THE SETTING
The Iowa Hawkeyes (16-9, 9-5) return home to host the Wisconsin Badgers (15-11, 5-10) Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 7:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $9 for adults, while youths and UI students are admitted free. Iowa has won eight of its last 10 games, while Wisconsin has lost six of its last seven. The Hawkeyes are currently in fifth place in the Big Ten standings, while the Badgers are seventh.
HOME SWEET HOME
Iowa has maintained a solid home court advantage the last couple years. Dating back to last season, Iowa has won 18 of its last 19 home games. Iowa boasts an 11-1 home record this season.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Thursday will be Wisconsin’s second game in four days after falling to Indiana in overtime (67-61) Monday night at home. The Badgers have a difficult finish to the regular season. Monday night’s loss to the Hoosiers, the Badgers had a three-point lead in the final seconds, but Kim Roberson drained the game-tying 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Indiana ultimately prevailed in the extra session. Wisconsin’s Tara Steinbauer netted a team-high 17 points and had nine rebounds. Teah Gant contributed 16 points and Lin Zastrow 14. Indiana outscored Wisconsin, 18-10, at the free throw line and sank four more triples (7-3) than the Badgers. Alyssa Karel leads the Badgers this season, averaging 13.0 points per contest and making a team-best 44 triples. Zastrow is second in team scoring (7.3) and first in rebounding (5.0). As a team, Wisconsin shoots only 66.6 percent (283-425) from the foul line. Junior Mariah Dunham, who averaged 9.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20 games, was dismissed from the team earlier this month. In the previous game vs. Iowa Dec. 22 in Madison, Dunham collected 14 points and eight rebounds in a starting role. The Badgers are 5-7 in games away from home, including a 2-7 mark in true road contests. Wisconsin’s only road Big Ten victory this season came at Illinois on New Year’s Day. Wisconsin’s head coach is Lisa Stone, an Iowa graduate and former Hawkeye basketball player. Stone is 87-89 (.494) in six seasons with the Badgers and 462-207 (.691) in 24 seasons as a head coach.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Thursday will be the 55th meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin, with the Hawkeyes boasting a 34-20 advantage. The Hawkeyes have won 10 of the last 12 in the series, including five straight. Wisconsin’s last victory over the Hawkeyes (84-73) came on Feb. 11, 2007 in Madison, WI. Iowa owns a 20-8 edge in games played in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have won the last two meetings in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Wisconsin’s last victory (88-78) in Iowa City came on Feb. 6, 2005.
IOWA, WISCONSIN NOTES
• Lin Zastrow and Alyssa Karel had solid performances against Iowa in the previous meeting Dec. 22, 2008 in Madison, WI. Zastrow netted a team-high 18 points, while Karel contributed 11 points.
• Three Hawkeyes average double figures in games against Wisconsin. Kristi Smith averages 14.2 points and 2.8 assists in six starts vs. the Badgers. Wendy Ausdemore averages 13.5 points, including 15-27 (.556) from distance, and 2.0 assists in six games. Megan Skouby averages 14.0 points, including 18-22 (.818) from the foul line and 4.6 rebounds in five contests.
• Kamille Wahlin ranks second in assists (3.0), fourth in scoring (7.9), rebounding (3.3), and fifth in field goal percentage (.442) and 3-point field goal percentage (.394), amongst Big Ten freshmen, in conference games only rankings. Additionally, she ranks first in Big Ten assist/turnover ratio (2.26), and 12th in assists (3.0) and field goal percentage (.442), in league games only.
• Last season, Megan Skouby blocked 23 shots in 32 games; she already has amassed 41 through 23 games this season. Her single-season best is 47 rejections, which she accomplished her freshman campaign. Her 41 blocks this season rank fourth-best in a single-season for an Iowa senior.
• Wendy Ausdemore’s 17 points Sunday increased her career scoring total to 1,242. The Hawkeyes have three seniors (Ausdemore, Smith and Skouby) who have over 1,225 career points. The senior trio is the first-ever, in one class, in Big Ten history to top 1,225 points.
• Kachine Alexander, who stands 5-9, leads the team and ranks fifth in Big Ten rebounding, pulling down 8.6 per contest.
• Kristi Smith has reached double figures a team-best 19 times this year, including the last 11 contests.
• Kristi Smith, who is in fourth place in Iowa all-time assists (389) is 11 from reaching 400. Megan Skouby, who is tied for 20th in career rebounding (482), is 18 from reaching 500.
• Iowa players have corralled double-digit rebounds 19 times this season. Kachine Alexander has accomplished the feat a team-best 10 times, JoAnn Hamlin six times, Wendy Ausdemore three times and Megan Skouby once. The last time an Iowa player controlled double-digit rebounds 10 times or more in a season was Jenee Graham (11), during the 2006-07 season.
• Iowa has an RPI rating of 34th in the country and strength of schedule that ranks 24th. Iowa has five wins over teams ranked in the RPI top-50, including two ranked in the top 25. Wisconsin is rated 57th in the RPI and 32nd in strength of schedule. The numbers are based on the report published Feb. 17.
FIVE YEARS AGO...
Iowa pulled off the largest second-half comeback in school history when it rallied from 20 points down to beat Penn State 63-57 on Feb. 15, 2009, in University Park, PA. Nearly five years ago to the day Iowa pulled off another incredible comeback. On Feb. 12, 2004, the Hawkeyes overcame an eight-point deficit with 39 seconds left in regulation to defeat Wisconsin 87-82 in overtime. Iowa guard Kristi Faulkner scored an astonishing 15 points (four 3-pointers, one lay-up and one free throw) in the final 1:50 of regulation to help send the game into the extra session.
SPECIAL GUEST IN IOWA CITY ON “SENIOR NIGHT”
Gina Glocksen, who was the ninth-place finisher in the 2007 American Idol competition will be in Iowa City for Iowa’s regular season finale vs. Illinois Feb. 26. The Tinley Park, IL, native, will sing the national anthem. Glocksen is friends with Hawkeye senior Lindsey Nyenhuis.
HAWKEYES RECORD HISTORIC COMEBACK IN WIN AT PENN STATE
Iowa posted the largest comeback in school history when it overcame a 20-point second half deficit to beat Penn State 63-57 in front of 9,536 fans at University Park, PA, last Sunday. Penn State closed the first half on an 18-3 run to take a commanding 41-23 cushion into the half. The Lady Lions made the first bucket of the second half to stretch their advantage to 43-23. However, the Hawkeyes mounted a furious comeback outscoring Penn State 40-14 the rest of the way to escape with a victory. Iowa’s Kristi Smith equaled a season high with 21 points, bolstered by 5-10 shooting from distance. Kachine Alexander, who was held scoreless and without a rebound the first 20 minutes, collected nine points and nine rebounds in the second half. Seven of her nine points came from the charity stripe. Wendy Ausdemore contributed 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Ausdemore had two huge offensive rebounds and field goals the final 5:45 of the game. Ausdemore had a put-back at the 5:38 mark to give Iowa its first lead (52-51) and drained a 3-pointer to put the Black and Gold up five (59-54) with 19 seconds remaining. Penn State’s Tyra Grant led all scorers with 26 points, 20 coming in the first half.
SENIOR DUO IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Seniors Kristi Smith and Wendy Ausdemore have their names all over the Hawkeye record books for 3-point shooting. Smith is shooting at a 40.9 percent (174-425) clip from 3-point territory, while Ausdemore is shooting 40.7 percent (209-513). Smith’s career shooting accuracy from distance currently ranks second in the Big Ten and first in Hawkeye record books. Former Ohio State Buckeye Caity Matter (270-657, .411) ranks first. Ausdemore is currently slotted third, followed by former Hawkeye Lindsey Meder (261-644, .405) in fourth. Ausdemore’s 209 treys ranks second in Iowa annals behind Meder’s 261. Smith’s 174 triples rate third best. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment