer (12.6), was limited to only six points (3-9 FG, 0-1 FT).
Iowa out-rebounded Northwestern by nine (42-33) and held the Wildcats to 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting from the field.
After posting 20 turnovers or more the previous seven games, Iowa recorded 16 at Northwestern, with four of the 16 coming in the final 2:30 minutes with Iowa’s reserves on the floor.
Last Time Out ? No. 8 Ohio State defeated Iowa 72-62 Thursday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game was the Hawkeyes’ second-straight game against a top-ten ranked opponent.
Iowa did not have an answer for Ohio State all-American Jessica Davenport, as the junior posted her seventh double-double of the season. The center collected game highs in points (34) and rebounds (16). Debbie Merrill contributed 15 points and three assists for the Buckeyes.
The Hawkeyes were led by senior Crystal Smith and sophomore Megan Skouby. Smith recorded team highs in points (26) and steals (4), while Skouby added 11 points. Sophomore Krista VandeVenter grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and collected three steals and three assists.
Ohio State dominated Iowa in the post, outscoring the Hawkeyes 52-30 in the paint. The Buckeyes outrebounded Iowa 39-30.
The Buckeyes built a 16-point advantage early in the second half, but a 12-4 Iowa run trimmed the deficit to six with 11:19 remaining. The Hawkeyes cut the Ohio State advantage to six four times, but each time the Buckeyes answered with a bucket on their next possession and eventually pulled away down the stretch.
Sophomore Abby Emmert played well off the bench, scoring seven points and dishing out three assists directing the Hawkeye offense for 24 minutes. The 24 minutes is the most she’s played since being on the court 25 minutes in Iowa’s win over Vermont on Dec. 3.
Skouby on the Rise ? Freshman Megan Skouby has raised her game to a new level since taking over the starting center position for injured sophomore Stacy Schlapkohl. Skouby has averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in her first five starts. The 6-6 standout ranks 19th in overall scoring (11.8) in the Big Ten, fourth in field goal percentage (.564), third in blocks (1.75). She ranks eighth in conference scoring (14.8), fourth in blocks (2.0) and 16th in rebounding (5.8). Skouby has led Iowa in scoring three of the last six contests.
Skouby Quickly Climbed Freshman Chart ? Megan Skouby has already rejected 28 shots. She blocked a career-high five shots at Michigan on Jan. 5 to surpass Jennie Lillis for second place on Iowa’s freshman single season blocking list. Tangela Smith holds Iowa’s freshman mark with 73 rejections.
Vandy is Dandy ? Sophomore Krista VandeVenter is one of the top all-around threats in the Big Ten. VandeVenter, who has started every game as a Hawkeye, ranks third in Big Ten rebounding (8.2), third in steals (2.44), ninth in field goal percentage (.492) and 28th in scoring (9.8). She has led the Hawkeyes in rebounding 11 times this season. The 6-2 power forward averaged 10.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.4 steals in Iowa’s last seven contests.
Smith Ranks First in Big Ten in Scoring ? Senior Crystal Smith ranks second in Big Ten scoring (20.0) and 15th nationally; Michigan State’s Liz Shimek (19.5) ranks second. Smith has led Iowa in scoring in 12 of Iowa’s 16 contests.
Smith’s 46 points at Louisiana Tech are the most scored in a game by any player in the nation this season. San Diego’s Michelle Augustavo ranks second after netting 42 points vs. Clemson on Dec. 11.
In the Rankings ? Iowa ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage and assists, 25th in scoring and 26th in fewest fouls per game through games played Jan. 9. Megan Skouby ranks 24th in field goal percentage, while Crystal Smith ranks 23rd in scoring.
ACL Trio ? In a span of six months, Iowa had three players who suffered ACL injuries to their right knees. Lindsay Richards, Johanna Solverson and Stacy Schlapkohl all suffered season-ending injuries. Richards sustained her injury in June, followed by Solverson (July) and Schlapkohl (December).
DE-FENSE! ? Iowa’s perimeter defense has been stellar through 16 games. The Hawkeyes rank first in Big Ten 3-point field goal defense (.259). Last season Iowa ranked 10th in the league in 3-point field goal defense (.361).
Dishing the Rock ? Iowa ranks second in Big Ten assists, dishing the ball 17.88 times per game. Four Hawkeyes average 2.38 assists or better: Crystal Smith (3.5), Krista VandeVenter (3.0), Kristi Smith (2.89) and Abby Emmert (2.38).
Possessing the Rock ? The Hawkeyes struggled with turnovers in their first six games, collecting 21.0 miscues per game. However, Iowa has done a better job maintaining the ball in its last ten contests, only averaging 15.4 turnovers. The Hawkeyes only turned the ball over 14 times at Michigan and vs. #9 Michigan State and a season-low 13 times vs. #8 Ohio State.
Iowa ranks third in Big Ten turnover margin (+1.38) and second in assist/turnover ratio (1.02). Last year, the Hawkeyes ranked ninth in turnover margin (-1.55) and fifth in assist/turnover margin (0.87).
Cashing in at the Free Throw Line ? Freshman Wendy Ausdemore became the first Hawkeye to start the season making her first 18 free throw attempts.
Senior Crystal Smith made her first 18 attempts from the foul line in Iowa’s first three conference contests, including draining all 11 attempts vs. Illinois. Smith’s 11-11 performance tied a school and arena record for free throw perentage in a game. She is 27-29 (.931) from the free throw line in conference games, which ranks second.
Underclassmen Start for Hawkeyes ? Iowa’s starting lineup vs. Northwestern includes two freshmen (Kristi Smith and Megan Skouby) and one sophomore (Krista VandeVenter).
VandeVenter started all 49 games as a Hawkeye, including all 16 this season. The power forward ranks third in team scoring (9.8) and first in rebounding (8.2).
Smith started the last eight games at point guard for Iowa. The native of Thornton, CO ranks sixth in team scoring (6.3) and second in assists (2.88).
Skouby will start her sixth contest Sunday. The 6-6 center ranks second in team scoring (11.8) and field goal percentage (.564), first in blocks (1.75) and fourth in rebounding (4.4).
Iowa is one of three Big Ten teams with two or more freshmen starters. Michigan and Penn State start three, while Iowa starts two.
Big Ten Rankings ? Iowa ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.255), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.363), scoring offense (73.9), field goal percentage (.467), assists (17.88), assist/turnover ratio (+1.02) and third in blocks (4.25).
Senior Crystal Smith ranks first in league scoring (20.0), fourth in 3-point field goals made (2.0), third in steals (2.44) and ninth in free throw percentage (.832). Freshman Megan Skouby ranks fourth in field goal percentage (.564) and third in blocked shots (1.75). Sophomore Krista VandeVenter ranks third in rebounding (8.2) and third in steals (2.44).
Freshmen Step Up ? Iowa’s freshmen class (Megan Skouby, Wendy Ausdemore, Kristi Smith, Nicole VanderPol and Lindsey Nyenhuis) are averaging 27.3 ppg through 16 games. The trio of Ausdemore, Skouby and Smith average 19.0 minutes or more per game.
Skouby ranks second in team scoring (11.8) and fourth in rebounding (4.4), Smith ranks sixth in scoring (6.3) and second in assists (46), while Ausdemore ranks seventh in scoring (6.1). VanderPol saw limited action through 11 games, but will see more time after Stacy Schlapkohl suffered a season-ending injury.
High Octane ? Iowa, who ranks second in Big Ten scoring offense, has scored 80 points or more in six of its first 16 games. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 when scoring 80 points or more.
Iowa Ties Arena Mark ? Iowa’s 55 second-half points scored in its 84-65 triumph over Illinois on Jan. 1, matched the Carver-Hawkeye Arena record for most points in a second half. The Hawkeyes also scored 55 vs. Western Illinois on Nov. 25, 2000.
Five Spot ? Crystal Smith, who was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 28, broke or tied five school records during Thanksgiving week.
The senior broke school records for points (46) and free throws attempted (19) in a game and equaled school records in free throws made (15) and 3-pointers attempted (14) in Iowa’s 95-91 double overtime setback at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 22. The native of Haughton, LA, also matched the school record for field goal percentage (9-9, 1.000) in the Hawkeyes’ 88-41 rout over Rider on Nov. 26.
In the three games, Smith averaged 28.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game. She finished the week 26-of-55 (.473) from the field, 10-of-25 (.400) from the perimeter and 23-of-28 (.821) at the line.
Reedy Set Go ? Senior Tiffany Reedy played in her 100th career game vs. Vermont on Dec. 3. The native of Dysart, IA, has had a great start to the 2005-06 campaign, averaging 6.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg and ranking third on the team in steals with 15. Reedy collected 14 thefts and averaged 3.9 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 33 contests last season. She is also well on her way to surpassing her high mark of 19 triples made in each of her first three seasons. Reedy has already drained 17 treys and is shooting at a 35.7 percent clip from behind the arc, good enough to rank 13th in the Big Ten.
All-Tournament Selections ? Senior Crystal Smith and sophomore Krista VandeVenter were named to the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge All-Tournament team. Smith also garnered Odwalla Classic All-Tournament accolades for her efforts Nov. 25-26 in San Francisco, CA.
Making the List ? Iowa has recorded two victories by 40 points or more this season. The Hawkeyes posted a 40-point triumph (82-42) over UW-Milwaukee on Nov. 20. The 40-point win ranks as the 15th-largest margin of victory in school history. Iowa registered a 47-point victory (88-41) over Rider on Nov. 26. The 47-point win ranks as the ninth-largest margin of victory in Iowa history.
Iowa has posted six wins of 40 points or more under Coach Bluder (48 – UT-Pan American, 2001; 47 — Rider; 45 – Western Illinois, 2000; 43 – Creighton, 2002; 40 – Northwestern, 2001; 40 — UW-Milwaukee, 2005).
Smith Nominated for Senior CLASS Award ? Seniors Crystal Smith is one of 30 seniors from Division I basketball programs around the nation who have been named as candidates for the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award. The award, now in its fifth year, is presented annually to the nation’s senior player-of-the-year. CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. The award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the trend of college players leaving college early to turn professional. Smith joins Michigan State’s Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen as the only three Big Ten student-athletes nominated. Sportscaster Dick Enberg, who initiated the idea for the award and now serves as honorary Chairman, will announce the winner during the CBS telecast of the NCAA Men’s Final Four in April.
Movin’ On Up ? Senior Crystal Smith (182) is eight steals from equaling Jennie Lillis (190) for sixth on Iowa’s career steals chart. Smith (1,104) is also only 10 points from catching Tiffany Gooden (1,024) for 21st in career scoring at Iowa.
More on Smith’s Records ? Crystal Smith’s 46 points bested Cindy Haugejorde’s 44-point effort vs. Luther College on Jan. 12, 1977. In addition, the 46 points is the second-most scored in a single game in Big Ten history. Illinois’ Kendra Gantt and Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante both netted 49 points. The 46 points are the most ever scored by a Louisiana Tech opponent, besting the previous record of 43 points scored by USCs Cheryl Miller, and was one point from a Thomas Assembly Center record.
Smith’s 19 free throws attempted topped the previous school record held by Nadine Domond and Amy Herrig. Domond attempted 16 foul shots vs. UCSB on Nov. 25, 1995, while Herrig attempted 16 free throws vs. Nebraska on Dec. 8, 1996. The 19 free throws attempted ranks eighth in Big Ten annals with five others.
Smith’s 15 free throws made equaled Amy Herrig’s school record of 15 established vs. Nebraska on Dec. 8, 1996. The 15 foul shots made ranks seventh in league history with eight others.
Smith’s 14 three-pointers attempted equals the school record previously set by Lindsey Meder twice before. Meder attempted 14 at Colorado on Dec. 2, 2001 and vs. Ohio State on Jan. 3, 2002.
Smith’s perfect 9-9 (1.000) shooting performance from the field matched Jamie Cavey’s record of 9-9 (1.000) vs. Marquette on March 23, 2003. All of Cavey’s field goals were two-point baskets, while four of Smith’s five were from behind the arc.
Kristi Smith Maturing Into Starting Role ? Hawkeye freshman Kristi Smith has done a fantastic job directing the Iowa offense since taking over the starting role. Since Big Ten play, Smith has averaged 6.6 points, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals. She is on pace to crack the Iowa freshman single season assists top five list by the end of the season.
Century Club ? Iowa Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lisa Bluder reached another milestone on Dec. 3, as Bluder collected her 100th victory as Iowa Head Coach in Iowa’s 79-57 triumph over Vermont on Dec. 3. Bluder, who is the second all-time winningest Iowa coach, boasts a 106-65 (.620) record in six years mentoring the Hawkeyes.
Young Guns ? Iowa is tied for 15th in the nation with the most underclassmen on its roster. The Hawkeyes are tied with 16 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 seventh (10), while Penn State (8) and Wisconsin (8) are tied for 31st.
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 started 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.
Difficult Home Stretch ? Iowa’s last two home contests came against top-ten ranked opponents (No. 9 Michigan State and No. 8 Ohio State). The Hawkeyes’ next two home games will also come against nationally ranked foes: No. 14 Minnesota (Jan. 22) and No. 11 Purdue (Feb. 2).
Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 26th nationally in the women’s basketball attendance rankings released Jan. 9.
Hawkeyes Pen Quoie ? Iowa signed Woodbury, MN, native Zoraa Quoie to a National Letter of Intent last fall. She was an all-conference and honorable mention all-state selection her junior year. Quoie averaged 10.6 ppg and just fewer than four steals per game on a team that won its conference and finished 25-3 last season. Her Woodbury High School team also captured a league title and finished third at the Minnesota state tournament her sophomore year. Quoie was a reserve her sophomore year, but started last season. She was also an all-state sprinter on the track team her freshman year.
Big Ten Tournament Tickets on Sale ? All-session tickets for the 2006 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament are $55. Tickets can be purchased at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (317) 239-5151.
The tournament returns to Indianapolis for the 11th time in 12 years and has attracted more than 30,000 fans for each of the last four events. Just two years ago, the Big Ten set a pair of attendance records when the 2004 championship game was played in front of a single-session record of 9,417 fans, which established an overall tournament record of 37,635 spectators. In the past 11 years of Big Ten Tournament play, the conference has welcomed more than 314,000 fans. Five different league representatives have become tournament champions. Purdue leads all teams with five titles followed by two championships for both Iowa and Penn State and a single title for Indiana and Michigan State.
Nuthin’ But Net ? Catch all the University of Iowa women’s basketball games on the radio and the Internet (www.hawkeyesports.com). Fans can listen to live or archived games with a subscription to “Hawkeye All-Access”.
Brent Balbinot is in his second season as the play-by-play voice, while Shelley Till is in her first season as the color analyst.
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.
On the Horizon ? The Hawkeyes remain on the road as Iowa travels to Wisconsin Thursday. Iowa returns home to entertain nationally-ranked Minnesota Sunday, January 22. Both contests will be the only regular season meeting between the two teams.