Jan. 22, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Setting ? Iowa (11-9, 3-4) returns home Thursday to host Minnesota (12-9, 4-3). Tip-off is slated for 7:06 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $7 for adults, while youths and UI students are admitted free.
On the Tube ? Thursday’s game will be televised to a regional cable audience on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Fox Sports North. Dave Eanet and Suzie McConnell Serio will call the action.
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.
Fans can also listen to the contest on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 197.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 928 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 565-363 (.609). That includes a 280-135 (.675) mark in Big Ten games and a 256-76 (.771) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Road Warriors ? Iowa has compiled a 7-3 record in games away from Iowa City this season. The Hawkeyes have won four of their last five road games, including three Big Ten road games (Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana). Iowa, Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State are the only Big Ten teams with at least three league road victories. 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 playing five of seven games on the road. The Hawkeyes conclude the regular season with four of six at home.
All-Time Series Record ? Thursday will be the 57th meeting between Iowa and Minnesota, with the Hawkeyes leading the series 37-19. Iowa boasts a 20-7 advantage in games played at Iowa City.
Minnesota has won six of the last nine meetings against Iowa. The Hawkeyes won this season’s previous meeting, 58-56, at Minneapolis on December 28, 2006. The Golden Gophers won, 80-68, in Iowa City last season.
Scouting Minnesota ? Thursday begins a stretch of playing three of four games on the road for Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are 2-4 in road contests this season, having lost four of their last five.
In its last game, Minnesota topped Penn State, 75-72, at Minneapolis on Sunday. Four starters scored in double figures for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota’s backcourt of Kelly Roysland, Emily Fox and Brittany McCoy combined for 39 points and 15 assists. Freshman Ashley Ellis-Milan posted a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds). Penn State was whistled for 25 fouls, sending Minnesota to the foul line 38 times. The Golden Gophers made a season-high 31 of the 38 attempts (.816). Only three Lady Lions scored more than four points.
Roysland ranks first in team scoring (14.8), 3-pointers made (39) and attempted (11) and third in assists (50). Fox ranks second in scoring (10.5) and first in steals (41), while Ellis-Milan ranks first in rebounding (8.3) and third in scoring (9.8).
Minnesota ranks first in offensive rebounding (17.15) and third in overall rebounding (41.3) and 3-point field goal defense (.288) in Big Ten all games rankings.
Minnesota is coached by Pam Borton, who is in her ninth season (176-87, .669) as a head coach, and her fifth with the Golden Gophers (106-41, .721).
Iowa, Minnesota Notes ? Freshman Zoraa Quoie is from Woodbury, MN, and 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.
? Minnesota’s Leslie Knight (Minnetonka) edged Iowa’s Krista VandeVenter (Osseo) for 2004 Miss Minnesota Basketball.
? Both Iowa’s Wendy Ausdemore and Minnesota’s Kelly Roysland have drained 39 triples this year. Ausdemore has a better percentage (.472), attempting 13 fewer treys. Ausdemore has made two 3-pointers or more in six of Iowa’s seven Big Ten games.
? Both Iowa and Minnesota have made 313 free throws. The Hawkeyes (.781) have a better percentage than the Golden Gophers (.667) at the foul line as Minnesota has attempted 68 more free throws.
? Iowa and Minnesota have played four common non-conference opponents: Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Creighton and UW-Green Bay. The Hawkeyes went 1-3 against the before mentioned teams, while the Golden Gophers went 2-2.
? Iowa won its first three conference 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 81-14 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 33-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? The Hawkeyes have lost all four of its games against ranked opponents this season (No. 7 Ohio State, No. 10 Purdue, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 21 Michigan State).
? Iowa ranks seventh in the country in free throw percentage, 24th in 3-point field goal percentage and 45th in assists per game. Jenee Graham ranks 62nd in rebounds per contest, Megan Skouby ranks 26th 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 313 of its 1,341 points coming from the charity stripe.
? Megan Skouby has made 25-27 (.926) at the foul line through seven league contests.
? Iowa is 10-0 when having a higher field goal percentage, 9-2 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 4-6 in games played on January 25, including winning the last two contests.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 566 career rebounds and ranks 12th in Iowa career rebounding. She is 48 rebounds from tying Lynn Kennedy (614) for 11th.
? Megan Skouby averages 4.0 free throws made per game and Kristi Smith averages 3.6 makes, which rank second and fourth in the Big Ten, respectively.
? Kristi Smith needs only five 3-pointers to move into third on Iowa’s single-season sophomore rankings.
RPI Ratings ? Iowa ranks 64th, while Minnesota ranks 47th in the RPI rankings published on January 22, on collegerpi.com/women. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 23rd, while Minnesota’s ranks 16th. Currently, the Big Ten Conference is rated second behind the Southeastern Conference.
Difficult Home Schedule ? Iowa’s first three conference home games came against 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.
Last Meeting ? Iowa erased a 17-point second half deficit and held on for a thrilling 58-56 triumph over Minnesota in the Big Ten opener in front of 6,028 fans at Williams Arena on December 28, 2006. The win is Iowa’s first in four tries at Williams Arena under Coach Bluder.
The 17-point rally marked Iowa’s second largest second-half comeback under Coach Bluder. The Hawkeyes previously erased a 19-point deficit vs. Indiana in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
Iowa was led by Wendy Ausdemore, who had a tremendous game sparking the Hawkeyes. Ausdemore scored 15 of her game-high 23 points in the second half. The 23 points matched a career high. Ausdemore was 7-9 from the field, including 4-5 from 3-point range, and 5-5 from the foul line.
In addition to Ausdemore’s heroics, Kristi Smith collected a career-high 10 assists to go along with her seven points, all scored in the second half, and Krista VandeVenter added 10 points.
After a sluggish first half, Iowa stormed back in the second half. The Hawkeyes opened the second stanza on a 22-6 run to reclaim a one-point advantage (40-39) with 11:00 left and never looked back. Iowa out-scored Minnesota 40-23 in the second half to rally for the win.
Iowa started the game making three of its first four shots from the field, but closed the half making only four of 17. A Kelly Roysland fade-away 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Minnesota a 33-18 halftime cushion. The Gophers limited Iowa to only three points the last seven minutes of the half.
Minnesota was led by Roysland, who scored a team-high 16 points. Brittany McCoy and Korinne Campbell each contributed 10 points in defeat. The Gophers shot only 32 percent (22-69) from the field for the game.
Last Time Out ? For the second time in eight days, the Iowa Hawkeyes came up on the short end of a meeting with nationally-ranked Michigan State. This time by a 67-57 score Sunday at the Breslin Center. Lisa Bluder’s squad was an 83-63 victim of the Spartans on Jan. 14, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
In each game, the difference was Michigan State’s Allyssa DeHaan. The freshman center scored 16 points to lead all scorers. More impressive, however, was her seven blocked shots and the fact that she held Iowa’s Megan Skouby to just eight points, four of which came from the free throw line.
Iowa was led in scoring by point guard Kristi Smith and forward Krista VandeVenter, who both netted 13 points. The Hawkeyes’ Wendy Ausdemore struggled from the field, hitting just 2-11 field goal attempts. Iowa shot just 38 percent from the field as a team.
Aisha Jefferson and Mia Johnson each scored 10 points for the Spartans. Victoria Lucas-Perry was credited with nine rebounds. Michigan State shot an even 50 percent from the field.
The Spartans used an 11-2 run capped by a Rene Haynes layup with 14:09 left in the second half to break the game open. The Hawkeyes never got any closer than seven points in the game’s final 10 minutes.
Michigan State outrebounded Iowa by seven (37-30) and dominated the Hawkeyes again in the post, outscoring Iowa 42-24 in the paint.
The loss, Iowa’s first in four Big Ten Conference road games to date, drops the Hawkeyes to 11-9 overall and 3-4 in league action. The win pushes Michigan State to 15-4 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play.
Final Game Notes ? Iowa now leads the all-time series 29-21. The Spartans have now won seven of the last eight meetings.
? Sunday’s announced attendance was 6,924, which is the biggest crowd the Hawkeyes have played in front of this season.
? Kristi Smith grabbed a team and career-high seven rebounds, marking thr first time an Iowa point guard has led the team in rebounding since Abby Emmert cleared eight rebounds vs. Northern Iowa on Dec. 5, 2004.
? There were six ties and 12 lead changes, including six ties and 10 lead changes in the first half.
? Eight of Iowa’s nine players scored at least two points.
? Kristi Smith was 1-1 from 3-point range. The sophomore has made 12 of her last 16 (.750) 3-point attempts.
? Wendy Ausdemore, who entered the game averaging 15.3 points in league play, was limited to just six points. The sophomore did collect four assists.
? With Michigan State leading 32-31 early in the second half, the Spartans went on a 14-4 run to build an 11-point advantage (46-35) with 13:12 remaining. The Hawkeyes were able to cut the deficit to seven (52-45) with 7:53 left, but would get no closer.
? Iowa made all six of its free throw attempts in the first half. The Hawkeyes attacked the basket more in the second 20 minutes and attempted 11 from the foul line in the second half, making six.
? Nicole VanderPol came off the bench and scored eight points. The eight points were the most she has scored since netting a career-high 10 points vs. Northern Iowa earlier this season.
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 39 triples rank second among sophomores. She needs 21 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.
Solverson Update ? Senior 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).
Trio ? Iowa is the only team with three players ranked in the top 10 in conference scoring. Kristi Smith ranks sixth, Wendy Ausdemore eighth and Megan Skouby 10th. 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 first half to the Big Ten schedule. In conference games only stats, Ausdemore ranks second in 3-point field goal percentage (.548, 17-31) and free throw percentage (.938, 15-16), third in 3-pointers made (2.43) and eighth in field goal percentage (.493, 33-67) and scoring (14.0). Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.600, 12-20), third in assists (5.29), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.76), sixth in free throw percentage (.909) and scoring (14.3) and seventh in 3-pointers made (1.71).
Smith Joining Iowa Point Guard Elite ? Kristi Smith’s numbers are starting to resemble a previous Hawkeye point guard who was an honorable mention all-American honoree, Cara Consuegra.
Smith has amassed 165 assists so far her first two seasons, 82 her freshman year and 83 this year. The native of Thornton, CO, scored 206 points her freshman campaign and 253 so far this season for a total of 459.
Consuegra started her career with 94 assists her freshman year and 153 her sophomore season. She netted 97 points as a freshman and 309 as a sophomore for a total of 406.
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 (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 the first half of conference play. She ranks high in nine statistical categories in league games only rankings: first in 3-point field goal percentage (.600), third in assists (5.29) and minutes played (36.00), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.76), sixth in free throw percentage (.909) and scoring (14.3), seventh in 3-pointers made (1.71), 10th in steals (2.0) and 14th in field goal percentage (.466).
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 eight games.
Triple Play ? Iowa has sophomores averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.2), Kristi Smith (12.7) and Wendy Ausdemore (11.8).
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.
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.
Behind the Arc ? Iowa has three players who have drained over 20 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (39), Kristi Smith (25) and Lindsey Nyenhuis (22) — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.6).
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 313-401 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.1 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and sixth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 226-322 (.702) from the charity stripe.
Home, Away Comparisons ? Iowa has a higher free throw percentage on the road than at home. The Hawkeyes have converted 81.6 percent (164-201) of its road foul shots, compared to 74.5 percent (149-200) at home. Iowa averages 6.3 more points per game, 4.4 more assists and 1.6 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 .425 .377 .816 35.4 13.6 17.8 63.9
Wins, Losses Comparisons ? There are big differentials in the stats between Iowa’s wins and losses. The Hawkeyes score an average of 13.6 more points and shoot 7.2 percent better from the field in their victories. Iowa averages 6.2 more rebounds and 3.1 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 .392 .352 .763 32.8 14.1 18.8 59.6
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 10-20 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, 8.9 rebounds and 2.95 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks fourth in Big Ten rebounding (8.9). 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 (.781), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.376), third in rebounds allowed (34.3) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.91) and 3-pointers made (4.6). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks fourth in rebounding (8.9) and eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.23). Wendy Ausdemore ranks second in 3-point field goal percentage (.398) and fourth in 3-pointers made (1.95). Megan Skouby ranks third in free throw percentage (.870), seventh in scoring (14.2) and eighth in blocks (1.5). Kristi Smith ranks fourth in assists (4.15) and free throw percentage (.867), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.26), 11th in 3-pointers made (1.25) and 15th in scoring (12.7).
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.
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 39-98 (.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 Hits 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 702 career games (480-222, .684) and 204 contests (124-80, .608) 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 will hit the road again for two-straight contests at Penn State (Jan. 28) and Ohio State (Feb. 4). The Hawkeyes return home to host Michigan on Feb. 8.