Hawkeyes Travel to Northwestern Sunday

Jan. 5, 2007

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The Setting ? Iowa (9-7, 1-2) returns to action Sunday when it travels to Evanston, IL, to take on Northwestern (6-9, 0-2). Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m. in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Sunday will be the only regular season meeting between the two teams this season.

Sunday will be Northwestern’s first Big Ten home game. If there are 3,000 pre-sold tickets, Wildcat Head Coach Beth Combs will coach the contest with her hair dyed purple.

Number of the Week – – 200 ? Coach Lisa Bluder coached in her 200th game as Iowa’s head coach Wednesday night. Bluder is the second all-time winningest coach at Iowa with a 122-78 (.610) record in seven seasons on the Hawkeye sidelines.

Report Cards Good For Admission ? Elementary school, junior high and high school fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes 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 Iowa’s home game on 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 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 Hawkeyes host nationnaly-ranked Michigan State.

Iowa History ? Iowa has played 924 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 563-361 (.609). That includes a 278-133 (.676) mark in Big Ten games and a 256-75 (.773) 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 Sunday’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.

The game can also be heard over XM Satellite Radio on Channel, 1999.

All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the 50th meeting between Iowa and Northwestern, with the Hawkeyes leading the series 37-12. Iowa boasts a 17-5 advantage in games played in Evanston.

The Hawkeyes have won 11 straight in the series, including five consecutive at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Iowa boasts a 19.7 margin of victory during the winning streak, including a 25.0 margin of victory in contests played at Evanston. The Wildcats’ last win over Iowa came at the 2000 Big Ten Tournament (53-52) in Indianapolis.

Difficult Home Schedule ? Iowa’s first three conference home games come against the only Big Ten teams that are ranked. The Hawkeyes lost to seventh-ranked Ohio State (73-67) on Dec. 31 and 10th-ranked Purdue (68-58) on Jan. 3. Iowa hosts nationally-ranked Michigan State on Jan. 14.

Scouting Northwestern ? After playing five of its last six games on the road, Northwestern returns home for four of its next five. The Wildcats started the season winning six of their first seven games, but since have lost eight consecutive contests, including their first two Big Ten games.

On Thursday, Northwestern was routed at Penn State, 85-53. Three Wildcat starters made only one field goal, including leading scorer A.J. Glasauer. The senior missed her first seven shots from the field, before making her final attempt late in the contest. Junior guard Sara Stutz scored a team-high 16 points and had three steals and four rebounds in the losing effort. Penn State closed the first half on a 36-9 run to take a comfortable 27-point (49-22) halftime lead. The Lady Lions shot a blistering 72.7 percent (16-22) from the floor and a perfect 15-15 (1.000) from the foul line in the first half. Penn State outscored Northwestern 42-22 in the paint and 24-15 in points off turnovers.

Northwestern is led by Glasauer and Stutz. Glasauer ranks first in team scoring (13.3) and assists (51), while Stutz ranks second in scoring (13.2) and first in 3-pointers made (21). The Wildcats have five players who have made nine-or-more treys. Junior Melissa Miller ranks first in team rebounding (6.9).

Northwestern is coached by Beth Combs, who is her third season (17-56, .233) as the Wildcats’ head coach and her sixth (61-101, .377) as a collegiate head coach.

Iowa, Northwestern Notes ? Iowa is 98-11 when leading at the half in the seven years under Coach Bluder. Additionally, Iowa is 79-13 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 33-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Iowa ranks third in the country in free throws made, sixth in free throw percentage and 46th in assists per game. Jenee Graham ranks 29th in rebounds per contest.
? Twenty-three percent of Iowa’s offensive production has come from the free throw line with 254 of its 1,087 points coming from the charity stripe.
? Megan Skouby has made all 10 of her free throw attempts since Big Ten play began.
? Two of Sunday’s officials, Dennis Mayer and David Stewart, worked together in Thursday night’s Minnesota-Ohio State women’s game in Columbus.
? Iowa is 8-0 when having a higher field goal percentage, 7-0 when opponents shoot less than 40 percent from 3-point range this season. The Hawkeyes are also 8-3 when having more assists.
? Iowa is 5-3 in games played on January 7. The Hawkeyes have won five of their last six contests played on this date.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 531 career rebounds and ranks 14th in Iowa career rebounding. VandeVenter is only five rebounds from tying Kim Howard (536) for 13th.

Last Meeting ? Iowa won its 11th straight game over Northwestern with a 76-61 triumph at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 9, 2006.

Iowa’s frontcourt of Megan Skouby, Krista VandeVenter and Morgan Kasperek sparked the Hawkeyes. The trio combined for 37 points on 16-26 shooting from the field (.615) and 5-6 from the foul line (.833) and also grabbed 24 rebounds. VandeVenter posted her sixth career double-double, collecting 13 points and 13 rebounds. She also dished out four assists. Skouby netted a game-high 16 points, while Kasperek added eight points.

Iowa jumped out to a quick 9-0 advantage in the first 4:30. Northwestern missed its first nine field goal attempts during the scoring drought. The Hawkeyes had an eight-point cushion (34-28) at the half.

Northwestern opened the second half on a 12-7 run to close the Iowa advantage to three (41-38) with 15:30 remaining. The Hawkeyes answered the Wildcats’ surge and re-established a double digit lead by the eight-minute mark. Iowa’s lead swelled to as many as 23 points in the closing minutes.

For the second-straight game, Iowa shot a blistering percent from the free throw line. The Hawkeyes converted 21-23 from the charity stripe for a 91.3 percent shooting percentage. The Wildcats only managed to get to the foul line 12 times, converting nine.

Northwestern had two players post double-doubles. Ifeoma Okonkwo tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kristin Cartwright registered 13 points and 11 rebounds in defeat.

Double Trouble ? Sophomores Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith have had a fantastic start to the Big Ten schedule leading the Hawkeyes. In conference games only statistics, Ausdemore ranks 11th in scoring (15.0), third in field goal percentage (.696), first in 3-point field goal percentage (.667, 8-12) and fourth in 3-pointers made (2.67). Smith ranks first in assists (8.0) and assist/turnover ratio (3.43) and fourth in steals (3.33).

No Sophomore Slump ? Wendy Ausdemore and Megan Skouby have already cracked the top-five in sophomore records for 3-pointers made and blocks, respectively.

Ausdemore’s 30 triples rank third among sophomores. She needs four more try to tie Nadine Domond (1995-96) for second. The record is 60 established by Lindsaey Meder (1999-2000).

Skouby’s 26 rejections rank third. She is 14 blocks from tying Toni Foster (1990-91). Tangela Smith (1996-97) is the record holder with 69. Furthermore, Skouby has 73 career blocks, which rank ninth-best in Iowa career annals. She needs five more to equal Lisa Long’s total of 78 for eighth place.

Last Time Out ? Purdue senior Katie Gearlds scored a game-high 27 points to help lift the 10th-ranked Boilermakers to their seventh straight victory with a 68-58 triumph over Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The loss spoiled Lisa Bluder’s 200th game as Iowa’s head coach.

Gearlds shot 9-18 from the field, including 5-8 from behind the 3-point arc, and was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line. Freshman FahKara Malone contributed 12 points and a team-high six assists, while senior Erin Lawless added 11 points and five rebounds.

Iowa went on a 9-0 run midway through the first half to grab a 21-19 advantage with 5:05 left. The Hawkeyes’ lead was short-lived, however, as Purdue closed the half on a 13-3 run to take an eight-point lead (32-24) into intermission.

Purdue’s lead swelled to as many as 14, but Iowa’s sophomore class fought back. Lead by point guard Kristi Smith and small forward Wendy Ausdemore, the Hawkeyes clawed back to within five points (61-56) after four straight points by Smith with 2:36 remaining in the game. But, the Boilermakers answered with seven consecutive points to rebulid their lead and hold on for the victory.

Smith posted career highs in points (24), field goals made (9) and attempted (14) and 3-pointers made (4). She also grabbed five rebounds and dished out a game-high seven assists and had only one turnover.

Ausdemore netted 12 points and corralled six rebounds, while sophomore Megan Skouby added 10 points in defeat.

Purdue’s half-court trap appeared to give the Hawkeyes problems as it forced 21 Hawkeye turnovers, including 14 in the first half. The Boilermakers scored 18 points off Iowa’s miscues, including 14 in the first stanza.

Iowa did record its second-largest rebounding of the season, outrebounding Purdue by 10 (36-26). The Hawkeyes pulled down 14 offensive boards, while limiting the Boilermakers to only five.

Final Game Notes ? Purdue has now won eight of the last nine games in the series that has reached 50 games.
? Kristi Smith became the first Hawkeye to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back games since Megan Skouby accomplished the feat in games on Nov. 18 and Nov. 21.
? Kristi Smith has scored 20-plus points in consecutive games and has dished out a league-best 24 assists in the first three Big Ten games.
? Purdue senior Katie Gearlds’ 27 points are the most scored by an opponent this season.
? Iowa’s first 30 points were scored by sophomores Kristi Smith, Wendy Ausdemore and Megan Skouby. In fact, five sophomores accounted for 54 of Iowa’s 58 points. Juniors Stacy Schlapkohl and Krista VandeVenter scored two points each.
? Both teams made eight 3-pointers. Purdue ranks second in Big Ten 3-point field goal percentage, while Iowa ranks third.
? Iowa attempted and made a season-low six free throws. The Hawkeyes’ previous season low for free throws made (10) and attempted (13) occurred against both Samford and Minnesota. Purdue converted 8-10 from the foul line.
? Purdue shot 50 percent (26-52) from the field. The Boilermakers become the second straight Iowa opponent to shoot better than 50 percent. Ohio State made 58 percent (28-48) of its shots last Sunday.
? Iowa’s post players made only 5-21 (.238) from the field, while its perimeter players were 17-36 (.472) against the Big Ten’s best defensive team. The Boilermakers rank first in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
? Lindsey Nyenhuis drained two triples tonight, marking the eighth time this season she made two 3-pointers or more in a game.

Triple Play ? Iowa has three players averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.1), Kristi Smith (12.8) and Wendy Ausdemore (11.4). The Hawkeyes’ top three scorers are sophomores.

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 Tip-off 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 52nd, while Northwestern ranks 138th in the RPI rankings published on January 6, on collegerpi.com/women. Currently, the Big Ten Conference is the nation’s best rated league.

Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 30th nationally in attendance, averaging 3,489 fans. Iowa has ranked in the top-25 fifteen of the last 17 seasons.

Behind the Arc ? Iowa has three players who have drained over 15 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (30), Lindsey Nyenhuis (21) and Kristi Smith (19) — all of whom are sophomores.

As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.69).

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.

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 10-16 contests and has been Iowa’s leading rebounder in 13 games. Graham corralled a career-high 14 rebounds against Indiana State and Louisiana Tech.

Graham averages 5.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.13 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks second in Big Ten rebounding (9.6) and 15th in assists (3.13). Graham has dished out four dimes or more seven times this year.

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 games. The Hawkeyes are 63-81 (.778) in the last five minutes, 28-39 (.718) under two minutes and 30-38 (.789) under a minute to play.

Iowa has made 254-323 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.6 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 174-247 (.704) from the charity stripe.

Iowa is on pace to break the school record of 512 free throws made, set in 2002-03 and free throw percentage mark of 76.9 set in 2003-04.

Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard through 16 games. Smith ranks second in team scoring (12.8) and free throws made (60) and first in assists (4.38).

Smith has led the team in scoring six times, including scoring 20-plus points four times, and led the team in steals 11 times.

The native of Thornton, CO, has been on fire in the first three conference games. She leads the team in conference scoring (17.3) and assists (8.0) and second in assist/turnover ratio (3.43). Smith has made six of her last nine 3-point field goal attempts and has led the Hawkeyes in scoring the last two contests, putting up career numbers.

Big Ten Rankings ? Iowa ranks first in Big Ten free throw percentage (.786), third in rebounds allowed (33.8) and 3-point field goal percentage (.362) and fourth in 3-pointers made (4.69) and assist/turnover ratio (0.94). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks second in rebounding (9.6), ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.28) and 15th in assists (3.13). Wendy Ausdemore ranks sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (.380) and eighth in 3-pointers made (1.88). Megan Skouby ranks 10th in scoring (14.1), third in free throw percentage (.867) and fifth in blocks (1.63). Kristi Smith ranks fourth in assists (4.38) and free throw percentage (.845), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.35), 13th in steals (1.87) and 15th in scoring (12.8).

Senior Update ? Redshirt senior Johanna Solverson, who is Iowa’s lone senior, suffered her second ACL tear on her right knee in late June. It is hopeful that she will return to game action in January. She participated in pre-game warmups for the first time at Drake on December 22.

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.

Home, Away Comparisons ? Iowa has a higher free throw percentage on the road than at home. The Hawkeyes have converted 82.9 percent (121-146) of its road foul shots, compared to 75.1 percent (133-177) at home. Iowa averages 7.0 more points per game, 5.6 more assists and 3.1 more rebounds at home than on the road. Here are the home and away comparisons:

    FG%  3-PT%   FT% REB AST TO  PTSHome    .444    .373    .751    37.4    18.7    16.4    71.0Away    .437    .348    .829    34.3    13.1    18.4    64.0

Wins, Losses Comparisons ? There are big differentials in the stats between Iowa’s wins and losses. The Hawkeyes score an average of 15.2 more points and shoot 7.9 percent better from the field in their victories. Iowa averages 5.4 more rebounds and 2.7 more assists in wins than losses. Here are the wins and losses comparisons:

    FG%  3-PT%   FT% REB AST TO  PTSWins    .475    .374    .787    38.4    17.4    16.3    74.6Losses  .396    .396    .784    33.0    14.7    18.6    59.4

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 698 career games (478-220, .684) and 200 contests (122-78, .610) 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 does not have a senior in the starting lineup. Iowa’s starting lineup includes three sophomores (Wendy Ausdemore, Kristi Smith and Megan Skouby) and two juniors (Jenee Graham and 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 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.

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.

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.

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 remain on the road when it travels to Indiana for the only regular season meeting between the two squads next Thursday. The Hawkeyes’ next home contest will come against Michigan State on Jan. 14. The game against the Spartans will also be Iowa’s annual “Girl Scout Day”.