Indiana University Athletics
WOMEN's BASKETBALL
December 30, 1997 Press Release
12/30/1997 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WOMEN's BASKETBALLDecember 30, 1997 Press Release
INDIANA THIS WEEK-- Indiana, 9-4 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten, splits its play this week, traveling to Minnesota Friday, Jan. 2, for an 8 p.m. (EST) game in the Sports Pavilion (5,700) in Minneapolis, before returning to Assembly Hall to host Northwestern Sunday, Jan. 4, at 2 p.m. (EST).
THE HOOSIERS-- Indiana extended its win streak to five games after defeating Michigan State 81-63 in its Big Ten season opener Dec. 28. Sophomore Kay Morgan led the Hoosiers over the Spartans with a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds. Senior Quacy Barnes collected a double-double for scoring and rebounding with 15 points and 12 boards while junior Cindy Kerns came off the bench to equal her career-best with 13 points and nine rebounds. As a team, the Hoosiers shot 45 percent from the field which included 42 percent shooting from behind the 3-point arc (10-24). Most impressive was IU's defensive effort which held the Spartans to just 19 field goals and 36 percent shooting from the field. IU also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Spartans 49-25.
A LOOK AT MINNESOTA-- Prior to Minnesota's Dec. 30 game at Michigan, the Golden Gophers are 3-8 overall, 0-1 in the Big Ten after opening league play with a 91-55 loss at Iowa Dec. 28. Senior Angie Iverson leads UM, averaging 16.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Against Iowa, the 6-0 forward scored 32 points while shooting 60 percent from the field. Guard Kiauna Burns also averages double digits for the Gophers, scoring 10.5 points per game. As a team, Minnesota is averaging 62.8 points and 38.8 rebounds per game while shooting 39 percent from the field. Head coach Cheryl Littlejohn is in her first season with the Gophers. Previously, Littlejohn served as the assistant coach at Alabama for three seasons.
THE SERIES -- Minnesota leads the all-time series 17-16, however, the Hoosiers have won the last three-straight games.
PROBABLE STARTERS --
POSSIBLE STARTERS:
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. |
| F | 44 | Rachael Honegger | 5-11 | So. |
| F | 45 | Cindy Kerns | 6-2 | Jr. |
| C | 42 | Quacy Barnes | 6-5 | Sr. |
| G | 13 | Kameelah Morgan | 5-6 | So. |
| G | 21 | Kristi Green | 5-2 | Jr. |
POSSIBLE STARTERS:
| ||||
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. |
| F | 14 | Sarah Schieber | 5-11 | Jr. |
| F | 23 | Kiauna Burns | 5-7 | So. |
| C | 53 | Angie Iverson | 6-0 | Sr. |
| G | 24 | Rachel Young | 5-5 | Fr. |
| G | 45 | Sarah Klun | 6-0 | Jr. |
A LOOK AT NORTHWESTERN -- Prior to Northwestern's league opener Friday evening versus Michigan, the Wildcats were 4-7 overall, 0-0 Big Ten. Junior forward Kristina Divjak paces the Wildcats, averaging a league leading 22.8 points per game. Divjak also leads the conference in 3-point shooting, averaging 2.82 treys per game. She is followed in scoring by teammates Megan Chawansky (14.6 ppg) and Amber DeWall (10.6 ppg). Like Indiana, Northwestern likes to shoot long range, averaging 5.27 3-pointers per game. The Wildcats are coached by Don Perrelli who is in his 14th season at Northwestern with a 234-150 school record. The Series: The Wildcats lead the series 23-16, including two wins over the Hoosiers last season.
BIG TEN PLAY -- Since the Big Ten Conference began sponsoring women's basketball in 1982, the best Big Ten start by a Hoosier team is 2-0. Coach Jim Izard's 1988-89 and 1992-93 squads both started league play with two-straight victories.
HEAD COACH JIM IZARD -- Head Coach Jim Izard is in his 10th season at the helm of the Indiana program where he owns a 153-115 (.569) overall school record and a 68-90 (.427) mark in the Big Ten Conference. As Indiana's all-time winningest coach, Izard has guided his teams to eight winning seasons and two NCAA post-season tournament appearances. His 16-year career record stands at 316-164 (.658).
BACK IN THE POLLS -- Indiana received two votes in the Dec. 30 USA Today/ESPN Women's Basketball Top 25 Poll.
MORE IS BETTER -- The Hoosiers boast a 7-0 record when scoring more than 70 points compared to just a 2-4 mark when they fail to reach 70 points.
HELP OFF THE BENCH -- Junior Cindy Kerns provided quality minutes in IU's win over Michigan State Dec. 28, coming in off the bench to contributed 13 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes of play. Kerns is averaging 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game this season.
SHARP SHOOTER -- Of Kay Morgan's 89 points this season, 51 of them have come from 3-point baskets. Currently, she is shooting a team-leading 40 percent (17-43) from behind the 3-point arc.
RAINING THREES -- Speaking of 3-point shooting, did you know that Indiana's 82 3-point field goals rank first among Big Ten schools? IU currently is averaging 6.3 3-point field goals per game. If the Hoosiers' long range connection continues, they should break last season's school record of 148 3-pointers.
IMPROVEMENT AT THE CHARITY STRIPE -- After a shaky season start at the free throw line the Hoosiers have steadily improved their average. After six games, IU's free throw percentage stood at 63 percent but has climbed to 71 percent through 13 games. Helping the Hoosier cause is Kristi Green (35-37), Kay Morgan (6-6), Rachael Honegger (16-20) and Dani Thrush (13-18). Indiana ranks third behind Wisconsin and Michigan State in the Big Ten for free throw shooting percentage.
BIG TEN STATS -- In the latest Big Ten weekly release, several Hoosiers have placed themselves among the conference's statistical leaders. Quacy Barnes ranks sixth in scoring (18.5 ppg), first in blocked shots (2.0 bpg) and is fourth in field goal percent (.578). Kristi Green leads the league in free throw percentage (.946), is ranked third in 3-point field goal percentage (.382), fifth for 3-point field goals made per game (2.0) and is sixth in steals (2.31 spg). Rachael Honegger is third in the league, averaging 2.58 steals per game while Summar Maines ranks 11th in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and Dani Thrush ranks 10th in assist (3.92 apg).
TOUGH SCHEDULE -- According to Collegiate Basketball News The Women's RPI Report, the Hoosiers' non conference schedule strength ranks fourth in the nation and its Rating Percentage Index (RPI) is 17th in the nation. The RPI is used by the NCAA women's basketball committee as supplemental data to help select at-large teams for post-season tournament play and to assist in the seeding of NCAA tournament teams. In non conference play Indiana faced then-No. 14 Alabama, then-No. 15 Western Kentucky along with Colorado State, Hawaii and Kentucky who are all receiving votes in the latest USA Today/ESPN Women's Top 25 College Basketball Poll.
CHARTING MINUTES -- Junior Kristi Green continues to rack up playing time, averaging 38 minutes of court action per game. The 5-2 point guard has played all 40 minutes in four games, and has played all but eight minutes in IU's last six games.
MUELLER SIDELINED -- Freshman Staci Mueller will be out of action indefinitely after being diagnosed with mononucleosis Dec. 9. Prior to being sidelined, Mueller averaged 6.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
BARNSTORMING -- Quacy Barnes has gotten off to an impressive senior season. The 6-5 center has led the team in scoring in all but three games and has scored in double digits in every game. Currently, she is averaging 18.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field. In addition, the school record holder for blocked shots has 26 this season to lead the Big Ten.
STARTERS VS. BENCH -- The Hoosiers starting five have accounted for 55.7 of Indiana's 74.2 points per game - 75 percent of its scoring total. Forty-one percent has come from senior Quacy Barnes and junior Kristi Green who average a combined 29.8 points per game.
LITTLE GREEN GIANT -- Kristi Green, has been one of the most consistent players for the Hoosiers, averaging 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. In addition, Green is shooting an impressive 95 percent (35-37) from the charity stripe.
QUICK RECOVERY -- After undergoing surgery to correct a tachacardia problem (rapid beating heart) Thursday, Nov. 13, sophomore Rachael Honegger returned to the court just three days later to play 13 minutes in IU's win over Ball State. Since then, she has averaged 9.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
BARNES COLLECTS 1,000th -- Senior Quacy Barnes became just the 13th player in Hoosier history to score 1,000 career points Dec. 8, when IU defeated Evansville. Barnes currently has 1,085 career points to rank 11th all-time in scoring.
