Iowa To Face Central Michigan For Challenge Title

Iowa To Face Central Michigan For Challenge Title

Nov. 21, 2010

Central Michigan Game Notes in PDF Format

IOWA CITY, Iowa – THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will face Central Michigan Sunday at 2 p.m. for the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge championship.

Northern Colorado and Northeastern will play game three of the Challenge Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Single-game tickets are $9 for adults. Tickets for youth (18 and under) are $5, while UI students are admitted free with a valid student ID.

ON YOUR TELEVISION
Sunday’s game vs. Central Michigan will be televised live to a local audience on KCRG-TV9. John Campbell and Amy Herrig will call the action.

AUDIO COVERAGE
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call Sunday’s game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City, AM-600 WMT in Cedar Rapids, AM-1040 WHO in Des Moines or on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his seventh season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her sixth providing analysis.

ON YOUR COMPUTER
Hawkeye fans can follow the game via live stats (Gametracker). The “GT” link can be accessed under the “Calendar” tab on the front page of hawkeyesports.com or on the women’s basketball schedule page.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,040 games, since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 634-406 (.610). That includes a 318-158 (.668) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 299-87 (.775) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

GOING FOR NO. 300
The UI women’s basketball program is just one win shy of collecting victory No. 300 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have compiled a 299-87 (.775) inside their home venue since it opened in 1983.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Central Michigan Chippewas are 3-0 after defeating North Carolina A&T (119-71) and Belmont (102-71) at the Winthrop Tournament in Rock Hill, SC, along with a win over Northern Colorado (78-74) in the first round of the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge. Central Michigan holds a +27.7 scoring margin in its first three games.

Six Chippewas are averaging double figures. Kaihla Szunko is averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds while Brandie Baker and Shonda Long are scoring 16.7 points per game. Jalisa Olive (12.7), Taylor Johnson (10.7) and Niki DiGuilio (10) round out the double figure scoring.

Central Michigan is shooting .465 (106-228) from the field, including .301 (22-73) from distance.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS. IOWA NOTES
? Central Michigan Head Coach Sue Guevara spent seven years as the head coach at Michigan (1996-2003). Iowa was 3-8 against the Wolverines during that stretch. Guevara also spent time as an assistant coach at Michigan State and was a graduate assistant at Ohio State.

? Central Michigan assistant coach Heather Oesterle played for Guevara at Michigan from 1999-02. Iowa went 2-6 vs. Michigan during Oesterle’s time as a Wolverine.

IOWA IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

Four Iowa opponents are also ranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls: Ohio State (7/7), North Carolina (14/15), Iowa State (19/17) and Michigan State (25/22).

Kansas State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue and James Madison are receiving votes.

HAWKEYE CHALLENGE NOTE
Iowa has won 19 of the previous 24 tournaments it has hosted, and holds an impressive 43-6 record in Hawkeye Challenge contests.

BALANCED ATTACK LEADS IOWA PAST NORTHEASTERN
Iowa kept its perfect mark on the season, moving to 4-0 with an 87-59 win over Northeastern to open the 2010 KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge.

Four players scored double figures, and the Hawkeyes were just one point shy of having all five starters score 10 or more points.

Sophomore Morgan Johnson led the way, recording a career-high 22 points along with 10 rebounds. Kachine Alexander also had a double-double, scoring 21 points and securing 12 rebounds. Kelly Krei had 18 points and Kamille Wahlin chipped in 12. Jaime Printy added nine points, five rebounds and seven assists.

The Hawkeyes dominated the stat sheet, out-rebounding the Huskies 51-27. Iowa recorded 23 assists on 31 made baskets and outscored Northeastern, 38-26 in the paint.

BLUDER CLOSING IN ON MILESTONE
Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder is just seven wins away from becoming only the second coach in school history to reach the 200-win milestone.

Bluder currently has 193 wins in her 11 years at Iowa. C. Vivian Stringer is the only other Hawkeye head coach to reach the 200-win plateau at Iowa, finishing her time in Iowa City with 269 wins.

Ohio State Head Coach Jim Foster is the only other active Big Ten coach to have reached 200 wins at his/her current school.

JOHNSON EMERGES IN THE PAINT
Morgan Johnson had a career day against Northeastern Nov. 20, notching a career-best 22 points on 8-13 shooting against the Huskies. Johnson had 16 points at half, just two shy of her previous career high of 18 points, set twice during her rookie campain last year.