Dec. 9, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
GET TO KNOW HER
Meggan Quinn, Penn State
From a young age, Meggan Quinn had her eye on a career in law enforcement. Last summer, the junior guard took the next step toward making that dream a reality as she spent two months working as an intern for the Ferguson Township Police Department. An Academic All-Big Ten selection, Quinn has been involved in Penn State's Justice Association, and she even has her own fan club of law enforcement officials from her hometown of Red Lion, Pa., called "Cops for Quinn".
Going Streaking
After starting their respective seasons 0-1, Minnesota and Wisconsin have posted huge rebounds and are both currently riding eight-game winning streaks. The Golden Gophers opened the 2008-09 campaign with a tough loss at then-No. 2/2 Stanford and are now winners of their last eight games. Most recently, Minnesota posted a monster 20-point victory over a Boston College on Thursday in the ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge. The Eagles were receiving votes in the AP poll. Currently, the Gophers are receiving votes in the media and coaches polls. Wisconsin opened its season with a loss at South Dakota State, but is now riding an eight-game win streak that includes an upset over then-No. 6/7 Baylor at the Paradise Jam. More recently, the Badgers won their ACC/Big Ten Challenge game by a nine-point margin against Virginia Tech. Wisconsin is receiving votes in the AP poll.
Big Ten Improves in Challenge
The Big Ten posted a 4-7 record in the second annual ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge last week, marking a one-game improvement from the previous year. The Big Ten recorded a strong finish as Michigan and Indiana won the event’s final two games. The Wolverines posted a 63-52 win over N.C. State on Friday, becoming the only Big Ten team to remain undefeated in two years of Challenge play. Other Big Ten wins include Indiana’s 69-54 defeat of Miami, Minnesota’s 80-60 romp over Boston College and Wisconsin’s 61-52 victory against Virginia Tech. Three of the Big Ten’s four Challenge wins came in home games.
Double Your Fun
Illinois’ Jenna Smith, Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender, Penn State’s Tyra Grant and Wisconsin’s Alyssa Karel are the only four Big Ten players to post double-digit scoring marks in every game this season. The group accounts for four of the conference’s top 11 scorers, including Lavender, who leads the Big Ten with 22.1 points per game. Smith is second at 18.7, Grant is tied for third at 17.8 and Karel is 11th at 14.0. Lavender has registered double-digit scoring in each game of her career.
Shades of Lavender
Not only has Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender scored in double-digits in each game this year, but she has posted a double-double in each contest and has scored 20 or more points in every game but one. Lavender has 22 career double-doubles in just 40 career games and trails only Indiana’s Whitney Thomas (25) and Illinois’ Jenna Smith (23) for the career lead among active Big Ten players.
There’s No Place Like Home
Big Ten teams have been dominant on their home courts this season, posting a combined 37-10 record. Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin are undefeated on their home floors as the Gophers and Badgers are each 5-0, while the Hawkeyes and Spartans boast 4-0 home marks.
Comeback Kids
After sitting out all of the 2007-08 season with injuries, three Big Ten women’s basketball players are back on the court in a big way. Purdue’s Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, a 2006 honorable mention All-American, currently leads her team in scoring (15.3), rebounding (8.4) and field goal percentage (.556). Michigan State’s Aisha Jefferson leads the Spartans in scoring at 14.4 ppg., including an output of 34 points, to tie for the single-game conference high this season. Northwestern’s Kristin Cartwright has been a reliable scorer for the Wildcats, posting six double-figure outputs this season while averaging 11.8 points and 3.25 assists.
Upset Specials
Big Ten women’s basketball has been playing at a high level, upsetting ranked non-conference opponents in four out of the five weeks of the season. Wisconsin staged the most prominent win over then-No. 6/7 Baylor, defeating the Bears, 59-58, at the Paradise Jam on Nov. 29. Michigan pulled off a 50-42 upset victory over then-No.13/12 Vanderbilt on Nov. 23, and three days later Michigan State downed then-No. 23/20 Old Dominion, 74-48. Most recently, Iowa upended No.22 Iowa State, 66-46, on Sunday, handing the Cyclones just their second loss of the season.
Big Ten in the Big Apple
Penn State will participate in the third annual Maggie Dixon Classic on Sunday in Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Lady Lions will face top-ranked UConn at approximately 2 p.m. ET, following Game 1 of the doubleheader between Army and No. 14/13 Rutgers at Noon. Both games will be televised by ESPNU. The event honors the memory of Maggie Dixon, the former Army head coach who passed away of a congenital heart ailment at the age of 28, just weeks after leading her team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit C.A.R.E., an organization that works to fund research and raise awareness of sudden cardiac death due to acquired heart disease and inherited rhythm disorders.
Get ‘Em While They’re Hot
All-session tickets for the 2009 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament are on sale now at all 11 Big Ten university ticket offices, the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (317) 239-5151. All-session tickets are on sale for $45 for the first 45 days of the public sale, which is a $20 discount from the regular price of $65. For more information, visit www.BigTen.org.
