Dec. 1, 2006
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The Setting ? Iowa (6-2) remains home to face Samford (4-2) Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 12:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youths and UI students with their student I.D. are free.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 916 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 560-356 (.611). That includes a 277-131 (.679) mark in Big Ten games and a 255-72 (.780) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
On the Radio ? Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call the action for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the games on WHO 1040-AM in Des Moines, WMT 600-AM in Cedar Rapids and KXIC 800-AM in Iowa City.
The game can also be heard live over the Internet at hawkeyesports.com. Just click “Hawkeye All-Access” at the top right of the page. “Hawkeye All-Access” is a subscription service.
Scouting Samford ? Samford, which is located in Birmingham, AL, starts the season with 11 of its first 12 games on the road, including a current stretch of nine straight. The Bulldogs have started the season with a 4-2 record, recently falling at Georgia State (58-54) Tuesday before making the trip to Iowa City. Samford picked up wins over Memphis, Birmingham-Southern, Alabama A&M and Centenary.
Like Iowa, Samford had four different players led the team in scoring in its first four games. The Bulldogs are led by senior Chelsee Insell, who ranks first in scoring (11.2). Insell is their best shooter, making 44.8 percent (13-29) of her 3-pointers and 52.5 percent (21-40) from the floor. Junior Alex Munday ranks second in scoring (10.7) and second in rebounding (5.2), while senior Veronica Pike ranks first in rebounding (5.8) and third in scoring (10.5). Samford averages 61.5 points and 31.7 rebounds per contest.
Last year, Samford finished with a 21-8 overall record and placed third in the Ohio Valley Conference at 15-5. The Bulldogs return seven letterwinners, including four starters from last year’s squad.
Samford is coached by Mike Morris, who is in his fifth season (55-62, .470) as a head coach, all on the Bulldogs’ sidelines.
Iowa, Samford Notes ? Iowa is 96-10 when leading at the half in the seven years under Coach Bluder. Additionally, Iowa is 77-11 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 32-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Iowa boasts a 30-9 (.769) home non-conference record under Coach Bluder.
? Iowa has had five players score double figures the last two games.
? Jenee Graham has been a very efficient shooter the last two games.
Graham has made nine of her last 13 field goal attempts (.692), including a perfect 5-5 performance vs. Iowa State Thursday.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 492 career rebounds and ranks 16th in Iowa career rebounding. VandeVenter is 14 rebounds from tying Jamie Cavey (506) for 15th.
? Kristi Smith and Megan Skouby average just over six free throw attempts per contest. Smith sinks .860 (43-50) of her attempts, while Skouby makes .816 (40-49).
All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the first meeting between Iowa and Samford. The Hawkeyes are 2-0 all-time against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference, defeating Tennessee Tech (1989) and Eastern Kentucky (1992).
On This Date ? Iowa is 3-6 in games played on December 3. The Hawkeyes defeated Vermont (79-57) in the first round of the
Home Sweet Home ? On Sunday, Iowa will conclude a stretch of six of seven home games. The Hawkeyes went 3-1 in their four home contests last week. After collecting its first true road win of the year at Creighton on Sunday, Iowa hosts Iowa State (Thursday) and Samford (Sunday) this week.
Foursome ? Iowa has four players averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (16.0), Kristi Smith (13.3), Wendy Ausdemore (12.9) and Stacy Schlapkohl (12.8). The Hawkeyes’ top three scorers are sophomores.
Hawkeyes Return ? Junior Krista VandeVenter (shoulder) and freshman Zoraa Quoie (knee) have been cleared to play by the Iowa medical staff. Both saw limited action in Iowa’s loss to Iowa State Thursday night. VandeVenter collected three rebounds and a steal and had a shot attempt in 14 minutes of action. Quoie did not record any statistics in less than a minute of court time.
Last Time Out ? Iowa State recorded an 80-74 win at Iowa Thursday night in front of a season-high 5,865 fans to trim the Hawkeyes’ lead in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series to 5-4 after four events. The Cyclone victory marked the first time the visiting team has won in six games.
The Hawkeyes raced out to an 11-0 lead in the first 4:30 of the game. Iowa State chipped its way back into the game and trailed by only three at the half (38-35).
The second half was a see-saw affair that saw five ties and seven lead changes. Ultimately, is was Iowa State’s hot shooting down the stretch that doomed the Hawkeyes. The Cyclones made nine of last 10 shots from the field in the last 8:30 minutes of the game to pull away. Iowa State shot 57.1 percent (16-28) from the field in the second half.
Iowa State was led by senior Lyndsey Medders, who posted game highs in points (21) and assissts (8). Senior Megan Ronhovde, who entered the game averaging 3.5 points, scored 19 points, bolstered by 5-9 shooting from 3-point range.
The Hawkeyes had five players score figures, paced by junior Abby Emmert. Emmert was 4-6 from the field and a perfect 6-6 from the foul line, netting a career-high 17 points. Junior Stacy Schlapkohl and sophomore Kristi Smith each contributed 15 points, while Megan Skouby tallied 12 and Jenee Graham 10. Graham also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in collecting her first career double-double.
The Cyclones hurt the Hawkeyes in transition, out-scoring Iowa 14-2 in fast break points.
Graham Steps Up ? With Iowa’s leading rebounder (Krista VandeVenter) sidelined for the first seven contests, Jenee Graham has stepped up and filled the rebounding void. The junior grabbed double-digit rebounds in 6-8 contests. Graham corralled a career-high 14 rebounds against Indiana State and Louisiana Tech.
Graham averages 6.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, is the Big Ten’s leading rebounder (10.3) and ranks first in defensive rebounding (7.1). Graham also ranks 10th in assists (3.7).
Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of the games. The Hawkeyes are 38-47 (.809) in the last five minutes, 18-25 (.720) under two minutes and 20-24 (.833) with under a minute to play.
Iowa has made 150-189 from the foul line this season. The Hawkeyes’ 79.4 percent shooting from the free throw line ranks first in the Big Ten. Iowa opponents are only 97-137 (.708) from the charity stripe through seven games.
The Hawkeyes are well on pace to break the school record of 512 free throws made, established in 2002-03.
Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard through eight games. Smith ranks second in team scoring (13.3) and first in assists (3.88), free throws made (43), attempted (50) and percentage (.860). The sophomore was 7-7 from the line vs. Florida International, 11-12 against Missouri State and 9-10 at Creighton.
Smith has led the team in scoring three times, including scoring 20-plus points twice, and led the team in steals six times.
What to Look For ? Iowa is undefeated this year when Iowa has a higher field goal percentage than its opponent (5-0), has more rebounds (5-0) and its opponents shoots less than 40-percent from behind the 3-point arc (5-0).
Behind the Arc ? Iowa has two players who have drained over 10 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (15) and Lindsey Nyenhuis (13).
Iowa made 11-25 (.440) from downtown the last two games.
Hot Shot ? Lindsey Nyenhuis provided a spark for the Hawkeyes off the bench in the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge. Nyenhuis scored a career-high 12 points vs. Quinnipiac and nine against Florida International. All of her points came from behind the 3-point arc. The sophomore was a sizzling 7-8 (.875) from 3-point range in the tournament.
Hawkeyes Honored ? Sophomores Wendy Ausdemore and Megan Skouby were named to the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge All-Tournament team. Skouby was recognized as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Hi-Octane ? The 171 combined points in Iowa’s 88-83 win over Indiana State on Nov. 15, was the highest scoring game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since a 94-83 loss to Minnesota in 2001.
Ausdemore Ties Record ? Wendy Ausdemore tied a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record by an Iowa player when she made five triples vs. Quinnipiac. The sophomore was 5-7 (.714) from behind the arc against the Bobcats. For the season, she is 15-44 (.341) from 3-point range.
Schlapkohl Delivers ? Stacy Schlapkohl returned to the starting lineup in lowa’s 88-83 win over Indiana State on Nov. 15. The junior scored a game and career-high 24 points on 9-15 shooting from the field and 6-10 from the foul line. She has netted double figures in 6-8 contests this season. Schlapkohl ranks fourth in team scoring (12.8). She has made 11 of her last 18 field goal attempts (.611) in the last two contests.
Hawkeyes Win WBCA Classic ? Iowa opened the season with two quality road wins, defeating Missouri State (79-70) and Kansas (63-49) to capture the fifth-annual WBCA Classic in Kansas City, MO. Trifecta ? The Hawkeyes had three sophomores recognized on the WBCA Classic All-Tournament team. Wendy Ausdemore, Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith all earned all-tournament laurels. Skouby was honored as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Skouby averaged 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in the two contests. Smith averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.5 rebounds. Ausdemore averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
All-Big Ten Recognition ? For the second straight year, Iowa has been picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten by the media and coaches. Individually, Megan Skouby was named to the pre-season all-conference team by the media and coaches. Skouby is the only sophomore to be recognized; the team is comprised of three seniors, one junior and one sophomore.
Gunning For Seven ? Iowa has posted a winning season each year Coach Bluder has been on the Hawkeye sidelines. The Hawkeyes have strung together six straight winning seasons since the 2000-01 campaign, earning an NCAA Tournament berth four times. The school record for consecutive winning seasons is 11, established 1984-1994.
20-Year Anniversary ? This season marks the 20-year anniversary of Iowa’s first Big Ten regular season championship. Iowa’s 1986-87 team finished the league campaign 17-1 and shared the title with Ohio State. The squad advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual NCAA runner-up Louisiana Tech. Michelle Edwards earned all-America honors, while Franthea Price was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Senior Update ? Redshirt senior Johanna Solverson, who is Iowa’s lone senior on the roster, suffered her second ACL tear on her right knee in late June. She is currently rehabbing and it is hopeful that she will return to game action in late January.
Bluder Approaches Milestones ? After garnering her 300th Division I victory in Iowa’s regular season finale vs. Indiana last season, Bluder will reach two additional coaching milestones in 2006-07. She will coach in her 700th career game and 200th on the Iowa sidelines, both during conference play. The Marion, IA, native has coached in 689 career games (475-215, .688) and 191 contests (119-73, .620) on the Hawkeye sidelines.
In her first six years at Iowa, Bluder guided the Black and Gold to four first division finishes in the highly regarded Big Ten Conference. Iowa’s 56 league wins the last six seasons rank as the fourth-highest total in the Big Ten behind Purdue (75), Penn State (69) and Ohio State (64). She has coached five Hawkeye players to all-Big Ten first team status, three to the second team and three that were named to the all-freshman team.
No Senior Starters ? For the first time under Coach Bluder, Iowa will not have a senior in the starting lineup. Iowa’s probable starting lineup includes four sophomores (Wendy Ausdemore, Lindsey Nyenhuis, Kristi Smith, Megan Skouby) and one junior (Krista VandeVenter).
The last time Iowa did not have a senior starter was the 1999-00 season (two juniors, three sophomores). Iowa has had at least two senior starters every year under Bluder, except the 2002-03 season (center Tracy Schrupp). Below is a list of Iowa’s senior starters under Bluder:
2000-01: Cara Consuegra, Randi Peterson2001-02: Leah Magner, Lindsey Meder, Jerica Watson2002-03: Tracy Schrupp2003-04: Kristi Faulkner, Jennie Lillis2004-05: Jenna Armstrong, Jamie Cavey2005-06: Tiffany Reedy, Crystal Smith="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>
Hawkeyes on the Tube ? Seven regular season games are already scheduled to be televised by either KCRG or Comcast SportsNet Chicago. KCRG will televise home contests vs. Iowa State (Nov. 30), Northern Iowa (Dec. 19), Michigan State (Jan. 14) and Wisconsin (Feb. 25). Comcast SportsNet Chicago will air home games vs. Minnesota (Jan. 25) and Michigan (Feb. 8) and the Hawkeyes’ road game at Penn State (Jan. 28).
Underclassmen Stepped Up in 2005-06 ? Last year’s freshman class of Megan Skouby, Kristi Smith, Wendy Ausdemore, Nicole VanderPol and Lindsey Nyenhuis stepped up and accounted for 42.5 percent of Iowa’s offense. The sophomore class of Krista VandeVenter, Abby Emmert and Stacy Schlapkohl was responsible for 20.6 percent of Iowa’s offense. Combined, the underclassmen accounted for 63.1 percent of Iowa’s offense, which bodes well for the future.
Home Grown Hawkeyes ? Iowa’s 2006-07 roster features four players from the state of Iowa (Wendy Ausdemore, Abby Emmert, Stacy Schlapkohl and Nicole VanderPol). The Hawkeyes also have two players from Illinois (Jenee Graham and Johanna Solverson) and Minnesota (Krista VandeVenter and Zoraa Quoie). Iowa’s 12-person roster also features players from Colorado (Kristi Smith), Kansas (JoAnn Hamlin), Michigan (Lindsey Nyenhuis) and Ohio (Megan Skouby).
Hawkeye Newcomers ? Iowa’s only freshman is Zoraa Quoie, from Woodbury, MN. Quoie was named to the Miss Minnesota Basketball Senior All-State team her senior season. She was also named to the Star-Tribune third defensive team as a senior. Quoie was a 2005 and 2006 all-conference selection and earned 2004 and 2005 honorable mention all-state laurels. Quoie holds her high school’s record for single-season steals.
Also on the roster this year is JoAnn Hamlin, who transferred from Kansas State. Hamlin cannot compete due to NCAA transfer rules, but can practice with the team and will have three years of eligibility remaining starting in 2007-08. Hamlin played in 33 games last year, with 31 starts at center for the Wildcats. The 31 starts were the fifth-most in the nation among freshmen. She scored in double figures 15 times, reaching the 20-point plateau four times. Hamlin averaged 10 points, 4.6 rebounds, had a total of 22 blocks and 26 steals.
Hawkeyes Traveling Overseas in 2007 ? The women’s basketball team will be traveling overseas for 12 days to Greece, August 2007, to play four exhibition games and do some sightseeing.
Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series ? Iowa currently leads the third annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series 5-4. Iowa was victorious in women’s soccer (1-0, OT) and football (27-17), while Iowa State won volleyball (3-2) and women’s basketball (80-74). The next event is wrestling on Dec. 3 in Iowa City.
The nine-sport series awards two points (except football, which is worth three) to the winning school in each head-to-head match-up between the two institutions. Additionally, two points are awarded to an institution if the graduation rate of its student-athletes is greater than the national average as reported each fall by the NCAA.
Hawkeyes Ink Two ? Kachine Alexander and Kelsey Cermak have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Iowa.
Alexander, a native of Minneapolis, MN, is a three-time all-conference honoree. She earned the Best Defensive Player Award at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School her freshman and sophomore seasons. Her team was three-time conference champions and won the Minnesota State AAA Championship in 2006. The 5-9 forward was named state tournament MVP and earned honorable mention all-state honors her junior year. She averaged 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists in 29 starts her junior season.
Cermak, who hails from Norwalk, IA, is a two-time first team all-state honoree and a three-time first team all-conference and all-district selection. She was the Norwalk High School MVP her first three years. The 6-1 guard holds her school’s single-season record for steals (90). She averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals in 26 starts on a team that won the Iowa state and conference championship her junior season. Cermak averaged 18.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 steals her sophomore campaign. Norwalk placed second in its conference her freshman and sophomore seasons.
“We are excited to sign these two talented recruits,” said Head Coach Lisa Bluder. “We welcome both of these new Hawkeyes to our family!”
Blogging ? Hawkeye fans will be treated to behind-the-scenes information this season as sophomore Wendy Ausdemore and junior Abby Emmert will have their own blogs, which will be posted on the women’s basketball page of hawkeyesports.com. The duo will share their thoughts on practices, games, road trips, and everything else surrounding the program.
Iowa Information on the Web ? Statistics and play-by-play accounts of all Big Ten Tournament games 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 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 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 (877) 464-2957. The show originates from Bob’s Your Uncle restaurant on the eastside of Iowa City.
Big Ten Tournament Tickets on Sale ? All-session tickets for the 2007 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament presented by Xbox Live are $65. Tickets can be purchased at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (317) 239-5151.
The tournament returns to Indianapolis for the 12th time in 13 years and has attracted more than 30,000 fans for each of the last five events. The 2006 tournament attendance of 38,638 and session average of 7,728 were both event records. In the past 12 years of Big Ten Tournament play, the conference has welcomed more than 353,000 fans. Six 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, Michigan State and Ohio State.
On the Horizon ? Iowa will begin a two-game road trip at UW-Green Bay (Dec. 7) and Rutgers (Dec. 16). The Hawkeyes return home when they host Northern Iowa (Dec. 19).