Dec. 18, 2006
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The Setting ? Iowa (7-4) returns home to host Northern Iowa (4-5) Tuesday. The game is slated to tip-off at 7:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $7 for adults, children 18-years-and-under and UI students with their student I.D. will be admitted free.
Tuesday Promotion ? In addition to children 18-years-and-under being admitted free, the first 1,000 Hawkeye fans in attendance can obtain the first set of women’s basketball trading cards. The first set of four includes Lindsey Nyenhuis, Johanna Solverson, Krista VandeVenter and Assistant Coach Michael Morgan. The second set will be distributed on January 14.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 919 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 561-358 (.610). That includes a 277-131 (.679) mark in Big Ten games and a 256-72 (.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 Tuesday’s game 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.
On the Tube ? Tuesday’s game will be televised live in Eastern Iowa on KCRG-TV9. John Campbell, Amy Herrig and Scott Saville will call the action.
Scouting Northern Iowa ? Northern Iowa enters Tuesday’s game riding a two-game winning streak, having defeated Detroit (90-75) and Valparaiso (67-49). In their last contest, the Panthers were led by seniors Jessie Biggs and Tara King. Biggs netted a team-high 16 points, while King grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and also scored nine points. Northern Iowa out-scored Valparaiso 17-6 at the foul line and out-rebounded the Crusaders 42-28.
Like Iowa, Northern Iowa is an excellent free throw shooting team. The Panthers have made 138-179 (.771) of their foul shots. The Panthers have a -5.7 rebounding margin.
King, who netted a career-high 38 points in an overtime loss to Iowa State earlier this season, leads the team in scoring (17.8) and rebounding (6.3). Biggs ranks second in scoring (12.9) and rebounding (6.2) and first in assists (4.3). Junior Megan Keefe ranks third in scoring (11.7).
Northern Iowa is coached by Tony DiCecco, who is in his 12th season (170-153, .526) as a head coach, all on the Panthers’ sidelines.
All-Time Series Record ? Tuesday will be just the 12th meeting between Iowa and Northern Iowa, with the Hawkeyes leading the series 10-1. Iowa has won 10 straight after Northern Iowa won the first game of the series (83-39) on Feb. 8, 1975 in Cedar Falls. Iowa holds a commanding 5-0 advantage in contests played in Iowa City.
Additionally, the Hawkeyes are 46-36 (.561) in games against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference, including winning 11 of their last 12 contests against MVC squads. Iowa is 3-0 against the MVC this year, picking up wins over Missouri State, Indiana State and Creighton.
Iowa, Northern Iowa Ties ? Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder graduated from Northern Iowa in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She was a three-year starter for the Panthers.
Iowa, UNI Notes ? Iowa is 97-10 when leading at the half in the seven years under Coach Bluder. Additionally, Iowa is 78-12 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 32-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Iowa freshman Zoraa Quoie celebrated her 19th birthday on Sunday.
? Megan Skouby is the only Hawkeye to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back contests (Florida International and Louisiana Tech). The Hawkeyes have had a different leading scorer the last six games.
? Iowa is 6-0 when having a higher field goal percentage and opponents shoot less than 40 percent from 3-point range this season. The Hawkeyes are also 7-1 when having more assists.
? Iowa ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.798) and 36th in assists per game (16.4). Jenee Graham ranks 21st in rebounds per contest.
? Northern Iowa’s Jessie Biggs ranks 10th in the country in free throw percentage (.930) and Tara King ranks 48th in scoring (17.8). As a team, the Panthers ranks 16th in free throw percentage (.771) and 28th in 3-pointers made per game (6.6).
? Iowa is a perfect 3-0 in games played on December 19. Tuesday will be the first time the Hawkeyes will have played on December 19 since its triumph over Appalachian State in 1995.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 502 career rebounds and ranks 16th in Iowa career rebounding. VandeVenter is only four rebounds from tying Jamie Cavey (506) for 15th.
Last Meeting ? Crystal Smith poured in a game-high 22 points, while Krista VandeVenter grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds as Iowa downed Northern Iowa for the 10th straight time (65-54) at the UNI Dome.
Iowa had a nine-point halftime cushion, but Northern Iowa came out of the locker room on fire. The Panthers scored the first nine points of the second stanza to even the contest at 31 with 15:53 remaining. The Hawkeyes answered with a 12-4 run the next four minutes to rebuild their lead back to eight (43-35) with 11:20 left.
Northern Iowa continued to fight back and trimmed the Hawkeye advantage to six with 2:15 remaining, but back-to-back triples by Hawkeyes Tiffany Reedy and Abby Emmert helped Iowa pull away. Iowa converted 4-6 from the foul line the final minute to secure the 11-point victory.
Smith scored 13 of her 22 points in the first half, including netting Iowa’s final first half points. The native of Haughton, LA, attempted and made Iowa’s first 3-pointer of the game at the 15:40 mark of the second half to halt a 9-0 Northern Iowa scoring run.
Northern Iowa limited Hawkeye starters Krista VandeVenter and Stacy Schlapkohl to a combined three points on 0-8 shooting from the field and 3-5 from the foul line. However, Iowa’s bench stepped up to fill the scoring void as the Hawkeye reserves out-scored the Panthers 24-8. Megan Skouby scored eight, while Wendy Ausdemore and Emmert each added seven.
Reedy contributed seven of her 10 points in the second half and also corralled five rebounds.
Northern Iowa was led by Cassie Hager, who scored 17 points and blocked six shots. Iowa’s stifling 2-3 zone defense made it difficult for the Panthers to have open looks. Northern Iowa converted only 31 percent (19-61) from the field, including only 17 percent (5-29) from behind the arc.
Foursome ? Iowa has four players averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.6), Kristi Smith (12.6), Wendy Ausdemore (12.3) and Stacy Schlapkohl (10.7). The Hawkeyes’ top three scorers are sophomores.
Iowa and Michigan State are the only Big Ten teams that have four players average double figures.
Last Time Out ? Rutgers topped Iowa, 70-53, Saturday night in Piscataway, NJ. The Scarlet Knights shot 51 percent (27-53) from the field, including 56 percent (5-9) from behind the 3-point arc en route to victory.
Rutgers jumped out to a 24-6 advantage in the first 11 minutes and never looked back. Iowa went on an 11-2 run to trim its deficit to eight (30-22) with three minutes left in the first stanza, but that was as close as the Hawkeyes would get.
Rutgers’ defensive pressure hurt the Hawkeyes, as the Scarlet Knights forced a Iowa season-high 22 turnovers, which they converted into 29 points, 10 of which came in transition.
The Hawkeyes were led by sophomores Megan Skouby and Wendy Ausdemore. Skouby scored nine of her game-high 19 points from the free throw line. Ausdemore tallied 15 points and collected a team-high six rebounds.
Iowa’s Krista VandeVenter posted season highs at Rutgers. The junior, who was playing in only her fourth game after returning from a shoulder injury, posted highs in minutes (31), points (7) and assists (2).
After going to the free throw line only once in the first half, the Hawkeyes were able to attempt 16 in the second half and finished the game 15-17 (.882). Rutgers, a team that averaged 62 percent from the foul line entering the contest made 11-13 (.846).
The contest was Iowa’s first in nine days, coming off of final exams.
Final Game Notes ? Rutgers improved to 2-0 against Iowa with its 70-53 win. The Hawkeyes fell to 17-7 against current Big East Conference squads.
? After being held scoreless in Iowa’s last game at UW-Green Bay, Megan Skouby netted the Hawkeyes’ first six points. Skouby, whose family was in attendance from Ohio, finished the game with a game-high 19 points.
? Wendy Ausdemore collected 15 points, three assists and a team-high six rebounds. It marked the eighth time this season she has scored double figures. Ausdemore started the game sinking her first three field goal attempts behind the arc.
? Iowa made 40 percent (6-15) of its 3-point attempts.
? Rutgers made 51 percent (27-53) of its field goal attempts, an Iowa opponent season best.
? Rutgers starter and second leading rebounder, Essence Carson, did not play due to an injury she sustained in its previous game.
New York Minute ? The women’s basketball team was able to enjoy New York City Sunday before flying back to Iowa City. The Hawkeyes started the day at Battery Park. Iowa then walked around “Ground Zero”, viewed Central Park and spent some time shopping on 5th Avenue. The day concluded with an amazing Broadway show “Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes” at Radio City Music Hall and some time at the very busy Times Square.
Saturday Night ? Last Saturday night, the Hawkeye men and women’s basketball teams competed against former coaches, both of whom are Iowa’s all-time winningest coach. The women played at Rutgers, a team coached by C. Vivian Stringer. The men competed at Drake, a squad led by Tom Davis.
Skouby Named to Watch List ? Megan Skouby is one of 50 of the country’s top collegiate women’s basketball players named as preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy. The preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy, which is presented to the men’s and women’s player of the year, was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors. The board based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2006-07 season.
RPI Ratings ? Iowa ranks 40th, while Northern Iowa ranks 120th in the RPI rankings published on December 18, on collegerpi.com/women. Currently, the Big Ten Conference is the nation’s best rated league.
Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 28th nationally in attendance, averaging 3,509 fans. The Hawkeyes have ranked in the top 25, 15 of the last 17 seasons.
Behind the Arc ? Iowa has three players who have drained over 12 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (22), Lindsey Nyenhuis (15) and Kristi Smith — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, the Hawkeyes rank fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.82).
On the Road Again ? Iowa is in the middle of a stretch where it plays four of five games on the road.
Graham Steps Up ? With Iowa’s leading rebounder (Krista VandeVenter) sidelined for the first seven contests, Jenee Graham stepped up and filled the rebounding void. She grabbed double-digit rebounds in 8-11 contests and has been Iowa’s leading rebounder in nine games. Graham corralled a career-high 14 rebounds against Indiana State and Louisiana Tech.
Graham averages 5.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, is the Big Ten’s leading rebounder (10.1) and ranks second in defensive rebounding (7.1). She also ranks seventh in assists (3.7). Graham has dished out four dimes or more seven times this year.
The junior is the first Iowa player to average double figures in rebounding this far into the season, since Amy Herrig in 1998-99 (11.3).
Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of the games. The Hawkeyes are 45-56 (.804) in the last five minutes, 24-31 (.774) under two minutes and 26-30 (.867) with under a minute to play.
Iowa has made 190-238 from the foul line this season. The Hawkeyes’ 79.8 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 127-173 (.734) from the charity stripe. The Hawkeyes rank second in the country in free throws made per game (17.3).
Iowa is well on pace to break the school record of 512 free throws made, established in 2002-03.
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.
Nyenhuis ranks 13th in Big Ten 3-point field goal percentage (.326).
Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard through 11 games. Smith ranks second in team scoring (12.6) and assists (3.45) and first in free throws made (49) 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 four times, including scoring 20-plus points twice, and led the team in steals eight times.
Big Ten Rankings ? Iowa ranks first in Big Ten free throw percentage (.798), fourth in 3-pointers made (4.82) and assist/turnover ratio (0.94). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks first in rebounding (10.1), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.78) and seventh in assists (3.73). Wendy Ausdemore ranks fifth in 3-pointers made (2.0). Megan Skouby ranks eighth in scoring (14.6) and sixth in blocks (1.55). Kristi Smith ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.860) and 10th in assists (3.45).
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.
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 6-11 contests this
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 16-50 (.320) from 3-point range.
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 693 career games (476-217, .687) and 194 contests (120-75, .615) 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 11-4 with only three events remaining. Iowa was victorious in women’s soccer (1-0, OT), football (27-17), wrestling (24-6) men’s basketball (77-59) and women’s swimming (181.5-117.5). Iowa State won volleyball (3-2) and women’s basketball (80-74).
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, 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 years. 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.
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.
Due to the holidays, the show will go on a two-week hiatus and will resume on Monday, January 8.
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 concludes its non-conference schedule at Drake on Saturday. The Hawkeyes will then have a Christmas break and return to action in their first Big Ten game of the season at Minnesota on Dec. 28.