Iowa and Penn State to Play Sunday in Iowa City

THE SETTING
The Iowa Hawkeyes (12-8, 5-4) welcome the Penn State Lady Lions (8-11, 3-6) to Iowa City Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 1:05 p.m. (CST) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for youths and free for UI students. Both teams are coming off road losses Thursday night; Iowa lost at Michigan State, while Penn State fell at Indiana.

PINK ZONE, NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY
Sunday's game is Iowa's Pink Zone event and also UI Department of Athletics is honoring National Girls and Women Sports Day.

• Boys and girls 18-and-under who wear their team jersey to the game Sunday, will receive free admission in recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
• All fans are encouraged to wear pink to Sunday's game in support of cancer awareness.
• The first 1,000 fans will receive a pink pom pom.
• Three-point placards with American Cancer Resource Network information on the back will be distributed.
• Both teams will be wearing pink uniforms (Penn State in pink with white trim/Iowa in white with pink trim).
• Cancer Awareness facts will be read throughout the game and info will be distributed on the concourse
• Pre-game Kids Fun Zone/Post-Game autographs
• Nike Pink Initiative T-Shirts are available for purchase at the Iowa Hawk Shop. The shirts cost $20. Nike will donate $2 per shirt to the Kay Yow/WBCA Fund to support breast cancer awareness and research.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is in the middle of a stretch in which it plays six of eight games on the road. The Lady Lions lost at Indiana Thursday, 65-55. The Lady Lions led by three points (29-26) at the half, but the Hoosiers outscored Penn State by 13 (39-26) in the second stanza. Julia Trogele and Tyra Grant paced the Lady Lions. Trogele had a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds), while Grant led all scorers with 18 points. Penn State is 1-8 in games away from home, including 0-6 in true road contests this year. Penn State is led by Grant and Brianne O'Rourke. Grant averages a team-best 19.2 points and 1.7 steals per outing. Grant's 19.2 scoring average ranks second-best in the Big Ten behind Ohio State's Jantel Lavender. O'Rourke averages a team-best 4.6 assists and ranks second in scoring (11.3). Janessa Wolff pulls down a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game. Grant and O'Rourke are Penn State's top 3-point threats, making 31 and 28, respectively. The Lady Lions only attempted seven treys in Thursday's loss at Indiana. As a team, Penn State shoots 64.7 percent (222-343) from the foul line. The Lady Lions rank first in the Big Ten in steals per game (9.3). Coquese Washington is in her second season (21-29, .420) as a head coach, both at Penn State. Prior to being named head coach at Penn State, Washington spent a total of eight seasons on the Notre Dame bench, two as an associate head coach and six as an assistant.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Sunday will be the 34th meeting between Iowa and Penn State, with the Lady Lions leading the series 19-14. The Hawkeyes have won the last three meetings. Iowa holds a 10-5 advantage in games played in Iowa City, including winning the last two. The Lady Lions' last triumph (77-71) in Iowa City came on Jan. 6, 2005. Penn State (.576), Purdue (.564) and Ohio State (.510) are the only conference teams to have a winning percentage above .500 against Iowa. Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder collected her 500th career win with Iowa's 73-65 triumph at Penn State last February.

MICHIGAN STATE SNAPS IOWA'S FOUR-GAME WIN STREAK
Michigan State's rebounding and defensive pressure proved to be too much for the Hawkeyes to overcome in a 68-56 win over Iowa Thursday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The Spartans outrebounded the Black and Gold, 42-33 and turned 18 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. Michigan State scored 46 of its 68 points in the paint. Additionally, the Spartans forced 18 turnovers, scoring 25 times off the Hawkeye miscues. Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith were Iowa's only players who scored in double figures. Ausdemore netted a game-high 18, while Smith scored all 12 of her points in the second half. Hannah Draxten provided a spark off the bench, posting game and season highs in rebounds (8) and assists (4). The Spartans were led by Allyssa DeHaan, Kalisha Keane and Brittney Thomas. DeHaan tallied 14 points, Keane had 13, while Thomas added 10. Michigan State, is tied with Indiana for second place in the Big Ten standings, shot an Iowa-opponent-season-best 59.4 percent (19-32) from the field in the second half to secure its 15th win of the season.

Texas Tech Downs Colorado 66-60

By Jessica Steinberg, CU Sports Information Student Assistant BOULDER- Texas Tech used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to defeat Colorado 66-60 Wednesday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center. CU falls to 9-9, 1-5 in the Big 12, while TTU snaps a two-game losing streak and advances to 12-7, 3-3 Big 12. Sophomore Brittany Spears led the Buffs with 26 points—her second-highest point total this season and a personal best for a Big 12 game. Freshman Alyssa Fressle and senior Kara Richards each had 13. The first half was highlighted by runs for both teams. The Buffs started out on top jumping ahead to a 12-2 lead less than five minutes into the game. Spears got the Buffs going by putting up Colorado's first eight points. She knocked down her first of four 3-pointers of the night, tying a career high. Then, 22 just seconds later, she stole the ball in the backcourt from Lady Raider Jordan Murphree and drove down the court for a layup. Spears capped her run off with another trey. Smith followed Spears's lead and recorded a steal and driving layup of her own. Fressle followed with a jumper, and the Buffs found themselves on top by 10—their biggest lead of the game—at the 15:31 mark. But CU's lead didn't last for long as Texas Tech took over for the next 10 minutes, pulling ahead 25-19 and outscoring the Buffs 23-7 during that time. Colorado stormed back and shut Texas Tech down for the next 2:09 as they put up eight straight points. Richards swooshed her two free throws after being fouled by Kierra Mallard. Smith knocked down a shot from behind the 3-point arc and sophomore Kelly Jo Mullaney capped the run with a driving layup down the baseline as the shot clock expired and sank a free throw on the next possession after being fouled by Murphree to put the Buffs up by two with 1:36 remaining. Despite the Buffs' comeback, Texas Tech went into halftime on top by three (30-27) after Mallard scored on a layup and senior Maria Moore knocked down a 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining. Colorado and Texas Tech were even in the first part of the second half. In fact they were tied 40-40 after Fressle hit a jumper at the 13:45 mark. But that's when Texas Tech stepped up and went on a 14-0 run over the next four minutes. They held their biggest lead (54-40) with 9:01 remaining in the game. CU Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller explained how her team fell behind so quick: "We tried to go too much one-on-one there. We had three consecutive turnovers that led to easy buckets for them, and gave them momentum," she said. "I thought we were soft and tentative and they went right at us." The Buffaloes will put tonight's loss behind them and focus on their next match-up against conference rival Nebraska. Colorado hosts Nebraska on Saturday Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised nationally on FSN. Colorado-Texas Tech Quotes Colorado Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller General "It was not the outcome we hoped for. It's not the performance we had prepared for. I don't think anyone is going to walk out the arena and say that was a pretty performance. It was physical and there was a lot of contact. It was the style that was more conducive to them. Overall, we can't perform in this league with our starting center on the bench for the majority of the first half. It was a struggle and that is not the way we wanted to start this game, and it continued from there. It was a tough night for the Buffs." On Texas Tech's 14-0 second half run "We tried to go too much one-on-one there. We had three consecutive turnovers that led to easy buckets for them, and gave them momentum. They were exploiting the fact that we had posts that were struggling on the defensive end with fouls. I thought we were soft and tentative and they went right at us." On Kara Richards foul trouble "It's not any secret that we are a different team with her on the bench. Bianca (Smith) is not a true post player, but she is doing her best helping. When Kara is out or in there with three or four fouls, they are going right at her. Courtney Dunn is getting better with experience, but she doesn't have very much Big 12 experience. She's playing a limited role." Colorado Players Bianca Smith, So., G ON TEXAS TECH'S DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE – "I just think they were really physical on defense, face-guarding both me and Spears. It was tough to get a lot of open shots. I think we kind of went away from our offense a little bit, which made their defense look even better." Brittany Spears, So., G ON RUNNING THE OFFENSE WITHOUT KARA RICHARDS IN THE GAME – "It's difficult because we practice differently than it is in the game. We have to adjust to different players." ON THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY AT HOME – "We were at home and it would have given us more confidence in our next games." ON TEXAS TECH'S ADJUSTMENT – "They played the same way the whole game." Colorado-Texas Tech Notes Tonight was the 20th meeting between Colorado and Texas Tech. Texas Tech now leads the series 15-5, winning their second straight game against Colorado. Kathy McConnell-Miller is 2-3 against the Lady Raiders. The six point margin was the smallest for Texas Tech against Colorado in any of their 15 series wins. Colorado drops to 1-5 in the Big 12 for the first time since the 2005-06 season. That season was also the last time CU lost three straight Big 12 games at home (Texas-Kansas State-Missouri). Sophomore Brittany Spears scored 26 points, a Big 12 career high, passing the 24 points she scored at Missouri in 2008. Last year against Texas Tech in Lubbock, she was held to just four points on 1-from-11 from the field. Spears tied a career high with four 3-point field goals, a mark she's achieved eight times, most recently against Oklahoma on Jan. 21. Spears had Colorado's first eight points of the game, hitting double digits at 14:46 in the first half. She scored 15 points in the first half, making over half of Colorado's 27 points. Freshman Alyssa Fressle had 13 points, a personal best for a Big 12 game and her most since scoring 16 against Pepperdine on Jan. 3. She finished in double digits for the 3rd time in the last four games. Sophomore Britney Blythe tied a career high with three steals, equaling the mark she set at Texas Tech last season. Spears had Colorado's first eight points of the game, hitting double digits at 14:46 in the first half. She scored 15 points in the first half, making over half of Colorado's 27 points. Texas Tech did not make a field goal until 15:12 in the first half, when Jordan Barncastle made a lay-up. They had a 13-0 run in the first half and a 14-0 run in the second half. The Lady Raiders shot at 50% during the first half, and 48.1% in the second half. Colorado did not score from 14:46 until 8:19 in the first half, leading to Tech taking the lead at 10:46 (16-15). Colorado did not regain the lead until 2:04 (26-25) when Kelly Jo Mullaney made her first field goal in Big 12 play. Colorado scored only three points off the bench, while Texas Tech scored 16.

Hawkeyes and Spartans Clash Thursday Night

THE SETTING

The Iowa Hawkeyes (12-7, 5-3) and Michigan State Spartans (14-6, 7-2) clash Thursday night in East Lansing, MI.  Tip-off is slated for 6:05 p.m. (CST) at the Breslin Center.  It will be the only regular season meeting between the two teams.  Michigan State has won five-consecutive games, while Iowa has won four-straight.

 

HAMLIN UPDATE

JoAnn Hamlin suffered a sprained left ankle during practice last Thursday and missed Iowa's game vs. Michigan Monday night.  She is doubtful for Thursday night's road game.

 

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

After starting conference play 2-2, Michigan State has won five-straight games.  The Spartans won their last contest, 59-50, over Wisconsin Sunday afternoon in front of a season-high 10,489 fans at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.  Both teams' statistics were identical on the box score, except Michigan State outscored Wisconsin 13-4 at the foul line, with the Spartans attempting 15 more free throws than the Badgers.  The Spartans have two players average in double figures: Aisha Jefferson and Allyssa DeHaan.  Jefferson averages a team-best 12.0 points and 5.2 rebounds.  DeHaan ranks second in scoring (11.0) and first in rebounding (6.9) and blocks (3.2).  Brittany Thomas averages a team-best 3.2 assists to go along with 5.7 points per contest.  Michigan State ranks first in seven statistical categories: field goal percentage defense (.341), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.265), rebounding (43.5), offensive rebounds (15.2), defensive rebounds (28.35), rebounding margin (+9.6) and blocked shots (5.65).  The Spartans boast an 8-1 home record this season, averaging 5,634 fans per game.  Michigan State is coached by Suzy Merchant.  Merchant is in her 14th season (238-138, .632) as a head coach and her second on the Spartan sidelines (37-20, .649).

 

ALL-TIME SERIES

Thursday will be the 53rd meeting between Iowa and Michigan State, with the Hawkeyes leading the series, 30-22.  Michigan State has won eight of the last 10 in the series.  Iowa snapped a five-game slide to the Spartans in last year's meeting in Iowa City (82-64) on Feb. 7, 2008.  Iowa holds a slim 13-11 advantage in games played at East Lansing, MI.  Michigan State has won four-straight against Iowa in the Breslin Center.  The Hawkeyes' last victory at Michigan State came on Feb. 1, 2004 (78-67).

 

TRIPLE THREAT

Kachine Alexander was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week with Minnesota's Ashley Ellis-Milan on Jan. 19.  Alexander took home her first career weekly honor after helping Iowa to a pair of victories over Illinois and Northwestern.  In Iowa's win over Northwestern, she became the eighth NCAA Division I student-athlete to post a triple-double this season.  The 5-9 guard totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists against the Wildcats.  The 12 assists are a personal best and match the school single-game and Carver-Hawkeye Arena record.  The last time a Big Ten player recorded a triple-double during a conference game came on Feb. 8, 2007 when Ohio State's Jessica Davenport tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocks against Minnesota.  The last triple-double involving points, rebounds and assists in league play was courtesy of Iowa's Cara Consuegra (17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) on Feb. 3, 2000.  Alexander became only the second Iowa basketball player, male or female to post a triple-double (Cara Consuegra).

 

WAHLIN SHINES IN STARTING ROLE

Kamille Wahlin shined in her first career start Monday night against Michigan.  The freshman posted a double-double, the first of her career, recording personal bests in scoring (14 points) and assists (10 assists).  The 10 assists are believed to be the most in a single-game by an Iowa freshman.  Wahlin was moved into the starting lineup after JoAnn Hamlin injured an ankle in practice.  Hamlin is questionable for Thursday night's contest at Michigan State.  In her last four games, Wahlin has made 13-20 (.650) from the field.

 

ON THE HORIZON

The Hawkeyes return home to host Penn State Sunday, Feb. 1 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  Tip-off is slated for 1:05 p.m.  Iowa will conclude its stretch of playing four of five home games next Thursday when it entertains Indiana to Iowa City.

NDSU Athletics Hosts 18th Annual Bison Valentine Victory Blood Drive

The 18th annual Bison Valentine Victory Blood Drive, sponsored by North Dakota State University Athletics and United Blood Services, is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Bison Sports Arena. Donations will be taken from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both dates. The goal of this year's blood drive is gather 400 units of blood. The Bison Valentine Victory Blood Drive started in 1992 and has averaged approximately 261 donors with 240 units drawn over the 17 previous two-day events. The Bison Valentine Victory Blood Drive has averaged 108 first-time donors per year. United Blood Services provides blood and blood products for patients at 73 hospitals in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, and are in dire need of donations at this time. The purpose of the blood drive is to involve all athletics staff, student-athletes and coaches from each of North Dakota State's 16 intercollegiate sports. Each NDSU student-athlete is encouraged to recruit as many volunteers as possible for the blood drive. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds. Donors also must show a list of medications taken in the past month and identification containing their legal name with a date of birth, photo ID, social security number or a United Blood Services assigned donor number. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Last year 58 walk-ins participated. Appointments are scheduled for every 15 minutes, and those wishing to schedule a time to donate are encouraged to call the NDSU Athletic Office at (701) 231-7807 or e-mail Lynn Dorn, the Director of Women's Athletics, at Lynn.Dorn@ndsu.edu

Lady Lions Travel to Indiana Thursday

Game can be seen on BigTenNetwork.com for 7 p.m. tip-off UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; January 27, 2009 — The Lady Lions (8-10, 3-5) hit the road for their next two games, beginning with a Thursday night date at Indiana (14-4, 7-2) at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m., and can be viewed on a live webstream at www.BigTenNetwork.com.   RADIO/WEB: A live video stream of the game is available on BigTenNetwork.com. The contest can be heard on the Penn State Sports Radio Network with Jerry Fisher (play-by-play) and Stacey Brewer (color) calling the action. The game will air locally WMAJ. The audio feed and a link to live stats are available at www.GoPSUSports.com.   LAST TIME OUT: Tyra Grant scored 32 of Penn State's 58 points and connected on the game-winning jumper at the overtime buzzer to help the Lady Lions erase a 17-point second-half deficit en route to a 58-56 overtime win versus Wisconsin Thursday night. The junior guard, who recorded the second 30-point game of her career as she, scored 12 of PSU's 13 points in overtime. Sophomore Julia Trogele was the only other Lady Lion in double figures with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while senior point guard Brianne O'Rourke added eight points, three assists and three steals.   SCOUTING INDIANA: The Hoosiers are tied for second in the Big Ten after suffering a 61-52 loss to Illinois on Sunday. Indiana is now 14-4 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play. Amber Jackson continues to pace the balanced Hoosier offense with a 14.4 scoring average. Whitney Thomas is second on the team in scoring (12.9), but tops the squad in rebounding (9.3) and blocks (15).   ALL-TIME VS. THE HOOSIERS: The Lady Lions are 24-7 all-time against the Hoosiers, including an 8-4 mark in road games. However, Indiana has won four of the last five meetings between the teams, including an 84-77 victory in Happy Valley on Jan. 11. The last time these teams met in Bloomington, Indiana earned a 79-67 victory over the Lady Lions in the regular-season finale for both teams.   LAST TIME VS. IU: In a game that featured 14 ties and 13 lead changes, Indiana used a 13-4 run to end the game and hand the Lady Lions an 84-77 loss at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday. Tyra Grant led five players in double figures with 17 points to go along with four rebounds, while Brianne O'Rourke added 11 points, four assists and a pair of steals. Freshman Zhaque Gray posted the second double-digit scoring performance of her career with 11 tallies.   GREAT PERFORMANCE GRANT-ED: Junior Tyra Grant scored 32 of Penn State's 58 points and drained the game-winning jumper at the buzzer to single-handedly lift Penn State to a 58-56 come-from-behind win over Wisconsin on Jan. 22. Grant's effort was the second-highest scoring performance of her career, trailing only her 33-point game at Iowa (Feb. 18, 2007) her freshman year, and is tied for 28th on PSU's single-game scoring chart. Grant's second career 30-point game makes her one of eight players in school history to have multiple 30-point games in their career. Grant reached the 20-point plateau for the 10th time this season and the 21st in her career. Her 10 20-point games this season are the most by a Lady Lion since Tanisha Wright had 13 games with 20 or more points. O'ROURKE EYES MILESTONE: Senior point guard Brianne O'Rourke is on pace to become the sixth player in school history to accumulate 1,000 points and 500 assists. She has 988 points and 512 assists. The other Lady Lions to accomplish the feat are Suzie McConnell, Tina Nicholson, Helen Darling, Jess Strom and Nancy Kuhl.   HITTING THE BOARDS: Sophomore post Evelyn Lewis pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds in the Jan. 22 win over Wisconsin. It was the second double-digit rebounding performance of Lewis' career and brought her over 100 career boards. She also notched a block and a steal against the Badgers.   OT GAMES: The Lady Lions posted a 58-56 overtime win over Wisconsin on Jan. 22 to improve Penn State to 15-13 all-time in overtime games. The last time PSU played in an overtime game was the 2006-07 season when the Lady Lions dropped a 73-71 decision to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lions last win in overtime was Dec. 7, 2006 over Xavier, 73-66.   The Lady Lions continue their road swing at Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 1, where they will participate in the Hawkeyes' WBCA Pink Zone Day. Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, Feb. 5 to face Minnesota at 7 p.m. The game against the Gophers is $1 Dog Night. For information on Lady Lion Basketball tickets, call the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.   The 2009 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State proudly supported by Mimi Barash Coppersmith (formerly known as THINK PINK Day) will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m., as the Lady Lions take on Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on www.bigtennetwork.com. The first two Pink Zone events have raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Penn State Hershey Breast Cancer Institute, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone.   —LADY LIONS—

Summit League WBB Release/Stats (1-27-09)

CRACKING THE TOP 25 South Dakota State became the fi rst Summit League women's basketball program to crack the Top 25 rankings since the 1993-94 season. The Jackrabbits earned a No. 20 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and received votes in the Associated Press poll this week. The last league school to be ranked was Northern Illinois, when the Huskies were No. 25 on Jan. 31, 1994. SDSU is now the highest ranked league team ever, besting NIU's No. 21 ranking on Feb. 16, 1993. RPI RANKINGS The Summit League is currently ranked 19th by rpiratings.com and 18th by the Sagarin rankings out of the 31 conferences and independents. The league is ranked ahead of the likes of the Big West, WAC, Big Sky and Southland conferences. South Dakota State and Oakland are the lone teams in the top 100 for the league, placing 28th and 83rd, respectively. TRIPLE-DOUBLE Oakland's Brittany Carnago recorded the league's fi rst triple-double since Valparaiso's Betsy Rietema accomplished the feat on Dec. 2, 2006 against Indiana State. Carnago had 14 points, 11 blocks and 10 rebounds in the 66-54 victory over Centenary on Jan. 12. BIG-TIME VICTORIES South Dakota State reeled off victories over fi ve power conference schools behind a balanced attack thus far en route to its 12-1 record this season. The Jackrabbits were led by Jennifer Warkenthien with 15 points in a 55-50 win at Missouri. In a 64-44 win over Wisconsin, Maria Boever collected 10 boards. SDSU defeated Pac-10 foe Oregon at Frost Arena behind a 19-point effort from Ketty Cornemann. SDSU also defeated Illinois on Thanksgiving Day at the Caribbean Challenge MTE behind 26 points from Kristen Rotert. On Dec. 9, the Jacks ousted No. 25 Minnesota, 65-55, behind a career-high 27 points from Rotert. Meanwhile, IUPUI collected its fi rst-ever win over an ACC opponent after defeating Virginia Tech, 64-52, in the South Padre Island Shootout on Dec. 19. TAKING ON NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS Three Summit League schools have played a total of seven nationally-ranked opponents in the course of the non-league portion of the schedule this season. No. 23 Purdue downed IUPUI by an 80-44 score on Nov. 16. Oakland faced back-to-back ranked opponents on Nov. 20 and 23. The Golden Grizzlies hosted No. 23 Georgia and suffered a heartbreaking, 64-61 defeat and then fell at No. 21 Purdue, 68-40. In the Caribbean Challenge MTE, South Dakota State dropped a 68-56 contest to No. 10 Maryland. The lone victory came on Dec. 9, when SDSU defeated No. 25 Minnesota, 65-55. On Jan. 6, Centenary dropped a contest at No. 21 Oklahoma State, while IPFW fell at No. 25 Iowa State the following night. 1,000 POINT CLUB The Summit League currently features four career 1,000-point scorers in IUPUI's Jernisha Cann (1,339), Oakland's Jessica Pike (1,279), South Dakota State's Jennifer Warkenthien (1,124) and Oral Roberts' Mariana Camargo (1,058). IN MEMORIUM The Summit League and Southern Utah lost an important and key member with the passing of SUU head coach Steve Hodson on Nov. 3, 2008, after an eight year battle with cancer. The Thunderbird team has dedicated their season to Coach Hodson. NEW TOURNAMENT SITE For the first time, The Summit League will hold its 2009 men's and women's basketball championships in Sioux Falls, S.D. The state's largest city will play host to the event March 7-10 at Sioux Falls Arena, a 7,100-seat facility that is home to the Sioux Falls Skyforce (NBADL). The tournament format remains unchanged with the top eight teams qualifying for the postseason. RECORD-BREAKING TICKET SALES As of Dec. 22, ticket sales for the 2009 Summit League Basketball Championship in Sioux Falls, S.D., had already surpassed the 2,400 mark for all-session reserved seats. The total shatters the Summit League's previous record for all-session reserved ticket sales of 1,595 for the 2005 tournament in Tulsa, Okla. Sioux Falls Arena will host the event for the fi rst time next March. COURT SMARTS For the third consecutive season, South Dakota State led all divisions of women's college basketball in team grade-point average, according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Jackrabbits had a combined GPA of 3.669, and in its four years competing at the Division I level, SDSU has fi nished no worse than second in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll standings. Also making the Top 25 list were North Dakota State (3.326) in 18th place and Oakland (3.312) in the 20th slot.

North Dakota State Women Look To Rebound Against IPFW, Oakland

North Dakota State University (8-9, 6-3 Summit) is scheduled to host IPFW (3-17, 2-7 Summit) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, in the Bison Sports Arena ... The Bison lost to 20th-ranked South Dakota State 64-48 in Brookings on Jan. 24 ... The Mastodons snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 55-51 win over Western Illinois on Jan. 26 ... NDSU is 5-2 at home this season including 4-0 in Summit League play ... IPFW is 1-9 on the road and 1-3 in league away games ... North Dakota State is scheduled to host Oakland University (16-4, 8-1 Summit) at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, in the Bison Sports Arena ... The Golden Grizzlies have rattled off eight straight wins since a loss to Marquette on Dec. 28 ... OU has compiled a 6-2 road record including 4-1 in Summit League play. NCAA's "Bring A Kid to the Game" This Saturday: The North Dakota State men's and women's basketball teams host IPFW Saturday at the Bison Sports Arena ... Youth tickets for both games are $2 with the purchase of an adult general admission ticket ... Tipoff for the women's game is at 2 p.m. and tipoff for the men's game is 7 p.m. ... Starting one hour before the game, inflatable games from Games Galore will be available and the second of four sets of Bison trading cards will be given away to the first 500 kids in attendance courtesy of Stop N Go. The Series: This will be the ninth meeting between North Dakota State and IPFW ... The Bison lead the series 7-1 including a 63-59 win over the Mastodons on Jan. 5 in Fort Wayne ... This will be the sixth meeting between North Dakota State and Oakland ... The Bison lead the series 3-2 ... The Golden Grizzlies defeated NDSU 61-47 in Rochester, Mich., on Jan. 3. Bison On Radio: WDAY 970 AM of Fargo is the flagship station of the Bison Radio Network ... Stations on the Bison Radio Network for the basketball season include WDAY-AM 970 (Fargo), KQLX-FM 106.1 (Lisbon/select games), ESPN AM 710 /KFYR-AM 550 (Bismarck/select games) and KPOK-AM 1340 (Bowman) ... Scott Miller, WDAY 970 AM sports director, will call the play-by-play, and Jeremy Jorgenson, NDSU director of athletic broadcasting, will provide the color analysis ... Miller hosts Bison Feedback featuring women's basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff and men's basketball coach Saul Phillips on Tuesdays throughout the season ... Game audio and Bison Feedback are free and available on www.GoBison.com. 96.3 KNDS FM of Fargo ... Dan "Pinto" Gunderson describes the action, while Stefan Ming is the color analyst ... Pregame begins 10 minutes before tip-off Saturday ... The game is also on www.kndsradio.com. Bison Coaches Corner: Bison Coaches Corner featuring women's basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff and men's basketball coach Saul Phillips can be seen weekly during The Summit League season exclusively on GoBison.com ... The show feature games footage and analysis from both Phillips and DeHoff ... The NDSU men's basketball show will be posted Tuesday afternoons (once on Thursday, Feb. 19 due to team travel), while the Bison women's basketball show will be uploaded Wednesday afternoons (twice on Thursday due to travel) ... Bison Coaches Corner is hosted by NDSU director of athletic broadcasting/sales Jeremy Jorgenson and directed by Andrew Young, a freshman broadcast journalism major from Napoleon, N.D. Bison Basketball Flex Ticket Package: With the North Dakota State men's and women's basketball teams gearing up for The Summit League stretch run, the athletics department is offering the Bison Basketball Flex Ticket Package ... The women's flex pack allows fans to choose four of the six remaining home games for $30 ... With the men's flex pack, fans can choose to attend four of the five remaining home games for $40 ... The Bison Sports Arena ticket office is open between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday ... For more information, contact the NDSU ticket office at 1-888-231-NDSU (6378) or visit www.GoBison.com. GoBison.Com Live Stats: Follow the games on the Internet at GoBison.com with live in-game statistics ... Click on the "Live Stats" link at the left side of the page ... Live video is available by subscription starting at $7.95 per month on GoBison.com or $19.95 per month for the league package on TheSummitLeague.org. Bison Fast Break: In the NCAA Division I statistics (thru games Jan. 25), North Dakota State junior guard Inger Hodgson is 30th in three-point shooting (.414, 36-87) ... Hodgson ranks 2nd in the Summit League in both three-point shooting (.531, 26-49) and three-pointers made (2.9 avg.) ... Collectively, the Bison are 30th in NCAA Division I in field goal percentage defense (.355, 336-947) and 40th in free throw shooting (.739, 227-307) ... It's "The Few, The Proud, The Bison", as the North Dakota State women's basketball roster dropped to seven healthy players during the second half against Western Illinois (1-10-09) ... Junior guard Nicole Vigil is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered with 13:25 left in the second half against Western Illinois (1-10-09) ... NDSU has added 5-foot-8 freshman Tiffany Giese from Ortonville, Minn., and 6-foot-1 junior Kate Moser from Bismarck, N.D. to the roster ... Giese was a volunteer on the practice squad ... Moser played in five games for the Bison in 2005-06 ... Moser was the 2008 NDSU Homecoming Queen ... Sophomore forward Abby Plucker will be evaluated again in early February following a shoulder injury sustained at Denver (12-15-08) ... Plucker has missed the last eight games ... Junior Megan Shea is practicing again after sitting out for most of the year due to complications following knee surgery ... North Dakota State was picked sixth in The Summit League preseason poll released in October ... The Bison four-game losing streak from Dec. 13 to Jan. 3 was the longest since an eight-game skid during the 2005-06 season ... NDSU had a season-high 52 rebounds at IPFW (1-5-09) including a season best 18 offensive rebounds ... North Dakota State is 8-2 when leading at halftime, 7-2 holding opponents to 59 points-under, 6-3 when outrebounding opponents and 5-2 when committing fewer turnovers ... Whitney Trecker recorded a career best for the third time in four games, exploding for 17 points at UMKC (1-17-09) including nine in the game's final 6:35 ... Trecker has scored in double-figures in three of the last five games ... Six-foot-2 senior Jerri Penley recorded a career-high 17 rebounds against IPFW (1-5-09) ... Penley has recorded double-figure rebounds in four of the last nine games ... With 15 points and 14 rebounds, Penley recorded the first "double-double" of the season and third of her career at Denver (12-15-08) ... Penley started the season 14 of 14 from the free throw line before missing her first against Oral Roberts (12-8-08) ... Penley made 19 straight free throws dating back to the second half of the UMKC (2-18-08) game ... Inger Hodgson came up with a career-high nine rebounds in the loss at Wyoming (12-13-08) ... Hodgson, who has a pair of 20-plus point scoring games this year, matched a career-high with five three-point field goals made at Southern Utah (1-19-09) ... Sophomore Abby Plucker had back-to-back career-high 20-point games against Georgetown (11-28-08) and Valley City State (11-21-08) ... Plucker is one of three players to score 20 points this season with Inger Hodgson and Katie Birkel netting 22 and 21, respectively, against Oral Roberts (12-8-08) ... Plucker scored in double-figures in the first eight games before hurting her shoulder at Denver (12-15-08) ... Ashley Samuelson pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds at Denver (12-15-08) ... Samuelson, a 6-foot junior from Underwood, Minn., sat out 2006-07 due to NCAA transfer rules (transfer from Colorado State) and missed last year due to a knee injury in the preseason ... Carolyn DeHoff recorded her first victory as a collegiate head coach on Nov. 21 against Valley City State ... At 17-11 in 2008, North Dakota State surpassed the previous year's win total of 14 ... Three of NDSU's six league losses in 2008 were by five points or less ... The Bison led at halftime in 21 of 28 games in 2008, winning 15 of those games ... North Dakota State is 1-3 in overtime games the past two seasons and 14-12 overall in OT ... The Bison double OT win over Oral Roberts (3-1-08) tied the longest game in school history ... North Dakota State is 25-18 in opening games but have lost four in a row ... The Bison were 10-2 at home last season ... Lisa Bue, who was the 2008 Summit League Player of the Year, is playing professional basketball in Bosnia ... Bue's roommate is former NDSU post player Brandee Gibbs. Bison In The Summit League: North Dakota State is well represented in The Summit League statistics (league games only) released Jan. 27 ... Individually in the top 10, Inger Hodgson is 2nd in three-point shooting (.531, 26-49) and three-pointers made (2.9 avg.), 4th in field goal shooting (.505, 46-91), tied for 5th in steals (2.1 spg), 7th in scoring (14.6 ppg) and 8th in assists (3 apg); Katie Birkel is tied for 4th in assists (3.6 apg), 5th in free throw shooting (.840, 21-25) and tied for 10th in scoring (11.7 ppg); Jerri Penley is 3rd in blocked shots (2 bpg) and 6th in rebounding (8 rpg) , and Jill Zaruba is 3rd in free throw shooting (.885, 23-26) and tied for 9th in blocked shots (0.9 bpg) ... Team-wise (top three), the Bison are 1st in field goal percentage defense (.324, 164-506), three-point field goal shooting (..372, 45-121); 2nd in scoring defense (55.9 ppg), field goal shooting (.437, 197-451), three-point field goal percentage defense (.291, 44-151) and blocked shots (4.1 bpg), and 3rd in scoring margin (+7.6 ppg), rebound margin (+3 rpg).

Colorado Hosts Texas Tech Wednesday

For the complete release, statistics and player notes click here: http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf5/371193.pdf   THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues Big 12 Conference action by hosting Texas Tech University on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. BROADCAST: Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on FSN Rocky Mountain with Marc Stout handling the play-by-play, legendary CU coach Ceal Barry with the color commentary and Alanna Rizzo on the sidelines. Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on KKZN 760 AM with Mike Rice giving the play-by-play and Carol Callan of USA Basketball with the color commentary. Live internet audio of all CU basketball games is available through Yahoo! Sports. OPENING TIP: Colorado plays its fifth Big 12 Southern Division opponent in six games to open the 2009 league schedule. The Buffaloes will play three of their next four at home. THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-8 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12, snapping a four-game losing streak by defeating Missouri 61-56 on Jan. 24. The win was the Buffaloes' second on the road this season and third away from Boulder. CU also snapped a nine-game road skid within the Big 12, dating back to its win at Missouri on Jan. 9, 2008. The Buffaloes will now play three of their next four at home beginning with Wednesday's game. Colorado is 6-4 at home this season with two of the losses coming to No. 3 (AP)/2 (WBCA) Oklahoma and No. 6/5 Baylor. Overall, the Buffaloes have won 20 of their last 28 games at home. Sophomore Brittany Spears leads Colorado and ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Her scoring has dipped slightly through five Big 12 games, to 13.6 ppg, but her "hustle" numbers have increased averaging 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals in conference play. She has two of her five double-doubles this season in the last three games including an 11-point, 13-rebound effort at Missouri. Spears has six games of 20-plus points, most recently scoring a game-high 21 against No. 3/2 Oklahoma, tying a career high with four 3-point field goals. She was named MVP of the Paradise Classic after averaging 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game. She has the highest individual scoring output in the Big 12 this season, notching 36 against UMass in the first round of the Coors Classic, a Classic record and tying for the third best total in team history (Jasmina Ilic scored 36 against Nebraska on Jan. 4, 2006). Spears, who was named to the Coors Classic All-Tournament Team, ranks third in the Big 12 in minutes (34.3 mpg), sixth in rebounding (7.9 rpg), eighth in blocked shots (1.1 bpg), ninth in field-goal percentage (.430), 11th in 3-point field goals (1.7 3mpg), 12th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.354), 13th in steals (1.7 spg) and 14th in free-throw percentage (.703). Senior center Kara Richards is having her most productive season, ranking second on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg) while leading the way from the floor at 55.6 percent (80-of-144). Through five Big 12 games, Richards has 51 rebounds, third best in the Big 12 during that span, and has split them almost evenly between offensive (23) and defensive (28) boards. Richards, who ranks 13th in rebounding on the Big 12's overall rankings, recorded back-to-back games of 15 rebounds to start the conference season, her first two double-digit rebounding efforts this year. Richards was named to the Rainbow Classic All-Tournament team averaging 14 points and seven rebounds while hitting 71 percent from the field (12-of-17). Richards, who has already more points, field goals and rebounds than she had in 30 games as a junior, has eclipsed the 20 point mark twice this season, including a career-high 25 in the win over Colorado State, which included a personal best 9-of-9 performance from the free throw line. Junior guard Bianca Smith is third on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per contest and is Colorado's leading 3-point shooter with 44 on the season, ranking second in the Big 12. She has rebounded in a big way from a 3-game mini slump from downtown to begin the conference season. After making just 2-of-15 in the first three Big 12 games, she has made a scortching 12-of-19 (63 percent) from 3-point range the last two, including a school-record tying seven at Missouri en route to a season-high 25 points. She has four games of 5-plus 3-pointers this season and she has hit 50 percent or better from 3-point range in six of the last 10 games. Named to the Paradise Classic All-Tournament team, Smith had a game-high 23 points against Hawaii on 6-of-7 from 3-point range, a personal best from downtown in terms of accuracy. She's third on the team in rebounding at 4.9 per game, a substantial improvement from her career 1.7 average entering this season. Smith has six or more rebounds in eight games including a career high 12 -- all defensive -- against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, her first double-digit rebounding total. True freshman guard Alyssa Fressle has given the Buffaloes good all-around play. Fressle leads CU in steals (1.9 spg) and assists (3.5 apg). She tops all Big 12 freshmen in steals and assists and is second in scoring at 9.1 per game. Overall in the conference rankings she is seventh in steals, eighth in assists and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9). Sophomore Britney Blythe has been the starting point guard for the last 10 games with sophomore Kelly Jo Mullaney coming off the bench, a lineup that has produced a 6-4 record. Blythe, who is more of a natural point guard, has scored 20 of her season's 43 points in Big 12 play. She had a career night against Baylor, hitting her first four 3-point field goals for a personal-best 12 points. Blythe, who finished the night a career-best 4-of-6 from the field, had made just 1-of-12 3-point field goals this season and 5-of-33 in her career prior to the Baylor game. Mullaney is fifth on the team in scoring (4.0 ppg) and is second in assists with 31. Colorado is nearly even with its opponents in scoring on the season, averaging 62.0 points per game while giving up 62.5. The Buffaloes are shooting 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range. Colorado has held opponents to 38 percent shooting and just 28 percent from 3-point range. Colorado's numbers are much better at home. The Buffaloes are averaging 70.5 points per game while holding their opponents to 60.2 per contest. CU is shooting 44 percent from the field at Coors and 35 percent from 3-point range. The Buffaloes are being out rebounded by just one per game at home as opposed to an overall margin of -5.9 on the season. Brittany Spears is averaging 21.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game at Coors while hitting 48 percent from the field. ABOUT THE LADY RAIDERS: Texas Tech is 11-7 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12. The Lady Raiders have dropped two straight, both at home, but against two of the nation's Top 15 teams in Kansas State (60-48 on Jan. 21) and Baylor (76-64 on Jan. 24). Texas Tech is averaging 66 points per game while giving up just under 61. The Lady Raiders shooting stats are nearly identical to the Buffaloes. TTU is hitting 41 percent from the floor and 32 percent from 3-point range. Senior forward Dominic Seals leads Texas Tech at 13.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Junior guard Jordan Murphree is Texas Tech's second leading scorer at 10.3 points an outing. Senior point guard Maria Moore leads the Lady Raiders in assists with 68 and is third in scoring at 9.4 per contest. Freshman post Kierra Mallard is averaging 8.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while hitting 45 percent from the field. SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 20th meeting between Colorado and Texas Tech with the Lady Raiders holding a 14-5 series lead. Colorado has won two of the last three including the last meeting in Boulder, a 70-67 decision on Feb. 3, 2007. Texas Tech does hold a 5-2 lead over Colorado in Boulder. Kathy McConnell-Miller is 2-2 against Texas Tech as a head coach, all with Colorado. COLORADO AND TEXAS TECH, LAST 10: Date Result Date Result 1/26/08 (A) L, 44-62 2/28/04 (A) L, 51-60 3/6/07 (N) W, 71-67 1/26/03 (H) L, 58-80 2/3/07 (H) W, 70-67 2/3/02 (A) W, 74-69 2/11/06 (A) L, 56-76 2/21/01 (H) L, 61-68 1/15/05 (H) L, 41-87 3/8/00 (N) L, 60-76 ON THIS DATE: Colorado is 6-7 all-time on Jan. 28 and 2-2 at home. Colorado is 160-132 all-time in the month of January. CU COACHES JOIN WBCA IN REMEMBERING KAY YOW: Colorado head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller and her staff will be wearing upside down pink ribbons for games this week as a tribute to the memory of Kay Yow, Hall of Fame coach for North Carolina State and former United States Olympic coach who passed away on Jan. 24 at the age of 66 after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. McConnell-Miller played against Yow's N.C. State's teams while playing for ACC rival Virginia from 1985-89. Yow also coached McConnell-Miller's sister, Susie McConnell-Serio, on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team which won the gold medal in Seoul, South Korea. Those wishing to help fight the battle against breast cancer can donate to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund at www.JimmyV.org, or by calling 1-800-4JimmyV. Checks can also be mailed to the WBCA with attention to Megan Smith at 4646 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn, GA, 30047. CHALLENGING START TO LEAGUE PLAY: Colorado has put the wraps on the toughest start to the conference schedule for any Big 12 team this year, playing four straight against ranked teams including a pair of Top 5 opponents. The Buffaloes played well in home losses to No. 6/5 Baylor and No. 3/2 Oklahoma, but struggled in lopsided road decisions at No. 22/22 Oklahoma State and No. 16/17 Texas. The resulting 0-4 start to league play is the first for the Buffaloes in the program's 35-year history, but it's also the only time CU has opened conference action with four straight ranked teams. Colorado opened the 2002 Big 12 season with three straight games against ranked league opponents. The Buffaloes, who were ranked themselves between No. 14-21 during that stretch, lost all three of those matchups, falling to No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 21/20 Texas and No. 14/18 Kansas State. That stretch was the final three games of a five-game span against ranked opponents as the Buffaloes ended nonconference play with a loss at No. 20 Florida and win over No. 21/22 LSU. CU's four straight against ranked teams were the most since that same five-game stretch during the 2001-02 season. The Buffaloes would go on to play a school record 16 games against ranked teams that season, winning six. CU's tough schedule paid dividens that season as the Buffaloes won 14 of their final 16 games, advancing to the 2002 Elite Eight. MORE SMITH FROM DOWNTOWN: Bianca Smith, who set a CU single-season record with 80 3-point field goals last year, is on a tear from downtown after a slow beginning. After starting the season by hitting just 12 of her first 49 3-point attempts (.245), she has rebounded to hit 32-of-65 (.492) over the last nine games and 12-of-19 (.632) over the last two. Smith tied two school records in the win at Missouri, draining seven point field goals against the Tigers and five in the first half alone. It's the sixth time a CU player has made seven 3-pointers in a game and the second time for Smith as she also had seven in the win over Texas in 2008. It's only the second time out of the six that has come on the road, the other belonging to Annan Wilson who was CU's first player with seven 3-pointers doing so at Kansas State on Jan. 14, 1989. Smith's five 3-pointers, on six attempts, tied a record she also achieved in the Texas game and is a mark shared with Kate Fagan at Syracuse on Dec. 31, 2002 and Shelley Sheetz at Tennessee on Dec. 20, 1993. Smith had a career night in terms of accuracy in the win over Hawaii hitting 6-of-7 from 3-point range en route to 23 points. She is fifth on CU's all-time list for 3-point field goals with 156 and ranks seventh in 3-point attempts at 423. SPEARS MOVING UP LISTS: Brittany Spears has moved into Colorado's career Top 10 in 3-point field goals made and attempted as well as blocked shots. She tied a career-high with four 3-point field goals against Oklahoma and in the process moved past La Shena Graham (1994-98) for 10th in career 3-pointers with 86. Spears also ranks 10th in 3-point attempts with 258 and blocked shots with 70. CU IN BIG 12 OPENERS: Colorado dropped to 6-7 in Big 12 openers after the loss to Baylor. CU is 4-8 in its first road Big 12 game of the season, including a 70-58 win at Missouri in 2008 to open league play. The Buffaloes are 20-15 all-time in conference openers, including the Big Eight and Intermountain Conferences. BALANCED SCORING ATTACK: Colorado had its most balanced scoring attack in over two years as five players scored in double-digits during the Buffs 73-57 win over Idaho State. Brittany Spears and Kara Richards each had 14 points, Julie Seabrook and Bianca Smith each had 12 and Alyssa Fressle had 11. It was almost six in double-digits as Kelly Jo Mullaney had eight off the bench. It was CU's first game with five in double-digits since a 77-71 win at Kansas on Feb. 1, 2006. Current CU senior Hannah Skildum was one of the five with double digits in that game, scoring 11 off the bench as a freshman. SOUTHERN GAME CANCELLED: Colorado's home game with Southern University scheduled for Friday, Dec. 12, was cancelled due to inclement weather. A rare southern snow storm, which left 3-5 inches in and around the Baton Rouge area the morning of Dec. 11, shut down many businesses, schools and flights. Southern's travel plans were cancelled and the Jaguars were not able find travel alternatives to Boulder for the Dec. 12 date. The game will not be rescheduled in 2008-09. CU women's basketball season ticket holders and fans who purchased single game tickets for the Southern contest can redeem their tickets for any other game remaining on the women's schedule. For more information, contact the CU Athletic Ticket Office at 303-49BUFFS or 800-87BUFFS. SCORING EARLY AND OFTEN AT COORS: The Buffaloes offense started the season red hot, breaking the 80-point mark in their first two games (89.5 ppg). It was the first time CU opened the season with back-to-back 80-plus point games since the 2002-03 campaign when the Buffs began with home wins over Rice (85-66) and Detroit Mercy (86-43). The 179 combined points were CU's most since 2000-01 when the Buffs scored 189 in wins over Albany (93-43) and Howard (96-45). AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 50-112 all-time against ranked teams, after falling to No. 3/2 Oklahoma on Jan. 21. The Buffaloes are 0-5 this season against ranked teams and 3-9 over the past two years. Prior to the 2007-08 season, the Buffs had suffered 23 straight losses against ranked opponents from 2004-07. BUFFS IN OPENERS: Colorado improved to 30-5 (.857) all-time in season openers and an outstanding 33-2 (.942) all-time in home openers. Colorado has never lost its overall season opener when played at home (23-0). HOUSTON TO MISS SEASON, DALE RETURNS: Junior guard Whitney Houston will miss the 2008-09 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee on Sept. 24 during team individual workouts. She had successful surgery in October and will be able to use her redshirt season and have two years of eligibility remaining. Houston has averaged 6.1 points and 1.8 assists for the Buffaloes in 59 games over the past two seasons. She was a starter in 20 of those and was in the mix for the starting point guard position once again. Houston was CU's leader in scoring (4.3 ppg) and assists (1.4 apg) among those that primarily came off the bench in 2007-08 and averaged 6.5 points and just under two assists over the final 15 games. Sophomore guard Chelsea Dale, who underwent successful surgery to stabilize ligaments in her right ankle in early September, made her season debut against UMKC, playing in the final two minutes of the game. She saw action in 12 games as a true freshman in 2007-08. BUFFS PICKED 11TH...AGAIN: For the third straight season Colorado was picked to finish 11th in the annual Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Oklahoma was picked to win the 2009 title with seven first place votes and 124 points overall. Texas, earning one first place vote, edged out Iowa State for second place with 95 points. The Cyclones, who actually claimed a pair of first place votes came in third with 93. Baylor was fourth with 89 (and one first place vote), followed by Texas A&M (85), Oklahoma State (79, and one first place vote), Kansas State (71), Nebraska (56), Kansas (41), Texas Tech (36), Colorado (18) and Missouri (15). The Buffaloes have fared better than the Big 12 coaches preseason prediction each of the last three seasons under Kathy McConnell-Miller: Season Preseason Actual 2008-09 11th ?? 2007-08 11th 9th 2006-07 11th t-7th 2005-06 12th 11th TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado once again faces a tough schedule with no less than 17 games against 2008 NCAA or WNIT tournament teams. Eight of CU's opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll while seven are ranked in the Associated Press poll. Oklahoma State, ranked 25th in the Coaches' poll, is the second team receiving votes in the AP poll. Baylor and Oklahoma are in the Top 4 of both. HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 328-102 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.764). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 20 of the previous 30 years including a 15-6 mark in 2007-08. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CECC. BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's schedule features seven games that will be televised either regionally or nationally, all at home and on FSN Rocky Mountain. The Buffaloes will host Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 31 in a nationally televised contest on FSN. Other games on CU's FSN Rocky Mountain schedule are Colorado State (Nov. 19), Baylor (Jan. 10), Oklahoma (Jan. 21), Texas Tech (Jan. 28), Iowa State (Feb. 7) and Missouri (Feb. 28). UP NEXT: Colorado returns home to host the University of Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised live to a nation-wide audience on FSN.

Summit League WBB POW (1-27-09)

JENNIFER WARKENTHIEN, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE, SR., F, 6-0, WILLOW LAKE, S.D./WILLOW LAKE HS Warkenthien collects her second straight Player of the Week award after leading No. 20 South Dakota State to a 64-48 victory over rival North Dakota State last week. She scored 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field and 11-of-14 from the free throw line in the game. Warkenthien also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, while adding a career-high five blocks and one steal. The double-double was her eighth of the season, while she has scored in double figures the last nine games and in 17 of the team's 21 games on the year. It was the first time this season a player captured the honor in back-to-back weeks.   Also nominated: Anne Boese, IPFW; Julia Whitted, IUPUI; Chazny Morris, UMKC; Jessica Pike, Oakland; Georgia Jones, Oral Roberts; Anne Westwood-Higbee, Southern Utah; Amanda Walker, Western Illinois.

Grant Tabbed Big Ten Women’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week

Junior claims the second weekly honor of her career UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; January 27, 2009 — Lady Lion junior guard Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) was selected as the Big Ten Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week after scoring 32 points, including the game-winner at the buzzer, in the come-from-behind win over Wisconsin Thursday night. Grant, who earns weekly honors for the second time in her career (Dec. 17, 2007), shares this week's award with Ohio State sophomore post Jantel Lavender.   Grant scored 32 of Penn State's 58 points and drained the game-winning jumper as time ran out to almost single-handedly lift Penn State to a 58-56 overtime win against Wisconsin Thursday. With the Lady Lions trailing by 17 points with just over 10 minutes remaining, Grant knocked down a three-pointer with 10:05 left in the game to spark a 19-0 that pushed Penn State to the OT win. Grant's effort was the second-highest scoring performance of her career, trailing only her 33-point game at Iowa (Feb. 18, 2007) her freshman year, and is tied for 28th on PSU's single-game scoring chart. She is one of only eight players in school history to have multiple 30-point games in their career.   Grant has reached the 20-point plateau 10 times this season and 21 times in her career. Her 10 games with 20 or more points this season are the most by a Lady Lion since Tanisha Wright had 13 games with 20 or more points. Grant also became the 23rd player in school history to surpass the 1,200-point mark against the Badgers.   Grant currently ranks second in the Big Ten in overall scoring at a 19.3 per game clip and is also among the conference leaders in steals (10th-1.72), three-point field goal percentage (11th-.354) and three-pointers per game (7th-1.61).   Penn State's last Big Ten Player of the Week selection was Mashea Williams on Jan. 7, 2008. The Lady Lions continue their road swing at Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 1, where they will participate in the Hawkeyes' WBCA Pink Zone Day. Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, Feb. 5 to face Minnesota at 7 p.m. The game against the Gophers is $1 Dog Night. For information on Lady Lion Basketball tickets, call the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.   The 2009 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State proudly supported by Mimi Barash Coppersmith (formerly known as THINK PINK Day) will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m., as the Lady Lions take on Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on www.bigtennetwork.com. The first two Pink Zone events have raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Penn State Hershey Breast Cancer Institute, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone.   —LADY LIONS—

Edina 69 Southwest 59

The Hornets was up at halftime 30-29, and used a early run in the second half to pull away from the Lakers.  The Hornets were led by Junior Guard Taylor Young who finished with 24 pts.  Jamie Breshahan chipped in 20 pts, including 17 in the first half.  Southwest was led by Freshman Guard Mariah Adanene who finished with 23 points and Center Britta Syverson 17 points respectively.

Iowa WBB Beats Michigan, 77-69 - Post Game Notes

Kamille Wahlin started her first career game tonight.  The freshman posted a double-double, registering season highs in points (14) and assists (10).   JoAnn Hamlin missed tonight's game with an injured ankle.  Wendy Ausdemore moved from the three position, to the four position and Wahlin started at the off guard tonight.   After posting a triple-double in Iowa's last game, sophomore Kachine Alexander followed up that performance with a double-double.  Alexander had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.   Wendy Ausdemore matched a season high with 21 points tonight vs. Michigan, 15 of which came in the second half.  Additionally, she tied a season high with five triples.   Kristi Smith played all 40 minutes, netting a season-high 21 points.  Like Ausdemore, Smith drained five treys, marking the third time in four games she has sank five triples.  Smith also equaled a season high with five assists.   Iowa improves to 40-11 all-time against Michigan, including winning 11 of the last 12 against the Wolverines.  Iowa improved to 21-4 against Michigan in games played in Iowa City.   Only seven Hawkeyes saw game action tonight.   The Hawkeyes drained a season-high 12 triples tonight, while Michigan sank 10.  Iowa was only two 3-pointers from tying the arena record of 14 set by Northern Iowa in 2006.   Iowa outrebounded Michigan 37-31, despite not having its second-leading rebounder in the lineup (JoAnn Hamlin).   Iowa improved to 12-0 this season when leading at the half.  The Hawkeyes led 36-34 at the break.   With the game tied 55-55 in the second half, Iowa went on a scoring drought for 5:16.  Kachine Alexander finally ended the drought by draining only her second 3-pointer of the season at the 7:07 mark.  That triple sparked an 11-0 run by the Hawkeyes.   Iowa returns to action Thursday night when they travel to Michigan State for the only regular season meeting between the two teams.  Tip-off is slated for 6:05 p.m. (CDT) at the Breslin Center.

Texas coach fired after 100-0 win

I found this on http://hoopism.blogspot.com/ By now, most have heard about the Covenant School's 100-0 victory over Dallas Academy Jan. 13. Yesterday, Covenant fired Coach Micah Grimes, calling the blowout "shameful." Grimes, however, emailed the Dallas Morning News disagreeing with the decision. I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed," Grimes wrote in the e-mail, according to the newspaper. The game has ignited an old debate on message boards about whether or not playing such a game is running up the score, or just how the cookie crumbles. What I thought most interesting in the story released today is that Texas has no mercy rule in girl's basketball. Why not? It's the right thing to do. In California, our mercy rule states that when a team attains a 40-point lead the clock then runs, not stopping for timeouts or free throws, even if the lead again dips below 40. Story link: http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9134384?MSNHPHMA