Jan. 6, 2009
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- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
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THE SETTING
The Iowa Hawkeyes (8-6, 1-2) remain on the road this week when they travel back to the state of Indiana to face the Purdue Boilermakers (9-5, 2-1) in West Lafayette. Tip-off is slated for 6:06 p.m. (CST) in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers have won four of their last five games, while the Hawkeyes are looking to snap a two-game losing skid. Thursday concludes Iowa’s difficult stretch of playing four of its last five games on the road.
ON THE TUBE
Thursday night’s game will be televised live to a national cable audience on the Big Ten Network (HD). Leah Secondo and Jenean Ford will call the action.
ON THE RADIO
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call Thursday night’s game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Only KXIC AM-800 will have the call Thursday night. Balbinot is in his fifth season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her fourth providing analysis. Hawkeye fans can also follow the game via live stats (gametracker). The `GT’ link can be accessed under the `Calender’ tab on the front page of hawkeyesports.com or on the women’s basketball schedule page.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 983 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 596-387 (.606). That includes a 296-148 (.667) mark in Big Ten contests and 277-82 (.772) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
IOWA APPROACHES MILESTONE
The Iowa’s women’s basketball program has 596 overall wins and 296 victories in Big Ten Conference play.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Thursday will be the 56th meeting between Iowa and Purdue, with the Boilermakers leading the series 31-24. Purdue holds a 15-9 advantage in games played at West Lafayette. Iowa and Purdue will meet for the second time in as many weeks Thursday. The Boilermakers downed the Hawkeyes, 69-60, Dec, 28, 2008 in the second conference game of the season in Iowa City. The Boilermakers have won 11 of the last 13 meetings. Purdue has won the last eight contests played in Mackey Arena. The Hawkeyes’ last win at West Lafayette came on Feb. 6, 1998.
SCOUTING PURDUE
Thursday will be Purdue’s third-straight home game. The Boilermakers lost to Michigan State in overtime (68-62) on New Year’s Day and beat fourth-ranked Texas Monday night (66-55). Purdue will have two days to prepare for the Hawkeyes. Purdue is coming off an 11-point win over No. 4 Texas Monday night in Mackey Arena. The Longhorns were whistled for 21 fouls and the Boilermakers attempted 20 more free throws than Texas. Purdue converted 21 of its 27 attempts (.778), while Texas was only 6-7 (.857) from the charity stripe. Senior forward Danielle Campbell posted a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds), while freshman guard Brittany Rayburn led all scorers with 19 points, bolstered by 3-5 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. Senior center Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton averages team highs in scoring (12.9), steals (2.5), rebounding (9.0) and field goal percentage (.490). Senior Lakisha Freeman ranks second in team scoring (11.1). Campbell ranks fourth in team scoring (9.3), first in blocks (2.1) and second in rebounding (8.8). Hylton (2.5) and junior FahKara Malone (2.43) rank three-four in Big Ten steals. Purdue ranks second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (.349) and blocks (5.1), and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.359), turnover margin (+1.6) and assists (15.71). The Boilermakers ranks last in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.373). Sharon Versyp is in her ninth season (176-91, .659) as a head coach and her third (59-26, .694) on the Boilermaker sidelines.
IOWA, PURDUE NOTES
? Iowa is 3-5 in games away from Iowa City, while Purdue is 5-2 in home contests. The Boilermakers average 8,902 fans in their seven home dates.
? Nine of Iowa’s 14 games have been decided by 18 points or more (5-4).
? Kristi Smith collected her 350th career assist at Indiana. She is only four assists from passing Jolette Law for seventh and eight from passing Nadine Domond for sixth on Iowa’s career assists chart.
? Four Hawkeyes average double figures in scoring against Purdue. In seven games against the Boilermakers, Kristi Smith averages 15.1 points and is 19-20 (.950) from the foul line. Kachine Alexander scored 15 points in her only game against Purdue. Wendy Ausdemore averages 12.4 points, while Megan Skouby averages 10.9 points in seven games vs. Purdue.
? Wendy Ausdemore has missed only two free throws (26-28, .929).
? Nine Big Ten teams already have at least one loss. Furthermore, seven squads already have two losses or more.
? Iowa players have corralled double-digit rebounds 12 times this season. JoAnn Hamlin and Kachine Alexander have accomplished the feat a team-best five times, while Wendy Ausdemore has done it twice.
? Iowa has held seven of the eight teams it has defeated to 58 points or less.
? Kachine Alexander and JoAnn Hamlin lead the team in rebounding, averaging 7.7 and 7.5, respectively. Alexander ranks eighth in league rebounding, while Hamlin ranks ninth.
? Iowa has had six different players lead the team in scoring through 14 games. Wendy Ausdemore and Megan Skouby have shared or led the squad in scoring a team-best five times.
? Iowa ranks fifth in the country in free throw percentage (.796). The Hawkeyes have made (226) nearly as many free throws than their opponents have attempted (230).
? Both Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith have scored 146 points. The duo are tied for second in team scoring behind Megan Skouby (197 points).
? Last season, Megan Skouby blocked 23 shots in 32 games; she has already amassed 25 through 14 games this season. She currently sits third on Iowa’s all-time career rejections list with 132. She is only 14 blocks from passing Toni Foster for second.
? Kristi Smith and Megan Skouby have reached double figures a team-best nine times.
? Iowa has an RPI rating of 28th in the country and strength of schedule that ranks sixth. The Hawkeyes’ strength of schedule ranks second-best in the Big Ten. Purdue’s win over Texas Monday night vaulted the Boilermakers 13 spots in Tuesday’s RPI rankings. Purdue is rated 38th in the RPI and 24th in the strength of schedule. The numbers are based on the report published on Jan. 6.
LAST MEETING
Purdue snapped Iowa’s 12-game home winning streak with a 69-60 victory Dec. 28 in Iowa City. The Boilermakers used a 10-0 second-half run to propel Purdue to victory. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton led all scorers with 17 points; she also added seven rebounds. Danielle Campbell registered a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds), while Lakisha Freeman scored all 10 of her points in the second stanza. Iowa was led by Kristi Smith, Kachine Alexander and Wendy Ausdemore. Alexander netted 11 of her 15 points from the free throw line, while Ausdemore scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half. Smith tallied a team-high 16 points. Iowa closed to within 50-45 with 7:24 left in the game, but were unable to get any closer.
HOME SWEET HOME
Iowa has maintained a solid home court advantage the last couple years. Dating back to last season, Iowa has won 12 of its last 13 games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Purdue snapped Iowa’s 12-game winning streak with a 69-60 win last Sunday in Iowa City.
HAWKEYES FALL AT INDIANA
Indiana scored the game’s first nine points and never looked back en route to a 76-54 win over Iowa Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. The victory was Indiana’s ninth straight, while Iowa dropped its second-consecutive contest. The 22-point loss is the third-largest margin of defeat to Indiana in the 53-game series history. The Hoosiers dominated in the post, outscoring the Hawkeyes 34-4 in the paint. Indiana also converted all nine offensive rebounds, scoring 18 second-chance points. Iowa was led by Megan Skouby, JoAnn Hamlin and Kachine Alexander. Skouby netted 13 of her 15 points in the second stanza. Hamlin tallied 10 points and seven rebounds, while Alexander contributed nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Indiana held two of Iowa’s offensive threats, Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith, to a combined three points. Indiana’s Jamie Braun led all scorers with 19, while Whitney Thomas posted a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds). Thomas’ ninth point was the 1,000th of her career.
LAST OUTING TIP-INS
? Sunday was Iowa’s first visit to Bloomington in nearly two years (Jan. 11, 2007). The win was only Indiana’s third over the Hawkeyes in 10 tries.
? Megan Skouby scored Iowa’s first seven points of the second half, sinking her first three field goal attempts, including draining her seventh career triple. The senior also had a team-high three blocks, marking the fifth time this year she has collected three blocks or more.
? Kachine Alexander pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. She also had nine points, bolstered by 7-8 shooting from the charity stripe.
? JoAnn Hamlin totaled 10 points. She has reached double figures six times this season, including three of the last four games. The junior, who also grabbed seven rebounds, fouled out with 3:59 left in the game.
? Wendy Ausdemore, Iowa’s second-leading scorer, was limited to a season-low one point today. Ausdemore, who fouled out with 5:13 left in the game, attempted only two field goals (0-2) and was 1-2 from the foul line. The free throw miss was only her second miss of the season (26-28). The senior did collect three assists.
? Iowa was plagued by poor shooting in the first 20 minutes. The Hawkeyes shot only 23.8 percent (5-21) from the floor, while the home team shot 50 percent (15-30). The Hawkeyes made only one field goal, a Megan Skouby jumper, the final 9:35 of the first stanza.
? Indiana closed the first half on a 33-9 run to lead by 25 (42-17) at intermission.
? Iowa, who ranks fifth in the nation in free throw shooting, shot 77.8 percent (14-18) from the free throw line.
? Kristi Smith dished out a game-high four assists. She also added two points.
FINDING WAYS TO SCORE
Kachine Alexander has found ways to score this season. The sophomore is Iowa’s best penetrator and has scored 115 points this year — 65 points coming via 32 field goals and 50 coming from the free throw line. In the last two games, 18 of her 24 points have come from the charity stripe.
LIKING THE DISTANCE
Wendy Ausdemore has made more 3-pointers than two-point field goals this season. Ausdemore, who ranked third in the country in 3-point percentage a year ago, has made 26 triples and 21 two-pointers through 14 games. Last season, Ausdemore made 78 treys and 54 two-pointers in 32 contests.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Last season, Iowa had only three players record one double-double in 32 games (Wendy Ausdemore, Johanna Solverson and Megan Skouby). So far this season, Iowa has had three players post double-doubles a total of six times through 14 games. JoAnn Hamlin recorded double-doubles vs. Boston, Iowa State and at Wisconsin this year. Kachine Alexander tallied her first double-double vs. Providence, while Ausdemore had back-to-back double-doubles vs. Texas Tech and South Florida in the Paradise Jam.
TRIFECTA
Iowa has three seniors who have reached the 1,000-point plateau. Wendy Ausdemore, Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith became the first senior trio at Iowa to eclipse 1,000 points. The 1998 senior duo of Tangela Smith and Tiffany Gooden reached the milestone, the 1990 tandem of Franthea Price and Jolette Law accomplished the feat, and the 1987 duo of Lisa Becker and Lisa Long both tallied 1,000 points. Skouby and Smith accomplished the feat last season as juniors, while Ausdemore topped 1,000 points early this season. Ausdemore netted a game-high 21 points in an overtime loss to South Florida (Nov. 28, 2008). The native of Neola, IA, reached 1,000 points in 97 games. Skouby scored six points at No. 20 Ohio State (Feb. 21, 2008) to become the 24th Hawkeye to amass 1,000 career points. Skouby, who is a native of Mentor, OH, accomplished the feat in only 82 games and she did so in front of family and friends. Smith netted 19 points vs. Purdue (March 8, 2008) to become the 25th Iowa player to tally 1,000 points. The Thornton, CO, native accomplished the feat in 90 contests.
AUSDEMORE IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Wendy Ausdemore, a senior, has her name all over the Hawkeye record books for 3-point shooting. The native of Neola, IA, is 186-446 (.417) from long distance. The senior has been on fire from behid the arc the last four games; Ausdemore sank 57.9 percent (11-19) of her 3-point attempts at Drake, at Wisconsin, vs. Purdue and at Indiana. Ausdemore’s career shooting accuracy from beyond the arc currently ranks first in the Big Ten and Hawkeye record books. Former Ohio State Buckeye Caity Matter (270-657, .411) ranks second, while former Hawkeye Lindsey Meder (261-644, .405) is third. Ausdemore’s 186 treys ranks second in Iowa annals behind Meder’s 261. Last season, Ausdemore was 78-171 (.456), with her percentage ranking third in the nation, and first among players with over 150 attempts. Also, Ausdemore made a school-best 62 triples as a sophomore and 78 as a junior.
SIMILARITIES
Coach Bluder sees similarities between this season’s senior and freshman classes. This year’s senior class was asked, in 2005-06, to step-up and make an immediate impact when they were freshmen. Iowa’s freshman class this year will, again, be asked to provide depth and will likely play a pivotal role in the team’s success.
PRE-SEASON RANKINGS
Iowa has been picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten by the league coaches and fifth by a selected media panel. The coaches picked Purdue to win the conference, while the media selected Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won outright, or shared, the last four regular season conference titles. Ohio State sophomore Jantel Lavender was selected as the pre-season Player of the Year by both voting groups.
IOWA FAST BREAKS
? Iowa is 129-17 when leading at the half in nine years under Coach Bluder, including a perfect 8-0 this season. The Hawkeyes are 109-23 when holding opponents to 69 points or less, including a 53-4 mark when opponents score 59 points or less.
? Iowa played seven non-conference games against teams from a major conference: Big East (Providence and South Florida), Pac-10 (California), ACC (Duke), Big 12 (Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State).
? Megan Skouby tied a Paradise Jam tournament game record with four blocked shots against Texas Tech (11/27/08). Additionally, she equaled a career high blocking five shots in back-to-back games (Northern Iowa and Drake).
? Iowa boasted a +21.3 scoring margin in its three wins over in-state competition. The Hawkeyes dropped Iowa State by 20, Northern Iowa by 26 and Drake by 18.
? Iowa’s loss to South Florida was its first overtime loss since falling 80-78 to Minnesota (Jan. 25, 2007) in Iowa City.
? Through 14 games, Iowa averages only 4.6 steals per game, which is the lowest average in school history. The Hawkeyes averaged 5.1 thefts during the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.
HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
Iowa averages 12.2 more points at home than on the road. The Black and Gold have a higher free throw percentage at home (.814) than on the road (.773). Iowa averages 5.2 more rebounds per game, 3.7 more assists and 3.1 fewer turnovers at home than on the road.
WINS, LOSSES COMPARISONS
There are big differences in the statistics in Iowa’s wins to Iowa’s losses. The Hawkeyes average 15.2 more points in their wins to losses. Also, Iowa averages 5.1 fewer turnovers in its victories. Finally, Iowa averages .369 from behind the 3-point arc in its wins, compared to only .288 in its defeats.
GET TO KNOW HER CAMPAIGN
The Big Ten Conference announced its latest public service effort for women’s basketball. The Get to Know Her campaign is a fully integrated effort that will allow fans to see the non-basketball sides of their favorite student-athletes via multimedia tools and on-campus promotions. Elements of the Get to Know Her campaign include a fan club, theme nights, a weekly newsletter, Big Ten Network-produced PSAs, video and print feature stories, a Facebook page and fan rewards. Fans can sign up to be members of the Get to Know Her Club at all Big Ten women’s basketball home games. Fans will receive special rewards for joining the club, while membership privileges include special access, giveaways and insider information on Big Ten women’s basketball. Fans will also enjoy increased chances to learn about their favorite women’s basketball players through multimedia outlets. Written feature stories will appear on the Big Ten website throughout the conference season, while the Big Ten Network will air features and Get to Know Her PSAs through the duration of the 2008-09 campaign.
HOME GROWN HAWKEYES
Iowa’s 2008-09 roster features four players from the state of Iowa (Wendy Ausdemore, Kelsey Cermak, Kelly Krei and Nicole VanderPol). The Hawkeyes also have three players from Minnesota (Kachine Alexander, Hannah Draxten and Kamille Wahlin). Iowa’s 13-person roster also features players from Ohio (Shante Jones and Megan Skouby), Colorado (Kristi Smith), Kansas (JoAnn Hamlin) and Michigan (Lindsey Nyenhuis).
UI TO HOST NCAA TOURNAMENT GAMES IN 2009
The University of Iowa and Carver-Hawkeye Arena will serve as one of 16 first and second round hosts for the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. Games will take place Sunday, March 22 (6 p.m./8:30 p.m.) and Tuesday, March 24, 2009 (8:30 p.m.). Adult tickets prices are $28 for the three tournament games and $18 for students and senior citizens if they purchase their tickets over the phone or at the UI Ticket Office. The two ticket prices are $31 and $21, respectively, if purchased on the Internet. The UI Department of Athletics first hosted an NCAA Championship site in 1986 when it served as one of four regional final sites. Carver-Hawkeye Arena has hosted NCAA Women’s Championship games 11 years (1986-90, 92-94, 96-98). The UI and Carver-Hawkeye Arena have entertained the regional finals four times and first and/or second rounds nine times. The NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994. The last time Iowa City hosted a first and second round site was in 1998. Iowa defeated Massachusetts in the first round, but lost to Kansas in the second round. The Hawkeyes boast a 9-4 record in NCAA Championship games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
BLOGGING
Iowa Hawkeye fans will be treated once again to behind-the-scenes information this season as senior Wendy Ausdemore, and sophomore Kelsey Cermak and freshman Hannah Draxten will have their own blogs, which will be posted on hawkeyesports.com. The trio will share their thoughts on practices, games, road trips, and everything else surrounding the program. Additionally, fans will be able to watch behind-the-scenes clips of the team with Lindsey Nyenhuis’ video blog.
IOWA INFORMATION ON THE WEB
Statistics and play-by-play accounts of all Iowa Hawkeye 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 `GT’ link.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT ALL-SESSION TICKETS ON SALE
Make sure you have the best seats to cheer on the Hawkeyes at the 2009 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis at Conseco Fieldhouse March 5-8. Secure the best seats available by contacting the UI Athletic Ticket Office at (800) IA-HAWKS. To reward fans for their support of the tournament over the years, all-session tickets are on sale for $45 for the first 45 days of public sale. That is a $20 discount from the regular price of $65. The ticket promotion ends Jan. 19, 2009. The Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will call Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse home through 2012. Indianapolis has staged 13 of the 14 previous women’s tournaments. The 2009 tournament features all 11 Big Ten teams in action, competing in 10 games over four days to crown the 2009 champion and earn the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Six different conference representatives have won the tournament championship. Reigning Big Ten Tournament Champion Purdue leads all teams with seven titles, followed by two championships for both Iowa and Penn State and one title each for Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State. The 2009 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket, along with information on tickets, travel, lodging, tournament history and more, can be found at bigten.org and indianasportscorp.com.
“HAWK TALK WITH Lisa Bluder”
Catch “Hawk Talk with Lisa Bluder”, the radio call-in program Monday night featuring Iowa Hawkeye Women’s Head Coach Lisa Bluder, on KXIC-AM 800 in Iowa City, 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 (800) 332-5401 or locally at (319) 365-0600. The show originates from Bob’s Your Uncle restaurant on the east side of Iowa City.
ON THE HORIZON
The Hawkeyes return home Sunday when they host Minnesota at 4:36 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.