Hawkeyes Return Home For Regular Season Finale

Feb. 23, 2007

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The Setting ? Iowa (13-15, 5-10) welcomes Wisconsin (18-10, 7-8) to Iowa City Sunday for the regular-season finale. Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Admission is free to the public. Wisconsin is tied for fifth in the Big Ten standings, while Iowa is in ninth.

Cedar Rapids Area Day ? Sunday has been designated as “Cedar Rapids Area Day”.

On the Tube ? Sunday’s game will be televised live in Eastern Iowa on KCRG-TV9. John Campbell, Amy Herrig and Scott Saville 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 afternoon’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 936 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 567-369 (.606). That includes a 282-141 (.667) mark in Big Ten games and a 258-78 (.768) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Scouting Wisconsin ? Sunday will be Wisconsin’s first game in a week, as the Badgers were idle Thursday. The Badgers will attempt to snap a two-game losing skid Sunday. Wisconsin lost at Ohio State (83-57) and home to Purdue (69-60) in its last two contests. The Badgers’ last victory came over Iowa (84-73) on Feb. 11 at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin is tied with Minnesota fifth In the Big Ten standings. Both Minnesota and Wisconsin are 7-8 in league play and are on the road Sunday.

All-Big Ten performer Jolene Anderson, who has scored double digits in 81 of her 85 games played, is tied for first in league scoring (18.9) and ranks 11th in rebounding (6.5). She is attempting to become the Badgers’ first Big Ten scoring champion. Both Anderson and Ohio State’s Jessica Davenport enter Sunday’s regular-season finale with exactly 283 points in league play. Junior Janese Banks ranks second in team scoring (14.0) and rebounding (6.1).

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 (+6.9), third in scoring offense (68.5) and steals (9.71) and fourth in rebounding (39.1).

The Badgers are coached by Lisa Stone, who is in her 22nd year (426-179, .704) as a head coach and her fourth season (51-61, .455) with Wisconsin.

All-Time Series Record ? Sunday will be the 51st meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin, with the Hawkeyes boasting a 30-20 advantage in the series. Iowa owns a 18-8 edge in games played in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes have won seven of the last nine in the series. Wisconsin defeated Iowa 84-73 two weeks ago on Feb. 11 at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI. Sunday will be Wisconsin’s first visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena since defeating the Hawkeyes, 88-78, on Feb. 6, 2005.

RPI Ratings ? Iowa ranks 85th, while Wisconsin ranks 73rd in the RPI rankings published on February 12, on collegerpi.com/women. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 21st, while Wisconsin’s ranks 79th. Currently, the Big Ten is the fourth rated conference behind the SEC, Big XII and ACC.

Iowa, Wisconsin Notes ? Iowa ranks second in the country in 3-point field goal percentage, fourth in free throw percentage and 31st in assists per game. Kristi Smith ranks 29th in free throw percentage and Megan Skouby ranks 31st in foul shooting and Wendy Ausdemore ranks 16th in 3-point field goal percentage.
? 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.
? Iowa’s current free throw percentage (.786) and 3-point field goal percentage (.404) both rank first in Iowa single-season history.
? Kristi Smith has dished out 197 assists her first two years and is only three dimes from collecting her 200th of her career.
? Wendy Ausdemore has made two or more 3-pointers 18 times this season, including in 11-of-15 Big Ten contests. Additionally, Kristi Smith has drained at least one triple in 13 of the last 14 games.
? Iowa is 101-12 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 12-0 when having a higher field goal percentage, 11-4 when opponents shoot less than 40 percent from 3-point range this season. The Hawkeyes are also 11-3 when having more assists.
? The Hawkeyes have lost all six of its games against ranked opponents this season (No. 5 and No. 7 Ohio State, No. 10 and No. 15 Purdue, No. 20 and No. 21 Michigan State).
? Krista VandeVenter has grabbed 623 career rebounds and ranks 11th in Iowa career rebounding. She is 30 rebounds from tying Shanda Berry (653) and cracking the top ten.
? Kristi Smith ranks third in Iowa’s single-season sophomore rankings for 3-pointers made with 44. Classmate Wendy Ausdemore ranks second with 56.
? Iowa is 5-1 in games played on February 25, including winning the last five.

Iowa at Big Ten Tournament ? Iowa will play the loser of Sunday’s Indiana at Penn State game in the 8/9-seed match-up in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament presented by Xbox 360 at Indianapolis on March 1. The game will start at approximately 7 p.m. (CST). If Iowa plays Indiana, the Hawkeyes will be the No. 8 seed. If Iowa plays Penn State, the Hawkeyes will be the No. 9 seed.

Other teams that have already secured seeds have been Ohio State (1), Michigan (10) and Northwestern (11).

Iowa Sets 3-Point Percentage Record ? Iowa drained seven of its eight (.875) 3-point field goal attempts in its 79-72 triumph over Penn State. The 87.5 percent shooting from behind the arc broke a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record and tied a Big Ten single-game mark. Northwestern made 7-8 (.875) against Iowa on March 2, 2000, at the Big Ten Tournament.

Iowa ranks second in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (.404).

Last Meeting ? Jolene Anderson tied a career high with 29 points to lead Wisconsin to an 84-73 triumph over Iowa at the Kohl Center on Feb. 11. The win was the Badgers first over Iowa in Madison since 2000.

Anderson was 9-13 from the field, including 5-6 from behind the 3-point arc, and 6-8 from the foul line. The Big Ten leading scorer, also contributed six rebounds and five assists. Her efforts garnered her Big Ten Player of the Week accolades.

With Iowa trailing 9-8, Wisconsin went on a 13-0 run to take a 22-8 early advantage at the 10:10 mark. Iowa missed six field goals and had two turnovers during the 5:30-minute Badger surge. The Hawkeyes cut the early 14-point deficit to six at intermission (35-29).

The Black and Gold were able to get within two points twice in the second half, but the Badgers responded with runs of 11-4 and 6-0 to re-establish a comfortable cushion and ultimately register the 11-point victory.

A pair of Hawkeye sophomores had career nights, but it was not enough to overtake the Badgers. Wendy Ausdemore poured in a team and career-high 27 points, 21 of which came in the second half. Nicole VanderPol came off the bench and netted a career-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in a career-high 26 minutes of action.

Badger freshman point guard Rae Lin D’Alie tallied 12 points and dished out a game and career-high 11 assists. Janese Banks contributed 16 points and Danielle Ward added 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Iowa was 5-9 (.556) from behind the 3-point arc.

The Badgers sealed the victory with excellent free throw shooting down the stretch, sinking all 10 attempts in the final 1:30 of the contest.

Last Time Out ? Iowa lost its seventh consecutive game at Mackey Arena Thursday night with a 76-52 setback against 15th-ranked Purdue.

A pair of seniors led the Boilermakers on their “Senior Night”. Katie Gearlds, who is the co-Big Ten Player of the Week, led all scorers with 28 points. Classmate Erin Lawless posted her second double-double of the season scoring 18 points and grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds. Lawless also collected a career-high five steals.

With Iowa trailing 26-10 midway through the first half, the Hawkeyes went on a 17-6 run in 6:34 to cut the 16-point deficit to five (32-27) at the 3:46 mark. Purdue took a 38-29 lead into halftime.

Iowa sophomore Kristi Smith scored all of her team-high 11 points in the first 12:30 of the contest. She made three of her first four 3-point field goal attempts and both free throw attempts. Smith also finished the contest with a game-high five assists and a team-high three steals.

Gearlds put her team on her back and went on her own 10-2 run to stretch Purdue’s lead to 15 (53-38) midway through the second period.

The Boilermakers were able to work their offense and find high-percentage shots, as 20 of their 30 field goals came in the paint.

Purdue forced 27 Hawkeye turnovers and converted the Hawkeye errors to 36 points. The Boilermakers collected a Big Ten-season-high 20 steals en route to victory.

Iowa junior Krista VandeVenter contibuted nine points. Four other Hawkeyes added six points each (Jenee Graham, Lindsey Nyenhuis, Nicole VanderPol and Megan Skouby).

Final Game Notes ? Thursday was the 51st meeting between Iowa and Purdue; the Boilermakers improved to 28-23 in the series. Purdue has won nine of the last ten games, including seven-straight at Mackey Arena.
? Wendy Ausdemore was 1-4 from 3-point range. She has made at least one triple in 15 consecutive contests. Ausdemore was held in single digits (five points) for only the eighth game this year. She did grab a team-high seven rebounds.
? Kristi Smith was 3-6 from 3-point range. She has knocked down at least one trey in 13 of the last 14 games. The sophomore, who ranks first in Big Ten 3-point field goal percentage, has made 31 of her last 49 (.633) 3-point attempts.
? Lindsey Nyenhuis converted 2-6 from behind the 3-point arc, bringing her season total to 36. The sophomore has made two or more triples in five of Iowa’s last six contests.
? Iowa was 7-19 (.368) from 3-point range, marking the eighth consecutive game that it made five or more treys.
? Iowa had an early 6-5 lead to start the game, but Purdue then went on a 21-5 surge to take early command, 26-10, at the 10:22 mark. The Boilermakers were able to generate the 16-point cushion by forcing eight Hawkeyes turnovers in the first ten minutes.
? Iowa posted season lows in free throws made (5) and attempted (5) tonight. Purdue converted 13-18 (.722) from the foul line.
Ausdemore Receives Academic Honor ? Wendy Ausdemore earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine District VII academic all-America recognition on Feb. 8. 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 Returns ? Center Megan Skouby fractured a bone in her non-shooting hand during practice on Feb. 3. The starting sophomore missed four conference games before returning to action last Sunday in a limited capacity. Skouby, who wore a soft cast on her left hand, came off the bench and collected seven points, four assists and two blocks. The 6-6 center, started her first game since the injury at 15th-ranked Purdue Thursday and played 21 minutes, scoring six points.

Prior to the injury, she played in 51 consecutive contests, including 40 starts. Skouby ranks first in team scoring (14.1), blocked shots (34) and second in rebounding (4.9).

Hawkeyes Approaching Big Ten Record ? Iowa is quietly approaching a Big Ten single-season record. The Hawkeyes are currently shooting at a .786 (425-541) clip at the free throw line, which ranks fourth nationally. The Big Ten Conference single-season record is .783 (390-498) established by Michigan State in 2002-03.

Iowa’s 2003-04 team (.769) and 2005-06 squad (.760) currently rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in Big Ten single-season free throw percentage rankings.

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 31 in only 49 attempts (.633) in the last 14 contests — she made all four attempts from behind the arc vs. Michigan on Feb. 8. Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.585) and fourth in 3-pointers made (2.07) in conference games.

For the season, her 3-point field goal percentage (.512, 44-86) 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 .856 (95-111) ranks fourth-best in Iowa single-season history.

Coming on Strong! ? Wendy Ausdemore has been terrific coming down the stretch, posting career numbers. The sophomore poured in a career-high 27 points on 9-15 shooting from the field, including 3-6 from 3-point range, and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line at Wisconsin on Feb. 11. Four days later, Ausdemore bested her career highs by netting 29 points on 9-16 shooting from the field, including 3-5 from behind the arc, and a perfect 8-8 from the foul line vs. Illinois. In Iowa’s win vs. Penn State, she tied a career high with three blocks to go along with 13 points. At 15th-ranked Purdue, she cleared a team-high seven rebounds.

Ausdemore’s offensive explosion has vaulted her to seventh in Big Ten Conference scoring (14.6). The native of Neola, IA, also ranks first in league free throw percentage (.971, 33-34) and second in 3-pointers made (2.27) and 3-point field goal percentage (.493, 34-69).

Tough Sledding ? Winning on the road has been a difficult task for teams during the Big Ten Conference season. Not including the top three teams (Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue) in the league, Iowa and Illinois have the highest number of road victories with three, followed by Wisconsin (2), Minnesota (2) and Indiana (1). Penn State, Michigan and Northwestern finished conference play winless on the road.

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 197 assists so far her first two seasons, 82 her freshman year and 115 this year. The native of Thornton, CO, scored 206 points her freshman campaign and 369 so far this season for a total of 575.

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.

Did You Know? ? Kristi Smith is the first Hawkeye freshman or sophomore to amass more than 100 assists and 300 points in a single-season.

The feat has been accomplished 10 times by six players throughout their respective careers. Listed below are the players and the year the achievement was accomplished:

Player (Year) Statistics Kristi Smith (2006-07) 369 points and 115 assists Johanna Solverson (2004-05) 359 points and 136 assists Cara Consuegra (2000-01) 347 points and 191 assists Cara Consuegra (1999-00) 394 points and 138 assists Laurie Aaron (1991-92) 344 points and 123 assists Steph Schueler (1990-91) 339 points and 122 assists Jolette Law (1989-90) 424 points and 122 assists Jolette Law (1988-89) 445 points and 132 assists Michelle Edwards (1987-88) 621 points and 140 assists Michelle Edwards (1986-87) 564 points and 123 assists

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.

No Sophomore Slump ? Wendy Ausdemore, Kristi Smith and Megan Skouby have cracked the top-five in sophomore records for 3-pointers made, assists and blocks, respectively.

Ausdemore’s 56 triples rank second among sophomores. She needs only four to tie record-holder Lindsey Meder’s mark of 60 established in 1999-2000.

Smith’s 115 assists rank her third amongst Hawkeye sophomores. The record is 153 shared by Cara Consuegra (1998-99) and April Calhoun (2002-03).

Skouby’s 34 rejections rank third. She is six blocks from tying Toni Foster (1990-91) for second place. Tangela Smith (1996-97) is the record holder with 69. Furthermore, Skouby has 81 career blocks, which rank eighth-best in Iowa career annals. She needs only one 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 really raised their level of play during conference season. In conference games only stats, Ausdemore ranks first in free throw percentage (.971), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.493) and 3-pointers made (2.27), seventh in scoring (14.6) and eighth in field goal percentage (.487). Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.585), third in assists (4.6), fourth in 3-pointers made (2.07), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.38) and free throw percentage (.865) and ninth in scoring (14.4).

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 five times, Megan Skouby three times, Krista VandeVenter twice and Stacy Schlapkohl each once. The Hawkeyes have had a player score 20 points or more 11 of the last 16 games.

Inside-Outside Threat ? Wendy Ausdemore can score both inside and outside the 3-point arc. The 6-2 sophomore has made 70-146 (.479) of her two-point attempts and 56-136 (.412) from behind the 3-point arc.

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 first in assists (115) and free throws made (97).

Smith has led the team in scoring 11 times, including scoring 20-plus points a team-best six times, led the team in steals 15 times and assists 12 times.

The native of Thornton, CO, has been on fire during conference play. She ranks high in seven statistical categories in league games only rankings: first in 3-point field goal percentage (.585), third in assists (4.6), fourth in 3-pointers made (2.07) and minutes played (35.6), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.38) and free throw percentage (.865) and ninth in scoring (14.4).

Home, Away Comparisons ? Iowa has a higher free throw percentage on the road than at home. The Hawkeyes have converted 82.4 percent (215-261) of its road foul shots, compared to 75.0 percent (210-280) at home. Iowa averages 7.9 more points per game, 4.4 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    .436    .415    .750    36.5    18.1    16.5    71.0Away    .415    .392    .824    33.9    13.7    18.4    63.1

Wins, Losses Comparisons ? There are big differentials in the stats between Iowa’s wins and losses. The Hawkeyes score an average of 11.2 more points and shoot 6.9 percent better from the field, including 5.8 percent better from 3-point range, in their victories. Iowa averages 6.1 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    .463    .438    .777    38.5    17.8    16.3    73.1Losses  .394    .380    .795    32.4    14.3    18.4    61.9

Freebies ? Iowa has made free throws when it counted — in the last five minutes of games. The Hawkeyes are 113-141 (.801) in the last five minutes, 52-70 (.743) under two minutes and 50-64 (.781) under a minute to play.

Iowa has made 425-541 from the foul line this year. The Hawkeyes’ 78.6 percent shooting from the free throw line is tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. Iowa opponents are only 363-515 (.705) 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.

Behind the Arc ? Iowa is the only Big Ten team with three players who have drained over 35 triples this season, Wendy Ausdemore (56), Kristi Smith (44) and Lindsey Nyenhuis (36) — all of whom are sophomores.

As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in Big Ten 3-pointers made (5.18).

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 15 games. Graham corralled a career-high 14 rebounds against Indiana State and Louisiana Tech.

Graham averages 4.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.07 assists. The native of Bolingbrook, IL, ranks fourth in Big Ten rebounding (7.9). The junior also ranks second in Big Ten assist/turnover ratio (1.51). Graham equaled a career high with seven assists and no turnover vs. Michigan on Feb. 8. Graham has dished out four dimes or more 13 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 (.786) and 3-point field goal percentage (.404), third in assist/turnover ratio (0.91), assists (15.93) and fourth in 3-pointers made (5.18). Individually, Jenee Graham ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (1.51) and fourth in rebounding (7.9). Wendy Ausdemore ranks third in 3-point field goal percentage (.412) and fourth in 3-pointers made (2.0). Megan Skouby ranks third in free throw percentage (.855), seventh in blocks (1.42) and 10th in scoring (13.8). Kristi Smith ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage (.512), second in free throw percentage (.858), fourth in assists (4.11), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.21), 10th in 3-pointers made (1.57) and 13th in scoring (13.2).

Attendance Rankings ? Iowa ranks 26th nationally in attendance, averaging 4,246 fans. Iowa has ranked in the top-25 fifteen of the last 17 seasons.

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 56-136 (.412) from 3-point range. She ranks third in Big Ten 3-point field goal percentage and fourth in 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 2007. She coached in her 700th career game and 200th on the Iowa sidelines, both during conference play. The Marion, IA, native has coached in 710 career games (482-228, .679) and 212 contests (126-86, .594) 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).

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.

Jensen Receives Drake Double D Award ? Iowa Associate Head Coach Jan Jensen was one of four former Drake student-athletes to receive the Drake Double D Award on Feb. 17 in Des Moines. The award is presented annually to Drake letterwinners for achievements in their chosen field or endeavor and/or community service since leaving Drake. The Double D Award is the highest honor Drake bestows on its student-athletes. Since its inception in 1968, the Double D honor has been presented to 221 former Drake letterwinners.

Jensen graduated from Drake in 1991 with a degree in public relations, while earning her Masters in Higher Education in 1996. She is one of only two Drake players to have their number retired in the Knapp Center. Jensen ranks fourth on Drake’s all-time scoring list, third in field goal percentage and fifth in steals and rebounds. As a senior in 1990-91, she led the nation in scoring (29.6) and was named Academic All-American National Player of the Year by GTE/CoSIDA. Jensen was also named the most valuable player in the Gateway Conference, while earning honorable mention all-American accolades by Kodak.

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.

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).

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.

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 ? Iowa will compete at the 2007 Big Ten Tournament presented by Xbox 360. The Hawkeyes will play Indiana or Penn State in the first round of the tournament. Game time is set for approximately 7 p.m. (CST).