Hawkeyes to Host UNI Thursday

THE SETTING

The Iowa Hawkeyes (5-4) remain home Thursday, hosting the Northern Iowa Panthers (2-5). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:06 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $9 for adults, while youths and UI students are admitted free. Wendy Ausdemore will be honored before the game for reaching the 1,000-point plateau in Iowa’s game vs. South Florida on Nov. 28.

ON THE TUBE

Thursday night’s game will be televised to a national cable audience on the Big Ten Network (HD). Jenean Ford and Stephanie White will call the action.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Thursday will be just the 14th meeting between Iowa and Northern Iowa, with the Hawkeyes leading the series, 11-2. Iowa won 10 straight before the Panthers snapped the losing skid with an 83-62 victory in Iowa City in 2006. The Hawkeyes hold a commanding 5-1 advantage in contests played at Iowa City. Iowa won last year’s meeting, 77-67, in Cedar Falls on Nov. 18, 2007.

Iowa is 49-35 (.583) against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, winning 14 of the last 16 contests.

SCOUTING UNI

Northern Iowa (2-5) enters Thursday’s game on a four-game losing skid. The Panthers lost their last two games at home to Northern Illinois (58-46) and Green Bay (76-49). In its last contest, Green Bay forced 33 UNI turnovers and scored 33 of its 76 points off miscues. Junior Nicole Clausen scored a team-high 15 points, bolstered by 5-7 shooting from 3-point range. Junior Kim Wypiszynski added 10 points off the bench. Clausen leads the team in scoring (12.9), 3-pointers made (23), attempted (47) and steals (12). Freshman K.K. Armstrong averages 9.9 ppg and a team-best 23 assists. The Panthers average 21 turnovers per contest and have a -6.1 rebounding margin and a 0.6 assist/turnover ratio. Tanya Warren is in her second year as a head coach, all with at UNI. She owns a 15-23 (.395) record on the Panther sidelines.

UNI, IOWA TIES

Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder graduated from Northern Iowa in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She was a three-year starter for the Panthers.

IOWA, UNI NOTES

• Six of Iowa’s nine games have been decided by 20 points or more.

• Iowa concludes its non-conference schedule with three-consecutive contests against in-state rivals. The Hawkeyes beat No. 22 Iowa State (66-46) last Sunday, will host UNI Thursday and play at Drake on Dec. 20.

• Iowa is 63-33 (.656) in non-conference contests under Coach Bluder.

• UNI played at Nevada’s holiday tournament over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 28-29). The Hawkeyes are slated to play in that tournament next season.

• Megan Skouby averages 10.3 points and Kristi Smith averages 9.0 points in three games in their career against Northern Iowa.

• Iowa ranks second in Big Ten rebounding margin (+7.0), third in field goal percentage defense (.355), and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.313) and rebounds allowed (34.1).

• JoAnn Hamlin, who has led the Hawkeyes in rebounding the last four contests, ranks seventh in league rebounding (7.0).

• Iowa’s last three games were against ranked opponents (No. 3 California, No. 12 Duke and No. 22 Iowa State).

• Iowa’s Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith played in their 100th career game last Sunday vs. Iowa State.

• Iowa has played at two historic college basketball arenas this season: Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 18 and Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 4.

• Iowa started the season by playing seven games in 14 days.

• Junior Nicole VanderPol is doubtful for Thursday’s game due to injury. She has not played in the last seven games.

• Junior JoAnn Hamlin recorded her 500th career point at No. 12 Duke last week.

• Senior Wendy Ausdemore has led the team in scoring three of the last five contests. Furthermore, Ausdemore has led the team in assists in six of the nine contests.

• Iowa ranks 17th in the country in free throw percentage (.782).

• Kristi Smith has reached double figures a team-best six times this season. Wendy Ausdemore and Megan Skouby netted double digits five times this season.

HOME SWEET HOME

Iowa has maintained a solid home court advantage the last couple years. Dating back to last season, Iowa has won 11 games in a row at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa’s last home loss was a 73-65 decision to No. 20 Ohio State on Jan. 6, 2008.

PLAYING THE BEST

Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks sixth-best in the country. The Hawkeyes own the second-toughest schedule among Big Ten teams; Ohio State ranks third. Despite a 5-4 record, Iowa’s RPI ranking, as of Monday, is 27th. The rating is the third-best among Big Ten teams. Ohio State ranks fifth, while Wisconsin is 13th.

AUSDEMORE REACHES MILESTONE

Wendy Ausdemore’s second 3-point basket in the first half of the South Florida game on Nov. 28, put her over the 1,000-point plateau. She became the 26th Hawkeye to accomplish the feat. Classmates Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith reached the milestone last season.

HAWKEYES DROP NO. 22 IOWA STATE

The Iowa Hawkeyes snapped a three-game losing skid with a 66-46 triumph over in-state rival Iowa State Sunday in front of a season-high 5,560 fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The win also snapped Iowa’s three-game losing streak to the Cyclones. Iowa took advantage of 21 Iowa State turnovers and outscored the Cyclones 25-1 off turnovers. Additionally, the Hawkeyes were 20-24 (.833) from the foul line, while the Cyclones were only 4-8 (.500). Junior JoAnn Hamlin recorded her second double-double of the season, netting 18 points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Kachine Alexander contributed a career-high 18 points, while senior Kristi Smith added 15.

IOWA, ISU TIP-INS

• The home team has won seven of the last eight meetings.

• Iowa State shot only 17.4 percent (4-23) from behind the 3-point arc.

• Iowa only turned the ball over a season-low 12 times.

• Iowa has made 83.3 percent from the free throw line in four separate games this season.

• The Hawkeyes went on a 10-0 run, with six points by Kachine Alexander, midway through the first half and never looked back.

• Two of Iowa’s leading scorers, Megan Skouby and Wendy Ausdemore, combined for only two points and the Hawkeyes still won by 20.

• The 20-point victory is Iowa’s largest margin of victory over the Cyclones since a 25-point win (64-39) in 2002 at Iowa City.

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