Dec. 21, 2006
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The Setting ? Iowa (7-5) will look to snap a three-game losing streak Friday night when the Hawkeyes travel to Des Moines to take on Drake (5-4). The game is slated to tip-off at 7:05 p.m. in the Knapp Center. Friday will be Iowa’s final non-conference game of the season.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 920 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 561-359 (.610). That includes a 277-131 (.679) mark in Big Ten games and a 256-73 (.778) 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 Friday’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.
Scouting Drake ? Drake has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference by league coaches, sports information directors and media members. The Bulldogs lost four straight games before snapping the losing skid with a 72-65 triumph over Oregon State last Sunday.
Brandy Dahir and Lindsay Whorton led Drake in its win over the Beavers. Dahir posted a game and career-high 31 points and also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in collecting her sixth career double-double. Whorton added 20 points and five rebounds. Drake paraded to the free throw line 26 times, but managed to only make 14 (.538).
Drake is without the services of two starters, senior Jill Martin and sophomore Jordan Plummer. Martin, who was named to the MVC Preseason team, is sidelined after suffering a back injury. Before her injury, Martin played in five games and led the team in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (6.8). Plummer broke her right foot in the Iowa State loss on December 5, and averaged 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in six games for the Bulldogs.
Dahir averages 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Whorton averages 11.7 points and 3.8 rebounds. The Bulldogs average only 13.6 turnovers and shoot at a 45 percent clip from the field.
Drake is coached by Amy Stephens, who is in his 13th season (249-89, .737) as a head coach, and her fourth with the Bulldogs (52-46, .531).
All-Time Series Record ? Friday will be the 39th meeting between Iowa and Drake, with the Bulldogs leading the series 24-14. Two of the last nine contests went into overtime, with each team winning one. Drake holds a 11-6 advantage in games played in Des Moines.
After losing four straight (1998-2002) in the series, Iowa has won four consecutive meetings, including two straight at the Knapp Center. The Bulldogs’ last victory over the Hawkeyes came Nov. 25, 2001 when Drake outlasted Iowa in overtime (75-72) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Additionally, the Hawkeyes are 46-37 (.554) in games against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference, including winning 11 of their last 13 contests against MVC squads. Iowa is 3-1 against the MVC this year, picking up wins over Missouri State, Indiana State and Creighton and losing to Northern Iowa.
Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder is 4-2 against her former team.
Iowa, Drake Ties ? Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder coached 10 successful seasons at Drake before joining the Hawkeyes. Associate Head Coach Jan Jensen and Assistant Coach Jenni Fitzgerald both played and coached at Drake. Jensen is one of only two Drake women’s basketball players to have her uniform number retired.
Iowa, Drake Notes ? Iowa has never lost four straight games under Coach Bluder. The last time the Hawkeyes lost four consecutive games was in December during the 1999-00 season.
? The Hawkeyes are 51-25 (.671) in non-conference contests under Coach Bluder.
? 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.
? Twenty-five percent of Iowa’s offensive production has come from the free throw line with 206 of its 827 points coming from the charity stripe.
? 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 seven 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 and 36th in assists per game. Jenee Graham ranks 21st in rebounds per contest.
? Iowa is 2-1 in games played on December 22, including winning its last two. Saturday will be the first time the Hawkeyes will have played on December 22 since its triumph over Northwestern in 2001.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 506 career rebounds and ranks 15th in Iowa career rebounding. VandeVenter is only one rebound from tying Tia Jackson (507) for 14th.
Last Meeting ? Iowa returned to action after a 10-day layoff and cruised to a 92-72 victory over Drake at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa dominated the undersized Drake squad, out-scoring the Bulldogs 44-32 in the paint. Hawkeye post players Krista VandeVenter, Stacy Schlapkohl and Megan Skouby combined for 47 points and 17 rebounds. The trio shot at a 77.8 percent clip (21-27) from the floor and 83.3 percent (5-6) from the foul line.
Skouby netted 19 points (9-11 FG, 1-2 FT). Skouby scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half, as the freshman only played four minutes in the first half after being whistled for two quick fouls.
VandeVenter scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half. She also corralled seven rebounds, dished out four assists and collected four steals.
Schlapkohl contributed 12 of her 14 points in the first half. The native of Durant, IA, also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and collected two assists.
Receiving her first collegiate start was Kristi Smith. She directed the Hawkeye offense for 25 minutes, scoring four points, dishing out four assists and pulling down two rebounds. Iowa’s other Smith, Crystal, added a game-high 21 points (10-14 FG) and also collected four assists and four steals.
Drake was led by Jill Martin. Martin tallied 17 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.
Iowa started the game on fire, sinking 12 of its first 16 shots from the floor and claiming a 16-point advantage (28-12) by the second media timeout of the first period. Iowa went into the locker room with a comfortable 45-29 lead. The Hawkeyes shot a blistering 60.6 percent (20-33) from the field in the first stanza.
The 92 points are the most yielded by a Drake team since the Bulldogs surrendered 90 against Iowa State on Dec. 5, 2001.
Trio ? Iowa has three players averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.3), Kristi Smith (12.4) and Wendy Ausdemore (11.3). The Hawkeyes’ top three scorers are sophomores.
Last Time Out ? Northern Iowa sank a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record 14 triples en route to an 83-62 victory over Iowa Tuesday night in Iowa City.
The victory was only the second win in 12 games all-time in the series for UNI and the first in school history in Iowa City. It was also the fourth win in a row for the Panthers and evened their record at 5-5.
The Panthers were in command of the game from start-to-finish in good measure as a result of their hot shooting. The visitors drained 28-51 from the field, including a school-record 14-25 (.560) from behind the arc. UNI’s previous record for triples in a game was 11. The previous record for treys by a team in Carver-Hawkeye Arena was 11. Iowa nailed 11 against Colorado during the 2000-01 season.
The Hawkeyes committed 20 turnovers in the game, but 12 came in the first half alone when the visitors were racing to leads that often reached the mid-20s. Iowa managed to trim the margin to 42-27 at intermission.
However, the Panthers went right back to the well in the second stanza, taking a 47-27 lead at the 18:22 mark of the second half when Tara King knocked down a three. The Panthers’ lead surpassed 30 five minutes later when King followed a 3-pointer by Megan Keefe with one of her own to put UNI ahead 66-35.
Keefe paced a group of four Panthers who scored double figures with 19 points. Sarah Larsen added 15, Jessie Biggs 12 and Traci Ollendieck 12.
Ollendieck, who was a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc, was one of seven different Panthers who made 3-point baskets: King, Larsen, Biggs and Nicole Clausen each had two.
Iowa was led in scoring by Jenee Graham’s career-high 14 points. The small forward also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to register her second double-double as a Hawkeye. Megan Skouby, Kristi Smith, Krista VandeVenter and Nicole VanderPol each scored 10 points for the Hawkeyes. VanderPol’s total equaled a career high, while VandeVenter established a season high.
The Hawkeyes won the battle of the boards (37-24) and second chance points (15-3).
Report Cards Good For Admission ? Elementary school, junior high and high school fans of Iowa’s men’s and women’s basketball teams can gain free admission to upcoming basketball events by presenting a copy of their progress report or report card to receive a free game ticket.
The report card exchange will be in effect for men’s home games Dec. 20 (Georgia State, 7:05 p.m.) and Dec. 23 (Texas Southern, 12:05 p.m.) and women’s home games on Dec. 31 (Ohio State, 2 p.m.) and Jan. 14 (Michigan State, 2 p.m.).
Elementary students must present a copy of their most recent report card or “progress report”. Junior high and high school students can gain free admission by presenting a copy of their most recent report card with at least one “A” grade.
The cards need to be presented at any of the ticket office windows on game day/night. The students must be accompanied by an adult, who must have purchased a full-priced ticket. The student tickets may also be exchanged in advance at the Athletic Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Those students who present a copy of their progress report or report card at any of the four basketball events will have a chance to win a home computer system from Best Buy. That drawing will be held Jan. 14 when the Hawkeye women host Michigan State.
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.
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.
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 59th, while Drake ranks 132nd in the RPI rankings published on December 21, 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 13 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (22), Lindsey Nyenhuis (16) and Kristi Smith (13) — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, the Hawkeyes rank fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.58).
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 9-12 contests and has been Iowa’s leading rebounder in 10 games. Graham corralled a career-high 14 rebounds against Indiana State and Louisiana Tech.
Graham averages 6.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.58 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, is the Big Ten’s leading rebounder (10.2) and ranks second in defensive rebounding (6.8). She also ranks seventh in assists (3.58). 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).
Graham led Iowa in scoring for the first time in her career when she netted a career-high 14 points vs. Northern Iowa.
Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of the games. The Hawkeyes are 47-58 (.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 206-258 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 140-192 (.729) from the charity stripe. The Hawkeyes rank second nationally in free throws made (206).
Iowa is 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 12 games. Smith ranks second in team scoring (12.4) and assists (3.5) and first in free throws made (52) and percentage (.852). 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 6-12 contests this season. Schlapkohl ranks fourth in team scoring (9.8).
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 22-67 (.328) 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 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 694 career games (476-218, .686) and 196 contests (120-76, .612) 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.
Fans looking for a direct source for lodging in the Indianapolis area can visit the following web site: www.indy.org/bigtenwomens
On the Horizon ? Iowa will enjoy a brief Christmas break and return to action in its first Big Ten game of the season at Minnesota on Dec. 28. The Hawkeyes return home when they welcome nationally-ranked Ohio State on Dec. 31.