Jan. 8, 2007
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The Setting ? Iowa (10-7, 2-2) remains on the road when it travels to Bloomington, IN, to face Indiana (13-4, 2-2). Tip-off is slated for 6:05 p.m. (CST) in Assembly Hall. The Hawkeyes have won three consecutive road games, while the Hoosiers have won seven of eight at home this season. Thursday will be the only regular season meeting between the two teams this year.
Number of the Week – – 700 ? Coach Lisa Bluder will be coaching in her 700th game as a head coach Thursday night. Bluder, Iowa’s second all-time winningest coach, is in her 23rd season as a collegiate head coach with a 479-220 (.685) overall record. She coached in her 200th game at Iowa last week. Bluder currently sits 32nd in career winning percentage for Division I active coaches.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 925 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 564-361 (.610). That includes a 279-133 (.677) 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 Thursday’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.
Senior Update ? Head Coach Lisa Bluder announced that forward Johanna Solverson will sit out the remainder of the 2006-07 season and apply for a sixth year of eligibility.
“I think Johanna made a very wise decision because now we’ll have Johanna for a full year rather than having her at 40-50 percent for 10 games,” said Bluder. “She wants to end her basketball career on a positive note. This decision bodes well for the future of our program.”
Solverson, a fifth-year senior, suffered a second tear of the anterior cruciate ligament on her right knee during a Game Time League contest last June in North Liberty. Solverson sustained her first ACL injury in July 2005 in a “pick-up” game in Chicago.
“I don’t think I’m physically and mentally prepared to come back at this time,” said Solverson. “I believe this is the right decision after sitting down and listening to the coaching staff and my family. I’d rather finish my collegiate career with a full season. It will be exciting coming back next season with everyone coming back.”
Solverson played in all but one game her first three seasons. The only game she missed was vs. Kansas State on December 12, 2003 due to an ankle injury. One of Iowa’s most versatile players, she boasts a career average of 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.02 assists and 1.67 steals in 94 games.
During the 2004-05 campaign, Solverson became only the second Iowa player to amass over 350 points, 125 assists and rebounds and 70 steals in a single season (Michelle Edwards). She averaged 10.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.12 assists and 2.12 steals in 33 contests. Her 4.12 assists average ranked third in the Big Ten and led all conference juniors.
The native of Lake Zurich, IL, ranks ninth in Iowa career assists (284), 12th in steals (157), 20th in rebounding (408) and 29th in scoring (802).
All-Time Series Record ? Thursday will be the 50th meeting between Iowa and Indiana, with the Hawkeyes leading the series 36-13. Iowa is 13-9 in games played in Bloomington.
The Hawkeyes have won five of the last six in the series, including two of the last three in Assembly Hall. Each team won on its home floor last year. Indiana defeated Iowa (65-53) in Bloomington to open Big Ten play, while the Hawkeyes topped the Hoosiers (78-70) in Iowa City to close league play.
Scouting Indiana ? Indiana is in the middle of a stretch of playing four of six on the road. Following Thursday’s game, the Hoosiers will play a home-and-home with nationally-ranked Purdue.
Indiana lost its last home contest (64-56) to nationally-ranked Michigan State in overtime on Jan. 4, before rebounding with a 71-64 road win at Illinois last Sunday. Sophomore Kim Roberson led all players with a career-high 28 points on 11-17 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers, in the Hoosiers’ victory against the Fighting Illini. With the game tied (27-27) at the half, Indiana opened the second half on a 23-13 run and withstood two Illinois charges to hold on for the seven-point triumph.
Indiana went 11-2 in non-conference play, including big road wins by the same score of 54-51 at 15th-ranked Kentucky and Notre Dame. Both Iowa and Indiana defeated Kansas this season by nearly the same score; the Hawkeyes downed the Jayhawks 63-49, while the Hoosiers won 63-48.
The Hoosiers have only one player average double figures in scoring. Junior Nikki Smith ranks first in team scoring (12.6), sophomore Whitney Thomas ranks first in rebounding (9.1) and senior Sarah McKay ranks first in blocks (1.35) and third in scoring (9.3).
Indiana ranks second in steals (10.65), third in 3-pointers made (5.47) and fourth in turnover margin (+1.18) and field goal percentage defense (.369) in Big Ten all games rankings.
Indiana is coached by Felisha Legette-Jack, who is her first season (13-4, .765) as the Hoosiers’ head coach and her sixth (67-67, .500) as a collegiate head coach.
Iowa, Indiana Notes ? Iowa is 99-11 when leading at the half in the seven years under Coach Bluder. Additionally, Iowa is 80-13 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 33-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Iowa and Indiana are two of four teams tied for fourth in the Big Ten standings with 2-2 records; Illinois and Minnesota are the other two teams.
? Indiana senior Sarah McKay is one of only two Big Ten women’s basketball players who stand taller than Iowa 6-6 sophomore Megan Skouby. McKay stands 6-7, while Michigan State freshman Alyssa DeHaan is 6-9.
? Megan Skouby started her first career game in Iowa’s Big Ten Conference opener at Indiana on December 29, 2005. Skouby had 10 points and seven rebounds in only 19 minutes of action.
? Indiana and Iowa boast three of the top sophomore scorers during Big Ten play. Iowa’s Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith have each scored 63 points and their 15.8 league scoring average ties for eighth in Big Ten rankings. Indiana’s Kim Roberson has scored 61 points and ranks 10th.
? Iowa ranks sixth in free throw percentage (.787), 35th in 3-point field goal percentage (.366) and 43rd in assists (16.2) per game. Jenee Graham ranks 34th in rebounds (9.5) per contest, while Megan Skouby ranks 28th in free throw percentage (.875).
? Twenty-three percent of Iowa’s offensive production has come from the free throw line with 266 of its 1,150 points coming from the charity stripe.
? Megan Skouby has made all 15 of her free throw attempts since Big Ten play began.
? Iowa is 9-0 when having a higher field goal percentage, 8-0 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 0-2 in games played on January 11.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 537 career rebounds and ranks 13th in Iowa career rebounding. She is 27 rebounds from tying Necole Tunsil (564) for 12th.
? Iowa played its 50th game against its last two opponents (Purdue and Northwestern) and will play its 50th contest against Indiana this Thursday.
? Indiana senior Leah Enterline is the daughter of NCAA women’s basketball official Bryan Enterline.
Last Meeting ? All five Iowa starters scored in double figures to lead the Hawkeyes to a crucial 78-70 triumph over Indiana at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 26, 2006.
The victory secured the Hawkeyes fifth place in the Big Ten standings and gave Iowa a first round bye at the 2006 Big Ten Tournament.
A pair of freshmen sparked the Hawkeyes on “Senior Night.” Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith tallied 19 and 18 points, respectively. Skouby recorded 11 of her team-best 19 at the foul line, while Smith scored eight of her career-high 18 at the charity stripe. The duo combined for 19-21 (.905) from the foul line.
Skouby also pulled down five rebounds, while Smith dished out a team-best four assists. Smith scored in double figures for the fifth time in seven games, while Skouby posted double figures for the 14th-straight contest.
After only going to the free throw line five times in the earlier loss at Indiana on Dec. 29, the Hawkeyes marched to the charity strip 36 times, converting a season-high 29. Iowa out-scored Indiana 29-14 at the free throw line.
Trailing 8-4 early in the contest, Iowa went on an 18-0 run to grab a commanding 22-8 advantage at the 12:00 mark of the first period. Indiana kept chipping away at the Hawkeye led and closed within two points (32-20) with 37 second left in the half. A Tiffany Reedy triple with 10 seconds left gave the Hawkeyes a five-point edge (35-30) and momentum going into the half.
Iowa’s lead again swelled to double digits after five minutes of play in the second half, but again Indiana kept fighting and closed the Hawkeye advantage back to two (49-47) with 11:33 left. Iowa responded by scoring the next six points. Iowa maintained its lead the rest of the way, sinking 12 of its last 13 fouls shots the final six minutes.
Indiana was led by seniors Cyndi Valentin and Jenny DeMuth. Valentin poured in a game-high 30 points, while DeMith recorded a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds).
Double Trouble ? Sophomores Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith have had a fantastic start to the Big Ten schedule. In conference games only statistics, Ausdemore ranks 13th in scoring (14.5), first in 3-point field goal percentage (.667, 10-15), second in field goal percentage (.700) and fourth in 3-pointers made (2.5). Smith ranks first in assists (7.25), second in assist/turnover ratio (2.9), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.467, 7-15), sixth in steals (3.0) and eighth in scoring (15.8).
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 32 triples rank third among sophomores. She needs only two more try to tie Nadine Domond (1995-96) for second. The record is 60 established by Lindsaey Meder (1999-2000).
Skouby’s 27 rejections rank third. She is 13 blocks from tying Toni Foster (1990-91). Tangela Smith (1996-97) is the record holder with 69. Furthermore, Skouby has 74 career blocks, which rank ninth-best in Iowa career annals. She needs four more to equal Lisa Long’s total of 78 for eighth place.
Last Time Out ? Iowa’s Megan Skouby scored Iowa’s final eight points in the final 3:08 as the Hawkeyes held on to win their 12th straight over Northwestern with a 63-61 win at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Iowa led 63-61, but Northwestern had an opportunity to tie the score, but Beth Marshall’s baseline jumper with four seconds left missed iron and Iowa’s Jenee Graham corralled her seventh rebound to secure the victory.
Skouby had her best game of the season scoring a game and season-high 25 points on 10-17 shooting from the field and 5-5 from the foul line, and tied a career high with nine rebounds.
Iowa trailed 23-19 late in the first half, but went on a 12-2 run spanning halves to grab a six-point advantage (31-25). Leading 39-36, the Hawkeyes went on a 7-0 run to stretch their lead to 10 (46-36) midway through the second half. The Wildcats answered later in the half going on a 9-0 run to take a one-point advantage (56-55) with 3:15 left, before Skouby took over.
Kristi Smith tallied 11 points and five assists and Wendy Ausdemore added 13 points and five rebounds in helping lift Iowa to its third consecutive road victory.
Northwestern had two players post double figures. A.J. Glasauer scored 12 of her team-high 17 points in the first half, while Melissa Miller netted 16 points and had eight rebounds. Kaitlin McInerney grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in defeat.
After making only two trips to the free throw line in the first half, Iowa was 11-13 (.846) from the charity stripe in the second stanza.
Iowa’s defense limited Northwestern to only 3-17 (.176) shooting from 3-point range in the victory. The Hawkeyes were 3-6 (.500) from downtown.
Final Game Notes ? Sunday was the 50th meeting between Iowa and Northwestern. Iowa improved to 38-12 all-time against the Wildcats.
? Iowa and Northwestern exchanged baskets the first 8:30 minutes of the second stanza.
? Megan Skouby netted a game and season-high 25 points, marking the 14th time she has tallied double figures and the third time she has scored 20 points or more this season. Kristi Smith scored 11 points, marking the 12th time this season she has tallied double digits. Ausdemore tallied 13 points, marking the 10th time she has posted double figures this season.
? Kristi Smith was 1-2 from 3-point range vs. the Wildcats. The sophomore has made seven of her last eleven 3-point attempts.
? Iowa has won its last two road games by two-point margins (Minnesota, 58-56 and Northwestern 63-61).
? Iowa improves to 9-0 when having a higher field goal percentage than its foes this season. Iowa shot 42.9 percent (24-56), while Northwestern made 38.7 percent (24-62) of its attempts.
? Krista VandeVenter grabbed six rebounds to raise her career total to 537. She passed Kim Howard and now ranks 13th in Iowa career rebounding.
? Sunday was the last time juniors Stacy Schlapkohl, Krista VandeVenter, Abby Emmert and Jenee Graham will have played in Welsh-Ryan Arena at Northwestern. The Hawkeyes only play the Wildcats once next season, in Iowa City.
? Northwestern Head Coach Beth Combs coached the game with her hair dyed purple. The Wildcat coach agreed to coach with purple hair if more than 3,000 tickets were sold. The attendance was 3,121.
? Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith have each led the Hawkeyes in scoring a team-best six times this season.
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.
Iowa is 4-5 in home games whis season, while it boasts a 6-2 record in games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard. Smith ranks second in team scoring (12.7) and free throws made (60) and first in assists (4.41).
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 four conference games. She ranks high in nine statistical categories in Big Ten Conference games only rankings: first in assists (7.25) and minutes played (37.0), second in assist/turnover ratio (2.9), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.467), sixth in steals (3.0), seventh in 3-pointers made (1.75), eighth in scoring (15.8) and 11th in field goal percentage (.490).
Smith has made seven of her last eleven 3-point field goal attempts and has led the Hawkeyes in scoring two of the last three contests, putting up career numbers.
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 vs. Michigan State on Sunday.
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.
Triple Play ? Iowa has three players averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.7), Kristi Smith (12.7) and Wendy Ausdemore (11.5). 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 56th, while Indiana ranks 24th in the RPI rankings published on January 8, on collegerpi.com/women. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 29th, while Indiana’s ranks 19th. Currently, the Big Ten Conference is the nation’s best rated league.
Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 32nd nationally in attendance, averaging 3,446 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 20 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (32), Lindsey Nyenhuis (21) and Kristi Smith (20) — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, Iowa ranks fifth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.59).
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 10-17 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 5.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.06 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks second in Big Ten rebounding (9.5) and 15th in assists (3.06). 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 66-85 (.776) in the last five minutes, 28-39 (.718) under two minutes and 30-38 (.789) under a minute to play.
Iowa has made 266-338 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.7 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 184-261 (.705) 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.
Big Ten Rankings ? Iowa ranks first in Big Ten free throw percentage (.787), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.366), third in rebounds allowed (34.1), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.95) and fifth in 3-pointers made (4.59). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks second in rebounding (9.5) and eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.24). Wendy Ausdemore ranks fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.390) and eighth in 3-pointers made (1.88). Megan Skouby ranks seventh in scoring (14.7), third in free throw percentage (.875) and fifth in blocks (1.59). Kristi Smith ranks second in assists (4.4), fourth in free throw percentage (.845), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.36) and in 13th in steals (1.88) and scoring (12.7).
Home, Away Comparisons ? Iowa has a higher free throw percentage on the road than at home. The Hawkeyes have converted 82.6 percent (133-161) of its road foul shots, compared to 75.1 percent (133-177) at home. Iowa averages 7.1 more points per game, 5.2 more assists and 2.8 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 .435 .358 .826 34.6 13.5 18.0 63.9
Wins, Losses Comparisons ? There are big differentials in the stats between Iowa’s wins and losses. The Hawkeyes score an average of 14.0 more points and shoot 7.4 percent better from the field in their victories. Iowa averages 5.3 more rebounds and 2.6 more assists in wins than losses. Here are the wins and losses comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSWins .470 .381 .788 38.3 17.3 16.2 73.4Losses .396 .396 .784 33.0 14.7 18.6 59.4
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.
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 reached two additional coaching milestones in 2006-07. She coached in her 700th career game and 200th on the Iowa sidelines, both during conference play. The Marion, IA, native has coached in 699 career games (479-220, .685) and 200 contests (123-78, .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 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).
Hawkeyes Traveling Overseas in 2007 ? The women’s basketball team will be traveling overseas for 12 days to Greece, June 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).
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.
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.
Hawkeyes Ink Two ? Kachine Alexander and Kelsey Cermak 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.
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 play back-to-back games against nationally-ranked next week. First, the Hawkeyes host the Spartans on Jan. 14, which is also Iowa’s annual “Girl Scout Day”. One week later, Iowa will travel to Michigan State on Jan. 21.