Feb. 9, 2007
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The Setting ? Iowa (12-12, 4-7) will play its fourth straight Sunday road contest when it travels to Madison, WI, to face Wisconsin (17-8, 6-6). Due to the Badgers hosting Ohio State in women’s ice hockey, the tip-off is slated for 7:05 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
Iowa is in eighth place in the Big Ten standings and is two games behind fifth-place Wisconsin in the win column. The Badgers are 12-2 in home contests, while the Hawkeyes are 7-5 in road games.
Web Video Cast ? Hawkeye fans can watch the game for free on the University of Wisconsin’s web site: uwbadgers.com. Click on “Live Webcasts” to catch 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 night’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.
Hawkeye fans can also listen to the game on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 198.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 932 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 566-366 (.607). That includes a 281-138 (.671) mark in Big Ten games and a 257-77 (.769) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Scouting Wisconsin ? Wisconsin has won four of its last five games. The Badgers avenged a 27-point (83-56) setbck at Indiana on Feb. 1, with a 60-53 triumph over the Hoosiers Thursday in Madison. Wisconsin outrebounded Indiana by 15 (48-33) and shot 86 percent (18-21) from the foul line en route to victory. Junior Jolene Anderson registered a double-double, posting game highs in points (20) and rebounds (10) for the Badgers.
Anderson, who has scored double digits in 78 of her 82 games played, ranks first in league scoring (18.7) and ninth in rebounding (7.0). Junior Janese Banks ranks second in team scoring (14.1) and rebounding (6.2). Banks did not play against the Hawkeyes a year ago due to injury.
Like Iowa, the Badgers do not have a senior in their starting lineup. Wisconsin’s lineup comprises of two juniors, two freshmen and a sophomore.
Wisconsin ranks first in Big Ten rebounding margin (+7.3), third in scoring offense (68.6) and steals (10.28) and fourth in rebounding (39.8). Additionally, the Badgers rank 11th in the country in attendance (5,960).
The Badgers are coached by Lisa Stone, who is in her 22nd year (425-177, .706)) as a head coach and her fourth season (50-59, .459) with Wisconsin.
All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the 50th meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin, with the Hawkeyes boasting a 30-19 advantage in the series. Iowa owns a slim 12-10 edge in games played in Madison.
The Hawkeyes have won seven of the last eight in the series, including winning four straight contests at the Kohl Center. Iowa and Wisconsin met only once last season, with the Hawkeyes winning 68-59 in Madison. The Badgers’ last win over Iowa was a 88-78 triumph on Feb. 6, 2005 in Iowa City.
RPI Ratings ? Iowa ranks 80th, while Wisconsin ranks 82nd in the RPI rankings published on February 9, on collegerpi.com/women. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 35th, while Wisconsin’s ranks 114th. Currently, the Big Ten is the fourth rated conference behind the SEC, Big XII and ACC.
Iowa, Wisconsin Notes ? Iowa mounted one of its most exciting and improbable comebacks on Feb. 12, 2004 at the Kohl Center. The Hawkeyes overcame an eight-point deficit with 39 seconds left in regulation to defeat Wisconsin 87-82 in overtime. Iowa guard Kristi Faulkner scored an astonishing 15 points (four 3-pointers, one lay-up and one free throw) in the final 1:50 of regulation to help send the game into the extra session.
? Iowa defeated Wisconsin in the first-ever game played in the Kohl Center (Jan. 20, 1998). The Hawkeyes downed the Badgers (66-63) in front of 16,296 fans.
? Wisconsin Head Coach Lisa Anderson Stone (1980-84) and Assistant Coach Donna Freitag (1981-83) both played basketball for the Hawkeyes. Stone currently ranks 17th in Iowa career scoring (1,129), seventh in assists (322) and eighth in steals (177).
? Wisconsin Director of Basketball Operations Stephanie Schmitz was recruited and played two seasons for Lisa Bluder when she coached at Drake. Lisa Stone followed Lisa Bluder as head coach at Drake after Bluder left to become the Hawkeyes’ head coach.
? Krista VandeVenter has done an excellent job cleaning the glass lately. She has hauled in 9.6 rebounds in Iowa’s last seven contests.
? Iowa ranks fifth in the country in 3-point field goal percentage, sixth in free throw percentage and 40th in assists per game. Jenee Graham ranks 81st in the nation in rebounds per contest, Kristi Smith ranks 20th in free throw percentage and Megan Skouby ranks 26th in foul shooting and Wendy Ausdemore ranks 34th in 3-point field goal percentage.
? Wendy Ausdemore has made two or more 3-pointers 16 times this season, including in nine-of-11 Big Ten contests. Additionally, Kristi Smith has drained at least one triple in ten straight games.
? Iowa is 100-11 when leading at the half in seven years under Coach Bluder. Iowa is 82-14 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 34-1 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Iowa is 11-0 when having a higher field goal percentage, 10-3 when opponents shoot less than 40 percent from 3-point range this season. The Hawkeyes are also 10-3 when having more assists.
? The Hawkeyes have lost all five of its games against ranked opponents this season (No. 5 and No. 7 Ohio State, No. 10 Purdue, No. 20 and No. 21 Michigan State).
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 604 career rebounds and ranks 12th in Iowa career rebounding. She is only 10 rebounds from tying Lynn Kennedy (614) for 11th.
? Kristi Smith ranks third in Iowa’s single-season sophomore rankings for 3-pointers made with 37. Classmate Wendy Ausdemore ranks second with 48.
? Iowa is 2-4 in games played on February 8.
Ausdemore Receives Academic Honor ? Wendy Ausdemore earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine District VII academic all-America recognition last Thursday. Ausdemore, who was the only sophomore named to either the first or second team in District VII, has a 3.83 cumulative GPA and is majoring in pre-business.
Skouby Sidelined ? Starting center Megan Skouby will be out of action 2-4 weeks after breaking a bone in her non-shooting hand (left) during practice on Feb. 3. The sophomore played in 51 consecutive contests, including 40 starts before suffering the injury.
Skouby ranks first in team scoring (14.4), blocked shots (32) and second in rebounding (5.1). With Skouby sidelined, Iowa’s competitive roster has dwindled to eight players.
Last Meeting ? Iowa converted 11 of its last 12 free throws in the final minutes as the Hawkeyes held off a surging Wisconsin Badger squad 68-59 at the Kohl Center. Megan Skouby poured in a game-high 23 points, while seniors Tiffany Reedy and Crystal Smith each contributed 15 points.
Iowa was forced to make its foul shots down the stretch as Wisconsin held the Hawkeyes to only one field goal the last 7:18. The Badgers cut the Iowa advantage to four (61-57) with 57 seconds remaining, but the Hawkeyes made five of their last six free throws en route to victory.
Iowa scored more points at the foul line (16) than from the field (14) in the second period. The Hawkeyes finished the game shooting 78.6 percent (22-28) from the charity stripe. Wisconsin shot a dismal 28.6 percent (4-14) from the foul line, including 20 percent (2-10) in the second period.
In addition to scoring 15 points, Smith equaled a career high with six steals. Reedy’s 15 points was a season best.
Wisconsin dominated Iowa on the glass, outrebounding the Hawkeyes by 12 (43-31). Krista VandeVenter pulled down 13 of their 31 boards.
Reedy has a nice first half, shooting 4-4 from the field, including 1-1 from 3-point range, and 1-2 from the foul line for 10 points. Skouby netted 13 first-half points, while Smith added seven points for the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeye defense was stifling, forcing 14-Wisconsin first-half turnovers, with Iowa converting those miscues into 18 points. Wisconsin recorded 19 miscues for the game.
The Badgers were led by Jolene Anderson and Ashley Josephson. Anderson tallied a team-high 20 points, while Josephson registered 10.
Last Time Out ? Iowa snapped a five-game losing skid with a 66-49 triumph over Michigan Thursday night in Iowa City. The win was the Hawkeyes’ eighth consecutive over the Wolverines.
Kristi Smith and Stacy Schlapkohl scored double figures to lead the Hawkeyes. Smith tallied a game-high 16 points, bolstered by a perfect 4-4 shooting performance from behind the arc, while Schlapkohl contributed 11. Smith also dished out five assists, while teammate Jenee Graham matched a career high with seven dimes and had no turnovers.
Iowa led start-to-finish and took an eight-point cushion into intermission. Michigan shaved the Hawkeye advantage to just one (32-31) three minutes into the second half. The Hawkeyes responded with a 17-1 run to take a commanding 49-32 lead with 11 minutes to play. Smith sparked the Hawkeye run, netting eight of the 17 points.
Michigan was led by reserve Ta’Shia Walker, who scored 10 points. Jessica Minnfield and Krista Phillips each added eight for the visitors.
For the first time in six games, Iowa had a better shooting percentage than its opponent. The Hawkeyes made 39 percent (24-61) of their field goal attempts, while the Wolverines sank 36 percent (19-53). Iowa shot 53 percent (8-15) from 3-point range, including 75 percent (6-8) in the second stanza.
Iowa dominated the glass, outrebounding Michigan by 11 (44-33). VandeVenter cleared 10 of her game-high 14 rebounds in the first half. Schlapkohl equaled a career high with eight boards.
Final Game Notes ? The Hawkeyes improved to 37-10 against the Wolverines, including a 19-4 mark in Iowa City.
? The Hawkeyes improved to 3-0 against Big Ten teams they play only once (Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan).
? All eight players scored at least two points for Iowa.
? Wendy Ausdemore scored all nine of her points in the second stanza. She also posted four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
? Iowa improved to 11-0 when shooting a better field goal percentage.
? Iowa has sank six or more triples the last four games.
? Iowa dished out 22 assists and had only 16 turnovers.
? Iowa led 27-19 at halftime. Thursday was the Hawkeyes’ 100th victory under Coach Bluder when leading at intermission. Iowa is 100-11 the last seven seasons, including a 9-2 mark this year.
? Iowa has outrebounded their opponents three of the last four games.
Smith Lighting it Up Behind the Arc ? Kristi Smith has been shooting lights-out from 3-point range lately. Smith sank 13 triples in Iowa’s first 14 games, but since has drained 24 in only 35 attempts (.686) in the last 10 contests — she made all four attempts from behind the arc in Iowa’s last game vs. Michigan on Thursday. Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.615) and fourth in 3-pointers made (2.18) in conference games.
For the season, her 3-point field goal percentage (.514, 37-72) ranks second-best in school history. The 5-6 guard shot .415 (22-53) last season from behind the arc. Additionally, her free throw percentage of .874 (83-95) ranks third-best in Iowa single-season history.
Smith Joining Iowa Point Guard Elite ? Kristi Smith’s numbers are resembling a previous Hawkeye point guard who was an honorable mention all-American honoree, Cara Consuegra.
Smith has amassed 177 assists so far her first two seasons, 82 her freshman year and 95 this year. The native of Thornton, CO, scored 206 points her freshman campaign and 314 so far this season for a total of 520.
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.
Quoie Out ? 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.
Inside-Outside Threat ? Wendy Ausdemore can score both inside and outside the 3-point arc. The 6-2 sophomore has made 52-114 (.456) of her two-point attempts and 48-120 (.400) from behind the 3-point arc.
Road Warriors ? Iowa has compiled a 7-5 record in games away from Iowa City this season. The Hawkeyes have won four of their last seven road games. Last season, Iowa was 6-9 in road games. The Hawkeyes are 5-7 in home contests this year. Iowa concludes the regular season with four of six at home.
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 48 triples rank second among sophomores. She needs 12 to tie record-holder Lindsey Meder’s mark of 60 established in 1999-2000.
Skouby’s 32 rejections rank third. She is eight blocks from tying Toni Foster (1990-91) for second place. Tangela Smith (1996-97) is the record holder with 69. Furthermore, Skouby has 79 career blocks, which rank eighth-best in Iowa career annals. She needs only three more to equal Jerica Watson’s total of 82 for seventh 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 second in 3-point field goal percentage (.491), third in 3-pointers made (2.36), 10th in field goal percentage (.463) and 13th in scoring (13.2). Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.615) and free throw percentage (.912), fourth in assists (4.45) and 3-pointers made (2.18), seventh in scoring (14.5), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.29), 12th in field goal percentage (.449) and 15th in steals (1.64).
Trio ? Iowa is the only team with three players ranked in the top 13 in conference scoring. Kristi Smith (14.6) ranks seventh, Megan Skouby (14.4) ranks eighth and Wendy Ausdemore (13.2) 13th. The trio are also three of the four highest sophomore scorers in the league, alongside Illinois’ Lori Bjork (15.4), who ranks fifth.
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 and Megan Skouby three times, Krista VandeVenter twice and Stacy Schlapkohl each once. The Hawkeyes have had a player score 20 points or more eight of the last 12 games.
Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 35th nationally in attendance, averaging 3,487 fans. Iowa has ranked in the top-25 fifteen of the last 17 seasons.
Smith Leads ? Kristi Smith has done a great job leading the Hawkeye offense as point guard. Smith ranks second in team scoring (13.1) and free throws made (83) and first in assists (95). The 95 assists tie Kristi Faulkner for fifth in a single-season by an Iowa sophomore.
Smith has led the team in scoring nine times, including scoring 20-plus points a team-best five times, and led the team in steals 14 times.
The native of Thornton, CO, has been on fire during conference play. She ranks high in nine statistical categories in league games only rankings: first in 3-point field goal percentage (.571), second in minutes played (36.10) and free throw percentage (.912), fourth in assists (4.4), fifth in 3-pointers made (2.0), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.29), seventh in scoring (14.5), 13th in steals (1.7) and 14th in field goal percentage (.443).
Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of games. The Hawkeyes are 91-114 (.798) in the last five minutes, 42-55 (.764) under two minutes and 43-54 (.796) 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 374-478 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.2 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and fifth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 287-416 (.690) from the charity stripe.
The Hawkeyes are well on their way to shattering 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 81.9 percent (194-237) of its road foul shots, compared to 74.7 percent (180-241) at home. Iowa averages 7.3 more points per game, 4.7 more assists and 2.6 more rebounds at home than on the road. Here are the home and away comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSHome .433 .395 .747 37.8 18.2 16.8 70.5Away .411 .385 .819 35.2 13.5 17.9 63.2
Wins, Losses Comparisons ? There are big differentials in the stats between Iowa’s wins and losses. The Hawkeyes score an average of 11.4 more points and shoot 7.0 percent better from the field in their victories. Iowa averages 5.9 more rebounds and 3.5 more assists in wins than losses. Here are the wins and losses comparisons:
FG% 3-PT% FT% REB AST TO PTSWins .457 .413 .788 39.4 17.6 16.1 72.6Losses .387 .372 .776 33.5 14.1 18.6 61.2
Behind the Arc ? Iowa is the only Big Ten team with at least three players who have drained over 28 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (48), Kristi Smith (37) and Lindsey Nyenhuis (28) — all of whom are sophomores.
As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (5.04).
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 11 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 5.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.17 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks fourth in Big Ten rebounding (8.4). The junior also ranks second in Big Ten assist/turnover ratio (1.29). Graham equaled a career high with seven assists and no turnover vs. Michigan on Feb. 8. Graham has dished out four dimes or more 12 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 (.782) and 3-point field goal percentage (.390), third in rebounds allowed (34.3) and assist/turnover ratio (0.91) and fourth in 3-pointers made (5.04). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (1.49). Wendy Ausdemore ranks third in 3-point field goal percentage (.402) and fourth in 3-pointers made (2.04) and fourth in rebounding (8.4). Megan Skouby ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.858), seventh in blocks (1.45) and scoring (14.4). Kristi Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.514), second in free throw percentage (.874), fourth in assists (3.96), ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.15), 10th in 3-pointers made (1.54), 13th in scoring (13.1) and 14th in field goal percentage (.451).
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 48-120 (.400) from 3-point range. She ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-point field goal percentage and 3-pointers made.
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.
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.
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 706 career games (481-225, .681) and 208 contests (125-83, .601) 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 11 days to Greece, May 23-June 2, to play exhibition games.
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 and single-session tickets for the 2007 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament presented by Xbox 360 are on sale. All-session tickets are $65, while single-session tickets are $12-$16. Tickets can be purchased at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (317) 239-5151.
More than 21,000 hotel rooms exist throughout the entire Indianapolis metropolitan area. Contact the Big Ten Housing Bureau at indy.org/bigtenwomens for hotel pricing information.
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 ? The Hawkeyes conclude the regular season with three of four games at home. Iowa hosts Illinois (Feb. 15) and Penn State (Feb. 18) before traveling to Purdue (Feb. 22) for its last road contest. The Hawkeyes hosts Wisconsin (Feb. 25) in the regular-season finale.