Jan. 26, 2007
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The Setting ? Iowa (11-10, 3-5) returns to the road when it travels to University Park, PA, to face Penn State (10-11, 3-5). Tip-off is slated for 12:06 p.m. (CST) in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Iowa has never lost four straight games under Coach Bluder. The last time the Hawkeyes lost four consecutive games was in December during the 1999-00 season.
On the Tube ? Sunday’s game will be televised to a regional cable audience on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Fox Sports Pittsburgh. 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 Sunday’s game on KXIC 800-AM in Iowa City. WMT 600-AM and WHO 1040-AM in Des Moines will be airing the men’s basketball game vs. Wisconsin Sunday.
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 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.
Scouting Penn State ? Sunday concludes a stretch of playing four-of-five games at home for the Lady Lions. Eight of Penn State’s 10 victories have come on its home court. The Lady Lions boast an 8-1 home record, with its only setback, a two-point loss to sixth-ranked Ohio State on Jan. 11.
Despite committing 25 turnovers, Penn State upset 21st-ranked Michigan State (69-58) on Thursday in University Park. The Lady Lions dominated the Spartans on the glass and at the free throw line. Penn State out-rebounded Michigan State by 16 (44-28) and out-scored the Spartans 21-6 at the foul line. Senior center Amanda Brown netted a game-high 27 points on a perfect 8-8 shooting from the floor and 11-13 from the charity stripe. She also cleared a game-high 14 rebounds to collect her eighth double-double of the season. Kam Gissendanner contributed 16 points and six rebounds, while Brianne O’Rourke added 15 points and three assists in the winning effort.
Three starters average double figures in scoring for the Lady Lions. Brown ranks first (14.1), followed by Gissendanner (12.5) and Tyra Grant (12.4). Brown also ranks first in rebounding (9.8) and blocks (36).
Junior Adrienne Squire, who started the first 13 games for Penn State, left the team for unspecified reasons after the non-conference schedule. Squire was the team’s top 3-point scoring threat, making 30-80 (.375), averaging 11.8 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Penn State is coached by Rene Portland, who is in her 31st season (688-260, .727) as a head coach, and her 27th with the Lady Lions (601-231, .722). Portland notched her 600th victory on the Penn State sidelines on Jan. 14, when the Lady Lions topped Michigan.
All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the 30th meeting between Iowa and Penn State, with the Lady Lions leading the series 18-11. Penn State boasts a 10-3 advantage in games played in University Park. Penn State (.621) and Purdue (.540) are the only conference teams to have a winning percentage above .500 against the Hawkeyes.
The Lady Lions have won five straight over the Hawkeyes and have won five of the last six contests played at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Iowa in their only meeting last season, 72-61 on Jan. 26, 2006 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Iowa, Penn State 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.
? Iowa scored 96 points in its 15-point win at Penn State in 2002. The 96 points are the most-ever scored by a Lady Lion opponent at the Bryce Jordan Center.
? Iowa won its first three league road games by a combined eight points, including two by four points.
? Wendy Ausdemore has made two or more 3-pointers 14 times this season, including seven-of-eight Big Ten contests. Additionally, Kristi Smith has drained at least one triple in seven straight games.
? Sophomore point guards Kristi Smith of Iowa and Brianne O’Rourke of Penn State have both dished out 84 assists through 21 games. The duo are tied for third in Big Ten assists rankings.
? Iowa has three players who are shooting over 90 percent from the foul line in league contests. Wendy Ausdemore ranks first in the Big Ten (.950, 19-20), Megan Skouby ranks second (.935, 29-31) and Kristi Smith ranks seventh (.900, 27-30).
? Megan Skouby averages 4.0 free throws made per game and Kristi Smith averages 3.8 makes, which rank second and fourth in the Big Ten, respectively.
? 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.
? 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.
? 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.
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 573 career rebounds and ranks 12th in Iowa career rebounding. She is 41 rebounds from tying Lynn Kennedy (614) for 11th.
? Kristi Smith needs only one 3-pointer to move into third on Iowa’s single-season sophomore rankings.
? Twenty-four percent of Iowa’s offensive production has come from the free throw line with 334 of its 1,419 points coming from the charity stripe.
? Iowa is 3-3 in games played on January 28, including winning the last three contests.
Last Meeting ? Amanda Brown and Kam Gissendanner each netted 24 points to propel Penn State to a 71-61 triumph over Iowa at the Bryce Jordan Center. The win was the Lady Lions’ fifth-straight over the Hawkeyes.
A trio of Hawkeyes scored double figures: Crystal Smith (16), Megan Skouby (12) and Wendy Ausdemore (12). Skouby also led Iowa with five rebounds.
Penn State was able to build a double digit lead, and maintain that advantage, for most of the contest due to strong rebounding and creating high percentage shots through Iowa’s 2-3 zone. The Lady Lions shot a blistering 56 percent (29-52) from the field. Iowa shot 43 percent (23-54) from the field for the contest.
In addition to scoring a game-high 24 points, Brown corralled a game-high 11 boards to record her third double-double of the season and sixth of her career.
Iowa had a 12-10 lead at the 13:09 mark of the first half, but then its offense stalled, scoring only one basket the next 7:09. Penn State took advantage of Iowa’s anemic offense, going on a 12-2 run to claim a 22-14 advantage. Lindsey Nyenhuis drained a 3-pointer from the baseline at the 6:00 mark to halt the scoring drought.
Penn State’s lead swelled to 11 by halftime as the Lady Lions concluded the first period on a 12-5 run. Penn State dominated Iowa on the boards in the first stanza, out-rebounding the Hawkeyes by 10 (22-12). The Lady Lions out-rebounded Iowa by eight (33-25) for the game.
Iowa’s leading rebounder Krista VandeVenter, who entered the game averaging 8.6 rebounds, was only able to pull down a season-low three rebounds. She did contribute eight points.
RPI Ratings ? Iowa ranks 75th, while Penn State ranks 67th in the RPI rankings published on January 26, on collegerpi.com/women. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 28th, while Penn State’s ranks eighth. Currently, the Big Ten is the third rated conference behind the SEC and Big XII.
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. 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 4-7 in home contests this year. Iowa has lost its last five 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.
Last Time Out ? Iowa overcame a 24-point second-half deficit against Minnesota to force overtime, but ultimately succumbed 80-78 Thursday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The loss was Iowa’s third consecutive and fifth straight home setback.
Minnesota used a strong shooting performance the first 29 minutes to build the 24-point cushion. Down by 22 with 11:30 left in regulation, Iowa made nine of its last 14 field goal attempts and 11-13 from the foul line to outscore the Gophers 34-12 to force the extra session. Sparking the Hawkeye rally was Kristi Smith, who scored 19 points the last 11 minutes of regulation. The sophomore was 6-7 from the field, including 4-4 from behind the arc, and 3-3 from the foul line down the stretch.
Iowa trailed 71-68 with under a minute to play in regulation, and Smith drained her fourth straight triple to tie the game 71-71 with 41 seconds left. Minnesota’s Emily Fox sank a free throw with 26 seconds left to give the Gophers a one-point edge. Iowa’s Krista VandeVenter was fouled with 11 seconds remaining and was able to split the pair of free throws to even the game at 72-72. Fox’s 10-foot jumper with three seconds left was off the mark and sent the game into overtime.
Iowa took its first and only lead of the game (76-74) on a Wendy Ausdemore 3-pointer with 2:34 left, but the Gophers finished the game on a 6-2 run to escape with the victory. Smith had an opportunity to tie the game at the buzzer, but her lean-in jumper in the paint didn’t drop.
Smith scored a team and career-high 25 points, while Ausdemore and Megan Skouby each contributed 14 points in defeat.
All five Minnesota players posted double figures. Fox led all scorers with a career-high 30 points, bolstered by 5-6 shooting from 3-point range. Leslie Knight netted 12 points, while Brittany McCoy, Kelly Roysland and Ashley Ellis-Milan each tallied 10.
Final Game Notes ? Iowa now leads the all-time series 37-20. The Golden Gophers have won seven of the last 11 meetings.
? Kristi Smith scored 21 of her team and career-high 25 points in the second half and overtime periods. The native of Thornton, CO, played 40 minutes, two minutes shy of her career high.
? Wendy Ausdemore posted her first career double-double, collecting 14 points and 11 rebounds. The 11 rebounds is a career high, besting eight rebounds she grabbed twice before. The native of Neola, IA, logged a career-high 44 minutes of playing time.
? Iowa nearly pulled off the 24-point comeback tonight, which would have been the largest comeback under Coach Bluder. The Hawkeyes overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat Indiana in the quarterfinals of the 2001 Big Ten Tournament. Iowa rallied from 17 points at Minnesota earlier this season to win 58-56 on December 28, 2006.
? Thursday was Iowa’s first overtime game of the year. The Hawkeyes fall to 13-17 in overtime contests, including 5-7 under Coach Bluder.
? Thursday was Iowa’s fourth Big Ten game decided by four points or less and it was the Hawkeyes first defeat.
? Iowa scored a season-high 52 second-half points, besting the 49 points scored in the second stanza vs. Quinnipiac. The Hawkeyes also matched its second half season-high field goal percentage, making 17-28 (.607). ? Megan Skouby finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, the sophomore fouled out with 2:19 left in the second half.
? Minnesota, a team that entered the game as one of the conference’s leaders in rebounding, rebounding margin and offensive rebounds, was out-rebounded by the Hawkeyes 39-36, including 13-11 on the offensive glass.
? Iowa shot a blistering 61 percent (17-28) from the field in the second half, including 75 percent (6-8) from 3-point range. Minnesota shot 52 percent (16-31) from the field in the first half, including 50 percent (5-10) from behind the arc.
? After committing 17 turnovers the first 29 minutes, Iowa valued the basketball and did not committ any more miscues the final 16 minutes of the game.
? Iowa was 1-8 (.125) from the field in the overtime session, while Minnesota made 3-6 (.500).
? All nine Iowa players contributed offensively in the comeback, scoring at least one point.
? Minnesota’s Emily Fox netted a career-high 30 points, marking the first time an Iowa opponent scored 30 points or more since Michigan State’s Liz Shimek posted 31 points against Iowa on March 3, 2006.
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 166 assists so far her first two seasons, 82 her freshman year and 84 this year. The native of Thornton, CO, scored 206 points her freshman campaign and 278 so far this season for a total of 484.
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. Below is a comparison between the two point guards.
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 41 triples rank second among sophomores. She needs 19 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).
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 first in free throw percentage (.950, 19-20), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.514, 19-37), third in 3-pointers made (2.38), eighth in scoring (14.0) and 11th in field goal percentage (.487). Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.615, 16-26) and minutes played (36.5), second in assists (4.75), fifth in scoring (15.6), sixth in 3-pointers made (2.0), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.46) and free throw percentage (.900, 27-30) and 12th in steals (1.75).
Triple Play ? Iowa has a trio of sophomores averaging double figures in scoring: Megan Skouby (14.2), Kristi Smith (13.2) and Wendy Ausdemore (11.9).
Trio ? Iowa is the only team with three players ranked in the top 11 in conference scoring. Kristi Smith ranks fifth, Wendy Ausdemore eighth and Megan Skouby 11th. The trio are also three of the four highest sophomore scorers in the league, alongside Illinois’ Lori Bjork.
Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard. Smith ranks second in team scoring (13.2) and free throws made (79) and first in assists (4.00).
Smith has led the team in scoring seven times, including scoring 20-plus points a team-best five 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: irst in 3-point field goal percentage (.615) and minutes played (36.5), second in assists (4.75), fifth in scoring (15.6), sixth in 3-pointers made (2.0), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.46) and free throw percentage (.900), 12th in steals (1.75) and 13th in field goal percentage (.461).
Jackson Five ? Iowa has had five players score 20 points or more in a single game this season. Kristi Smith has accomplished the feat a team-best six 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 seven of the last nine games.
Behind the Arc ? Iowa has three players who have drained over 23 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (41), Kristi Smith (29) and Lindsey Nyenhuis (23) — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (4.71).
Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of games. The Hawkeyes are 84-106 (.792) in the last five minutes, 39-51 (.765) under two minutes and 40-50 (.800) 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 334-428 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.0 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and seventh nationally. Iowa opponents are only 243-350 (.694) from the charity stripe.
The Hawkeyes are well on their way to breaking the school free throw percentage record of .769 (433-563) established in 2002-03.
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 74.9 percent (170-227) at home. Iowa averages 7.0 more points per game, 4.2 more assists and 1.8 more rebounds at home than on the road. Here are the home and away comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSHome .437 .381 .749 37.2 17.8 16.8 70.9Away .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 11.8 more points and shoot 6.8 percent better from the field in their victories. Iowa averages 5.6 more rebounds and 2.9 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 .396 .362 .765 33.4 14.3 18.6 61.4
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 has grabbed double-digit rebounds 10 times 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 5.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.05 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks fourth in Big Ten rebounding (8.6). Graham has dished out four dimes or more 10 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 (.780), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.379), third in rebounds allowed (34.4) and assist/turnover ratio (0.91) and fourth in 3-pointers made (4.71). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks fourth in rebounding (8.6) and sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.28). Wendy Ausdemore ranks third in 3-point field goal percentage (.394) and fourth in 3-pointers made (1.95). Megan Skouby ranks third in free throw percentage (.875), eighth in blocks (1.43) and ninth in scoring (14.2). Kristi Smith ranks third in assists (4.00), fourth in free throw percentage (.868), 10th in 3-pointers made (1.38), 11th in assist/turnover artio (1.18), 12th in scoring (13.2) and 15th in field goal percentage (.457).
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.
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.
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 41-104 (.394) 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 703 career games (480-223, .683) and 205 contests (124-81, .605) 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 May ? The women’s basketball team will be traveling overseas for 12 days to Greece, May 2007, to play three 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 360 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 receive its final “bye” next Thursday before traveling to Ohio State on Feb. 4. Iowa’s game at Ohio State will mark the second time in five years it will play in Columbus on “Super Bowl Sunday”. The Hawkeyes return home to host Michigan on Feb. 8.