Nov. 28, 2005
A Look at the Week Ahead...
Big Ten women's basketball action will take place six days this week, beginning with four games slated for Tuesday, Nov. 29. A handful of games are on tap for Wednesday, while Purdue will be the lone team in action on Thursday. A busy weekend is scheduled as both Iowa and Northwestern play host to their annual tournaments.
Four Big Ten Teams Ranked in Nation's Top 25
Four conference squads were ranked in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls this past week. Ohio State was ranked fourth and Michigan State was ninth in both polls. No. 12/12 Minnesota jumped up five spots, while No. 19/24 Purdue rounded out the Big Ten contingent. Polls are released every Tuesday.
Gophers and Buckeyes Off to Perfect Start
Minnesota and Ohio State are the two remaining conference teams with an unblemished mark. The Golden Gophers captured their bracket's title at the Paradise Jam last week and are off to a 4-0 start. Ohio State began its season with three convincing wins as the Buckeyes are 3-0 and currently outscoring their opponents by over 48 points (84.7 - 36.3).
Stringer to Return to Iowa City
One of Iowa's most anticipated contests this season will be against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, when they travel to Iowa City to take part in the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge, Dec. 3-4. Should Iowa get past Vermont in the first game, it will most likely face Rutgers in the championship game, which is coached by former Hawkeye mentor C. Vivian Stringer. Iowa's all-time winningest coach, Stringer guided the Hawkeyes to 269 victories, six Big Ten titles and one Final Four appearance in 12 years at Iowa.
Sharp Shooters
Through at least three games this season, 16 Big Ten student-athletes are connecting on 50 percent or more of their shots. Three standouts are averaging over 70 percent from the field, while eight are 60 percent or better. Leading the pack is Ohio State's Jessica Davenport at .778 on 28-of-36 shooting, while Penn State's Amanda Brown (.739, 17-23) and Northwestern's Ifeoma Okonkwo (.700, 28-40) follow.
The Heart and Aim of a Lion
Two Penn State sophomore guards sit atop the league's free-throw standings as both Adrienne Squire and Kamela Gissendanner are each a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe this season. Also perfect from the line this year is Michigan's Jessica Minnfield, who has connected on all six attempts over three games.
Not Your Average Smith
Last week, Iowa's Crystal Smith became just the third Big Ten player to score more than 45 points in a game since 1983. Smith's 46 points in the Hawkeyes' 95-91 double-overtime loss to Louisiana Tech are the second most in a contest in Big Ten history, as Illinois' Kendra Gantt (1/3/83) and Penn State's Kelly Mazzante (12/28/01) share the record with 49. Despite falling short of the conference mark, Smith set or tied five single-game school records. Here is a brief look at her accomplishments:
at Louisiana Tech
• 46 points - school record
• 19 free throw attempts - school record
• 15 free throws made - tied school record
• 14 three-pointers attempted - tied school record
vs. Rider
• 1.000 (9-9) field goal percentage - tied school record
Smith's 46 points are the most scored against Louisiana Tech, besting Southern California's Cheryl Miller's 43. The total was also one point shy of the Thomas Assembly Center record.
Two Different Lindsay's, One Significant Mark
Despite falling to Tennessee in the Paradise Jam last week, Michigan State was led by an impressive perimeter performance by senior guard Lindsay Bowen. On 5-of-7 (.714) shooting from beyond the arc, Bowen tied the 10th-best mark in Big Ten history. Iowa's Lindsey Meder was also 5-of-7 from three-point land on Feb. 8, 2001, when the Hawkeyes battled Purdue.
More Big Ten Top Ten Additions
Two additional top 10 categories will now have to be revised after impressive marks were put up by Iowa's Crystal Smith and Purdue's Cherelle George last week. Smith, who already set a number of records were 46 points as listed above, attempted 19 free throws against Louisiana Tech, which is tied for eighth in league history. Five other players have attempted 19 tosses in a game, most recently on Jan. 16, 1996, when Wisconsin's Barb Franke hit the mark against Northern Iowa.
George posted 10 steals in the Boilermakers' win over South Carolina last week, which ranks tied for sixth all-time. Six other league standouts have eclipsed the 10-steal mark, most recently in 2004 when Minnesota's Janel McCarville swiped 10 balls away from Ohio State to complete the Big Ten Tournament's first-ever triple-double. George fell two steals shy of the Purdue record, but recorded the Boilermakers' best steals performance since Joy Holmes set the record against Minnesota on Jan. 13, 1989.
NU's Okonkwo Putting Out UIC's Flames
After an impressive 16-point, 11-rebound performance in a tough loss at Missouri, Northwestern's Ifeoma Okonkwo rebounded with another double-double, including a career-high 31 points at Illinois-Chicago. The senior bettered her previous 11 boards against the Tigers with a game-high 12 caroms, guiding NU to a 81-78 victory. Okonkwo shot a scorching 12-of-14 (.857) from the field and provided a boost of productivity in the final six minutes, recording 10 points to secure the win.
Big Ten Players Earn All-Tournament Honors
A number of Big Ten standouts earned All-Tournament honors in their respective events this past week. Illinois' Lori Bjork was named to the Coors Classic All-Tournament team, while Indiana's Jenny DeMuth and Cyndi Valentin were both named to the Hampton Inn Classic All-Tournament team. Iowa's Crystal Smith was selected to the Odwalla Classic team and three players from Ohio State were named to the Buckeye Classic squad. Senior Debbie Merrill and junior Brandie Hoskins were named to the team, while junior Jessica Davenport was named Buckeye Classic MVP for the second year in a row. Both Janese Banks and Jolene Anderson of Wisconsin earned spots on the Rainbow Wahine Classic All-Tournament team and Minnesota's Liz Podominick and Jamie Broback were selected to the Paradise Jam team.
The Week for No. 700
Last week's win against Western Illinois served as victory No. 700 in Ohio State women's basketball history. The Buckeyes, now in their 41st season of women's basketball, became the 11th program in NCAA annals to record 700 wins. Below is a list of the 11 programs at the 700 mark:
NCAA Division I Women's Basketball
All-Time Wins (Through Nov. 27, 2005)
1. Tennessee 980
2. La. Tech 874
3. Old Dominion 795
4. Texas 793
5. James Madison 755
6. Stephen F. Austin 751
7. Tennessee Tech 750
8. Long Beach State 742
9. Penn State 712
9. Richmond 712
11. Ohio State 700
The Week for No. 400
Wisconsin's Lisa Stone earned her 400th career win last Friday as the Badgers defeated Idaho State 85-73 in the first round of the Rainbow Wahine Classic. The win for Wisconsin marks the best start under the third-year head coach at 3-0. A 3-0 mark also is the best for the program since the 1998-99 team went 5-0 to open the season.
Also hitting No. 400 was Michigan State's Joanne P. McCallie, however it came last Thursday when she coached in her 400th career game. McCallie is now 271-131 (.674) for her career.
Other Coaching Milestones
Indiana's Sharon Versyp earned her first victory as the Hoosiers' head coach this past week with a 74-38 win over the Youngstown State. Versyp is now just one win away from claiming her 100th career victory. The first-year head coach at IU has compiled an overall record of 99-54 (.647). Ohio State's Jim Foster earned his 75th win in Columbus as OSU won its fifth consecutive Buckeye Classic team title last Sunday with a 75-36 victory against Western Illinois. Purdue's win over South Carolina last week also marked the 200th career game for Boilermaker head coach Kristy Curry.
Spartans & Buckeyes Not Looking to Share
Michigan State and Ohio State have opened the 2005-06 season looking to successfully defend their co-Big Ten Championship from a year ago. Last year marked the ninth time in league history and the first time since the 1996-97 season that the Big Ten regular season title was shared by two teams. The Buckeyes have not captured consecutive league titles since winning five straight from 1983-1987. Michigan State tallied its second-ever conference championship last year and its first since 1997.
Spreading the Love Around the League
Five non-conference teams that are ranked in the top 25 will face multiple Big Ten squads this season. No. 13/15 Notre Dame and No. 22/23 Oklahoma will each face four conference schools this season, while No. 3/3 LSU will face three league teams. No. 6/7 Rutgers, No. 17/17 DePaul and Iowa State, which finished 25th in the polls last season, will each face two Big Ten squads apiece. Below is a list of those five teams and their "Big Ten schedule," including the Cyclones that are receiving votes in the Associated Press poll.
Opponent 05-06 Rank Scheduled Big Ten Teams
LSU 3/3 @OSU, MSU, MINN
Rutgers 6/7 IOWA, @MSU
Notre Dame 13/15 MICH, @IND, @WIS, @PUR
DePaul 17/17 PUR, @NU
Oklahoma 22/23 IOWA, @ILL, MSU, @OSU
Iowa State --- IOWA, @MINN
