Jan. 19, 2007
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The Setting ? Iowa (11-8, 3-3) returns to action Sunday when it travels to East Lansing, MI, to face 21st-ranked Michigan State (14-4, 5-1). Tip-off is slated for 1:05 p.m. (CST) at the Breslin Center. The Spartans are 7-3 in home games, while the Hawkeyes are 7-2 in contests away from Iowa City.
Sunday will mark the second time in Iowa’s 33-year history it will play an opponent in consecutive games. The Hawkeyes played Illinois on Feb. 25, 1996, and then again in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on March 1.
On the Radio ? Brent Balbinot and Tiffany Reedy 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.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 927 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 565-362 (.609). That includes a 280-134 (.676) mark in Big Ten games and a 256-76 (.771) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Road Warriors ? Iowa has compiled a 7-2 record in games away from Iowa City this season. The Hawkeyes have won their last four road games, including all three Big Ten road games (Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana). Iowa is the only Big Ten team with three league road wins. Last season, Iowa was 6-9 in road games. The Hawkeyes are 4-6 in home contests this year. Iowa has lost its last four home games.
Iowa is in the middle of a stretch of playing five of seven games on the road. The Hawkeyes conclude the regular season with four of six at home.
All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the 50th meeting between Iowa and Michigan State, with the Hawkeyes leading the series 29-20. Iowa holds a slim 13-9 advantage in games played at East Lansing. Michigan State has won six of the last seven in the series, including last Sunday’s 20-point victory (83-63) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Scouting Michigan State ? No. 21 Michigan State is in the middle of playing four-of-five road games. After winning at Iowa last Sunday, the Spartans won at Michigan Thursday, host the Hawkeyes Sunday, then hit the road again for contests at Penn State (Jan. 25) and Rutgers (Jan. 28).
The Spartans are 13-4 overall, with three of its four setbacks coming to nationally-ranked opponents (No. 1 Maryland, No. 7 LSU and 13th-ranked Purdue).
Michigan State has four scorers averaging double digits. Lucas-Perry ranks first in scoring (13.9), followed by Allyssa DeHaan (12.8), Rene Haynes (11.4) and Aisha Jefferson (10.4). DeHaan ranks second in the nation in blocked shots (4.53) and also ranks first in team rebounding (8.9). Myisha Bannister scored 19 points in the Spartans’ first 15 games as a reserve, but has tallied a combined 25 points the last two contests as a starter.
The Spartans rank first in rebounding (43.0) and blocks (6.44) and second in field goal percentage defense (.344) in Big Ten all games rankings. Nationally, Michigan State ranks sixth in blocks, 14th in field goal percentage defense and 26th in free throw percentage.
Michigan State is most affected by a quirk in this year’s Big Ten scheduling. The Spartans play four league teams (Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern and Penn State) twice in a three-game span.
Michigan State is coached by Joanne P. McCallie, who is in her seventh year (139-70, .665) as the Spartans’ head coach and her 15th season (306-143, .682) as a collegiate head coach.
Iowa, Michigan State Notes ? Freshman Zoraa Quoie has been declared academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. She will remain in school and attempt to regain her academic standing for the 2007-08 campaign. Quoie will be able to practice with the team, but will be unable to play in games or travel with the team. The 5-6 guard played sparingly in three games, averaging 2.0 points, 1.3 steals and 1.0 assists.
? Iowa won its last three road games by a combined eight points, including two contests by four points.
? Iowa is 99-11 when leading at the half in seven years under Coach Bluder. Additionally, Iowa is 81-13 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 33-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Michigan State has one additional non-conference game remaining, at Rutgers on Jan. 28. Iowa lost at Rutgers (70-53) on Dec. 16.
? Spartan freshman Allyssa DeHaan is one of only two players in the Big Ten who stand taller than Iowa 6-6 sophomore Megan Skouby. DeHaan stands 6-9, while Indiana senior Sarah McKay is 6-7.
? Michigan State’s Allyssa DeHaan has amassed 81 blocks in 18 games, while Megan Skouby has 77 rejections in 48 career contests.
? Iowa ranks seventh in the country in free throw percentage, 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage and 42nd in assists per game. Jenee Graham ranks 53rd in rebounds per contest, Megan Skouby ranks 32nd in free throw percentage and Kristi Smith ranks 31st in free throw percentage.
? Twenty-three percent of Iowa’s offensive production has come from the free throw line with 301 of its 1,284 points coming from the charity stripe.
? Megan Skouby has made 21-23 (.913) at the foul line through six league contests.
? Iowa is 10-0 when having a higher field goal percentage, 9-1 when opponents shoot less than 40 percent from 3-point range this season. The Hawkeyes are also 9-3 when having more assists.
? Iowa is 6-5 in games played on January 21, including winning three of the last four contests.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 561 career rebounds and ranks 13th in Iowa career rebounding. She is only three rebounds from tying Necole Tunsil (564) for 12th.
? Megan Skouby averages 4.0 free throws made per game and Kristi Smith averages 3.7 makes, which rank second and third in the Big Ten respectively.
? Kristi Smith needs only six 3-pointers to move into third place on Iowa’s single-season sophomore rankings.
Solverson Update ? Senior forward Johanna Solverson will sit out the remainder of the 2006-07 season and apply for a sixth year of eligibility.
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.
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.
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).
Iowa vs. Ranked Teams ? Sunday will be Iowa’s fourth game against a ranked opponent. Iowa has recorded at least one victory over a ranked opponent in each of Coach Bluder’s first six years on the Hawkeye sidelines. Iowa has lost three games to ranked opponents this season (No. 7 Ohio State, No. 10 Purdue and No. 20 Michigan State). These are Iowa’s most recent wins vs. nationally ranked opponents:
At Home: 77-71 (OT) over 8th-ranked Purdue, 2/2/06On the Road: 78-67 over 18th-ranked Michigan State, 2/1/04Neutral Court: 54-47 over 21st-ranked Oklahoma, 11/27/04
Last Time Out ? No. 20 Michigan State had five players score in double figures en route to an 83-63 triumph Sunday in front of 4,370 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The win was the Spartans third straight and snapped Iowa’s two-game winning streak.
Spartan freshman Allyssa DeHaan netted 16 of her game-high 20 points in the second half and also cleared six rebounds. Victoria Lucas-Perry scored 16 points and Aisha Jefferson added 13.
Michigan State closed the first half on a 19-6 run. Iowa was only able to make one field goal in the last 10:30 of the first stanza. The Spartans stretched their lead to as many as 27 points in the second half.
Iowa had four players scoring double figures. Wendy Ausdemore led Iowa in scoring for the second straight game, netting 12 points. Jenee Graham and Megan Skouby each registered 11, while Kristi Smith contributed 10.
The Spartans dominated the post, as they outscored the Hawkeyes 36-10 in the paint. Michigan State also forced 20 Iowa turnovers and converted the Hawkeye miscues into 30 points.
The Spartans posted Iowa-opponent season highs in blocks (8), steals (15) and field goals made (30). Michigan State also made 78 percent (21-27) of its free throws in the victory.
Iowa was limited to 38 percent (21-55) shooting from the field and 70 percent (16-23) from the foul line.
Sunday was Iowa’s third straight home game against a ranked opponent.
Final Game Notes ? Iowa now leads the all-time series 29-20. The Spartans have now won six of the last seven meetings and have won each of the last two contests by 20 points or more.
? Kristi Smith was 2-2 from 3-point range for the second straight contest. The sophomore has made 11 of her last 15 (.733) 3-point attempts, spanning the last five games.
? Wendy Ausdemore dished out a game-high five assists — the five assists equaled a career high.
? Krista VandeVenter corralled a game-high nine rebounds. The junior has averaged nine rebounds the last five contests.
? Jenee Graham netted 10 of her 11 points in the first half. Sunday marked the first time in eight games Graham scored in double figures. She has scored in double digits four times this season.
? Michigan State scored 49 second-half points, which are the most second-half points yielded by Iowa this season. The Spartans shot 57 percent (16-28) from the field and 79 percent (15-19) from the foul line in the second half.
? Iowa has lost its last four home games, three of which were against ranked opponents (#7 Ohio State, #13 Purdue and #20 Michigan State). Conversely, the Hawkeyes have won four consecutive on the road.
? Michigan State’s 83 points are the most the Spartans have scored against Iowa since the first contest of the 49-game series. Michigan State downed the Hawkeyes 83-54 in 1974.
? Iowa fell to 4-2 in games played on January 14.
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 37 triples rank second among sophomores. She needs 23 to tie record-holder Lindsey Meder’s mark of 60 established in 1999-2000.
Skouby’s 30 rejections rank third. She is 10 blocks from tying Toni Foster (1990-91) for second place. Tangela Smith (1996-97) is the record holder with 69. Furthermore, Skouby has 77 career blocks, which rank ninth-best in Iowa career annals. She needs only one more to equal Lisa Long’s total of 78 for eighth place.
Trio ? Iowa is the only team with three players ranked in the top 10 in conference scoring. Wendy Ausdemore ranks sixth, Megan Skouby ranks eighth and Kristi Smith ranks ninth. The trio are also the only sophomores in the league ranked in the top 10.
Double Trouble ? Sophomores Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith have had a fantastic start to the Big Ten schedule. In conference games only stats, Ausdemore ranks second in 3-point field goal percentage (.577, 15-26), third in free throw percentage (.938, 15-16), fourth in 3-pointers made (2.5) and sixth in field goal percentage (.554, 31-56) and scoring (15.3). Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.579, 11-19), second in assists (5.83), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.94), ninth in scoring (14.5) and 13th in field goal percentage (.468, 29-62).
Difficult Home Schedule ? Iowa’s first three conference home games came against the only ranked Big Ten teams. The Hawkeyes lost to seventh-ranked Ohio State (73-67) on Dec. 31, 10th-ranked Purdue (68-58) on Jan. 3 and 20th-ranked Michigan State (83-63) on Jan. 14.
Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard. Smith ranks second in team scoring (12.6) and free throws made (70) and first in assists (4.26).
Smith has led the team in scoring six times, including scoring 20-plus points four times, and led the team in steals 13 times.
The native of Thornton, CO, has been on fire in the first five conference games. She ranks high in eight statistical categories in Big Ten Conference games only rankings: first in 3-point field goal percentage (.579), second in assists (5.83), fifth in minutes played (35.67), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.94), 3-pointers made (1.83) and steals (2.33), ninth in scoring (14.5) and 13th in field goal percentage (.468).
Triple Play ? Iowa has three players averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.5), Kristi Smith (12.6) and Wendy Ausdemore (12.1). 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 61st, while Michigan State ranks 10th in the RPI rankings published on January 19, on collegerpi.com/women. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 30th, while Michigan State’s ranks seventh. Currently, the Big Ten Conference is rated second behind the Southeastern Conference.
Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 32nd nationally in attendance, averaging 3,538 fans. Iowa has ranked in the top-25 fifteen of the last 17 seasons. Michigan State averages 6,524 fans and ranks ninth.
Behind the Arc ? Iowa has three players who have drained over 20 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (37), Kristi Smith (24) and Lindsey Nyenhuis (22) — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.68).
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 10-19 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 5.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.05 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks third in Big Ten rebounding (9.0). Graham has dished out four dimes or more eight 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.
Big Ten Rankings ? Iowa ranks first in Big Ten free throw percentage (.784), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.377), third in rebounds allowed (34.2) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.93) and 3-pointers made (4.68). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks third in rebounding (9.0) and eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.23). Wendy Ausdemore ranks third in 3-point field goal percentage (.398) and fifth in 3-pointers made (1.95). Megan Skouby ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.864) and seventh in blocks (1.58) and scoring (14.5). Kristi Smith ranks second in assists (4.26), third in free throw percentage (.864), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.29) and 14th in scoring (12.6).
Jackson Five ? Iowa has had five players score 20 points or more in a single game this season. Kristi Smith has accomplished the feat five times, Wendy Ausdemore three times and Krista VandeVenter, Megan Skouby and Stacy Schlapkohl each once. The Hawkeyes have had a player score 21 points or more six of the last seven games.
Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of games. The Hawkeyes are 76-97 (.792) in the last five minutes, 36-47 (.766) under two minutes and 36-44 (.818) under a minute to play. Iowa made all six of its free throw attempts in the final 20 seconds, leading by single digits, at Indiana on Jan. 11.
Iowa has made 301-384 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.4 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and sixth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 218-310 (.703) 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.
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.
Home, Away Comparisons ? Iowa has a higher free throw percentage on the road than at home. The Hawkeyes have converted 82.6 percent (152-184) of its road foul shots, compared to 74.5 percent (149-200) at home. Iowa averages 5.5 more points per game, 4.2 more assists and 1.1 more rebounds at home than on the road. Here are the home and away comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSHome .438 .374 .745 37.0 18.0 16.8 70.2Away .431 .381 .826 35.9 13.8 17.7 64.7
Wins, Losses Comparisons ? There are big differentials in the stats between Iowa’s wins and losses. The Hawkeyes score an average of 13.3 more points and shoot 7.0 percent better from the field in their victories. Iowa averages 6.0 more rebounds and 2.8 more assists in wins than losses. Here are the wins and losses comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSWins .464 .398 .792 39.0 17.2 16.1 73.2Losses .394 .354 .770 33.0 14.4 18.8 59.9
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 37-93 (.398) from 3-point range.
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.
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.
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 701 career games (480-221, .685) and 203 contests (124-79, .611) 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 returns home to host Minnesota next Thursday before hitting the road again for contests at Penn State (Jan. 28) and Ohio State (Feb. 4).