Nov. 8, 2012
- IowaWomensBasketball.com
- 2013 NCAA 1st and 2nd Round Information
- Order Iowa Women’s Basketball Tickets Online
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/ipad app!
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
Iowa Game Notes vs. Northern Illinois
IOWA CITY, Iowa — THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team opens the 2012-13 season by hosting Northern Illinois in first round action of the Preseason WNIT on Friday. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tickets are $10 for adults. Youth (18 and under) and UI students are admitted free.
ON YOUR TELEVISION
Friday’s game will be televised live to a statewide audience on Mediacom. Rob Brooks and Shelley Till will call the action.
AUDIO COVERAGE
Brent Balbinot and former Hawkeye Wendy Ausdemore will call Friday’s game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City, AM-1360 KMJM in Cedar Rapids, AM-1040 WHO in Des Moines or on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his ninth season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her eighth providing analysis.
ON YOUR COMPUTER
Friday’s contest vs. Northern Illinois will be streamed live on hawkeyesports.com via the BTN Digital Network. Hawkeye All-Access subscribers can watch live video streams of UI events on the BTN Digital Network at no extra charge.
Hawkeye fans can also 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.
PROMOTIONS
Fans will be able to pick up posters, schedule cards, magnets and keytags inside each entrance. Free 3-point cards will be handed out to the first 1,250 fans and free Iowa women’s basketball pens will be available for the first 1,000 fans. Season ticket holders can pick up their “Bluder’s Bunch” t-shirt inside the west entrance.
Fans who have a ticket to the women’s game are invited to stay for the men’s game that follows at 8 p.m., but seating will be limited. Fans are encouraged to purchase a men’s ticket to guarantee seating for the 8 p.m. game.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,098 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 671-426 (.611). That includes a 340-170 (.667) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 322-91 (.780) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
PRESEASON WNIT INFORMATION
? The Preseason WNIT is in its 19th year and is one of the longest-running preseason women’s basketball tournaments. Teams are selected based on expected success for that season, relevant past, conference standing, fan base and geographical location.
? Sixteen teams from 16 conferences compete in a three-game guarantee championship format. The event opens Nov. 9 with first round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 11. If Iowa defeats Northern Illinois, the Hawkeyes will host a second round game Sunday at 2 p.m. The semifinals are set for Nov. 14-15 and the championship will be held Nov. 18. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games Nov. 16-17 at a participating school site.
? The consolation bracket will be re-drawn with regard to matchups based on geography of teams involved, who is able to host and recent history of the teams. The consolation bracket will be released after the completion of first round games on Nov. 10.
? The official tournament website is womensnit.com. Fans can also follow the WNIT on Facebook and on Twitter (@womensNIT). The official Twitter hashtag of the tournament is #WNIT.
IOWA IN THE PRESEASON WNIT
The Hawkeyes are participating in the Preseason WNIT for the second time. Iowa’s only other Preseason WNIT appearance was in 1996. The Hawkeyes, ranked No. 6 in the country, defeated Illinois State (66-41) in first round action, but were upset by No. 20 Notre Dame (60-51) in the second round. Both games were played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
HAWKEYES IN SEASON OPENERS
Iowa is a perfect 12-0 in season openers under Head Coach Lisa Bluder. Friday will mark the 10th time in Bluder’s 13 years that the Hawkeyes will open the season at home.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois returns eight players from last year’s team that compiled a 14-17 overall record and a 6-10 mark in MAC play. The Huskies qualified for the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2007 a year ago.
The Huskies return two starters in Amanda Corral and Jenna Thorp from last year’s squad. Corral was Northern Illinois’ second-leading scorer with 10 points per contest and started all 31 games. Thorp played in 30 games with 20 starts and averaged 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds. Nine of Northern Illinois’ 14 players are underclassmen.
Northern Illinois is led by second-year head coach Kathi Bennett, who previously served as the head coach at Indiana and as an assistant coach at Wisconsin.
The Huskies defeated Indiana Wesleyan, 45-42, in an exhibition on Nov. 5. Corral led Northern Illinois with 12 points, while Satavia Taylor had nine points and five rebounds.
HAWKEYES TOP QUINCY IN EXHIBITION
Iowa defeated Quincy University, 86-51, in an exhibition game on Nov. 4.
Three Hawkeyes scored double figures, led by a game-high 28 points by sophomore Melissa Dixon. Sophomore Samantha Logic added 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Senior Morgan Johnson had 12 points and nine rebounds.
DIXON STARTS OFF HOT
Sophomore Melissa Dixon was 7-of-11 from 3-point range in Iowa’s exhibition win over Quincy University. Had the statisitcs from the game counted, Dixon would have tied the school record for 3-pointers made in a single game. She would have also set the school record for 3-pointers made by a Hawkeye player inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
IOWA IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today preseason Top 25.
Five Iowa opponents are also ranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls: Penn State (8th/8th), Purdue (18th/21st), Nebraska (19th/18th), Ohio State (21st/19th) and West Virginia (22nd/17th).
In addition, Iowa State, Texas, LSU, West Virginia and Florida State are receiving votes.
PRINTY NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD NOMINEE
Senior Jaime Printy is one of 30 NCAA Division I women’s basketball players to be named a candidate for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Printy has excelled both on and off the court during her career. The Marion, Iowa, native is one of the most decorated players in Iowa history, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2010, Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America accolades as a sophomore and All-Big Ten recognition as a junior.
Off the court, Printy has been named Capital One Academic All-District, is a member of the Dean’s List and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She is active in the eastern Iowa community, volunteering with numerous charities, organizations and local elementary schools.
JOHNSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
Senior center Morgan Johnson was named Preseason All-Big Ten at the annual Big Ten Media Day in Chicago.
Johnson was one of seven players chosen by the league coaches for the Preseason All-Big Ten team. She was joined on the coaches team by Rachel Banham (Minnesota), Jordan Hooper (Nebraska), Tayler Hill (Ohio State), Courtney Moses (Purdue) and Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas (Penn State).
The media Preseason All-Big Ten team consisted of Hooper and Lindsey Moore (Nebraska), Hill, Bentley and Lucas.
Johnson was a second team All-Big Ten selection as a junior last season, averaging 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. She led the Big Ten and ranked seventh in the NCAA in field goal percentage (54.9). She also ranked second in the Big Ten and 26th in the country in blocks per game (2.3).
This year marks the third consecutive season that a Hawkeye player has been named Preseason All-Big Ten (Kachine Alexander – 2010, Jaime Printy – 2011).
MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS
? Morgan Johnson ranks second in career blocks (227), 13th in career rebounds (630) and 27th in career scoring (1,092). She needs nine more blocks to move past Tangela Smith for first place, 24 more rebounds to move past Shanda Berry for 12th place and nine more points to pass Shanda Berry for 26th place.
? Jaime Printy ranks fourth in career 3-pointers made (197), 11th in career scoring (1,409) and 12th in career assists (304). She needs 25 more 3-pointers to move past Wendy Ausdemore for third place, 31 more points to move past Megan Skouby for 10th place and 19 more assists to move past Lisa Anderson for 11th place.
IOWA SELECTED TO HOST NCAA 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS
The University of Iowa has been selected to host first and second round games of the 2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
The Iowa City site will host first round games on Sunday, March 24 at 4 and 6:30 p.m. The second round contest will be on Tuesday, March 26 at 8:30 p.m.
Fans can take advantage of a special advanced sale rate that runs until Jan. 1. All-session tickets are just $25 for adults and $15 for youth (18 and under), UI students and seniors (50+). The first 500 fans purchasing all-session tickets will receive a souvenir t-shirt.
IOWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AND SOCIAL MEDIA
The Hawkeye women’s basketball has four different social media outlets. Check out the Iowa women’s basketball Facebook page or the University of Iowa Athletics Facebook page. Fans can also follow @IowaWBB or @TheIowaHawkeyes on Twitter.