Indiana University Athletics
HOOSIERS 10th SEED IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
2/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
February 23, 1999
HOOSIERS 10th SEED IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENTIndiana to play seventh-seeded Michigan State
GAME DATA - Indiana looks to snap its current nine-game losing streak this weekend when the No. 10 seeded Hoosiers play No. 7 seeded Michigan State in the first round of the fifth-annual Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Friday, Feb. 26. Game time is set for 6 p.m. (EST), in the RCA Dome (11,500) in Indianapolis. The winner of Friday's game will advance to the quarterfinals where they will meet No. 2 seed Penn State at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 27. All of IU's games will be broadcast live on radio by WGCT-FM (105.1) in Bloomington.
MEDIA INFORMATION - IU Assistant Media Relations Director Shelli Stewart handles all requests regarding the Hoosier coaches and players. Interview requests during the tournament should be made through Stewart who can be reached courtside during Indiana's games, or at the Omni Sevrin in Indianapolis (317) 634-6664.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT - For the fifth year, the Big Ten Conference hosts an 11-team tournament field to determine the league's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. The four-day event will be held Feb. 26-March 1, in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. This is the third year the event has been held in the RCA Dome. Previously, the tourney had been played at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis. The tournament is single-elimination with seeding based upon regular season final conference standings. Teams seeded one through five receive a first-round bye, while teams seeded six through 11 begin play Friday, Feb. 26.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY - The Hoosiers are 3-4 in Big Ten Tournament play. Last season, Indiana entered play as the fourth seed, facing fifth seeded Purdue in the quarterfinals. Despite leading 34-30 at the half, IU managed just six field goals and 29 percent shooting in the second stanza, losing 65-56. In 1997, IU entered the tourney as the eighth seed, facing No. 9 seed Michigan. IU defeated Michigan 72-54 to advance to the quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Purdue. The Hoosiers upset the Boilermakers 61-54 to move on to the semi-finals where Indiana, playing its third game in three days,fell to eventual tournament champion Iowa 87-53. As a ninth seed in 1996, the Hoosiers dropped their first game of the tourney to No. 8 seeded Illinois 66-52. In 1995, Indiana earned a first-round bye as the fifth seed. The Hoosiers defeated Northwestern 77-75 to advance to the semifinals where they lost to eventual tourney champ Penn State 72-64.
THE HOOSIER RECORD - Indiana closed out the regular season portion of its schedule with a 13-17 overall record and a 2-14 mark in league play for a share of last place with Minnesota in the Big Ten standings. For the Hoosiers, it was their poorest conference showing in the program's history.
THIRTY SOMETHING - Prior to entering the Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers have already played 30 games this season, including a string of four games in four days in November, and another three games in three days in December. In addition, the Hoosiers played in four nonconference tournaments which included a trip to the Final Four of the preseason WNIT Tournament. Stamina should not present a problem for the Hoosiers if they make it to the finals of the Big Ten Tournament - they've been there, they've done it.
TALE OF TWO SEASONS - After cruising to an impressive 11-3 nonconference record with victories over Cincinnati, Southwest Missouri State, Western Kentucky and Vanderbilt, the Hoosiers have lost 14 of their last 16 games. Indiana is currently looking to snap a string of nine-straight losses.
LEADERBOARD - The Hoosiers are currently paced by scoring leader Cindy Kerns who is averaging 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Kerns has led the Hoosiers in scoring in 13 games this season, including the last five straight. Jill Chapman and Kay Morgan follow, averaging 13.6 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. As a team, IU is averaging 71.8 points and 36.6 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. Indiana's opponents are averaging 73.6 points and 40.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field.
HEAD COACH JIM IZARD - Head Coach Jim Izard is in his 11th season at the helm of the Indiana program where he owns a 178-140 (.560) overall record and a 79-111 (.416) mark in the Big Ten Conference. As Indiana's all-time winningest coach, Izard has guided his teams to nine winning seasons, two NCAA post-season tournament appearances, a runner-up finish in the NWIT post-season tournament and most recently, a trip to the Final Four of the WNIT last season. His 17-year career record stands at 341-189 (.643).
FACING MICHIGAN STATE - The Spartans ended the regular season in an eighth-place tie with Michigan in the final league standings. Entering Friday's game, MSU holds a 14-12 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the Big Ten. The Spartans completed league play Feb. 18 with a 85-46 loss at Ohio State. Guard Maxann Reese leads her squad, averaging 17.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Forwards Kristen Rasmussen and Becky Cummings are also averaging double-digits with 15.8 and 11.4 scoring averages apiece, respectively. As a team, Michigan State is averaging 69.6 points and 36.7 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. MSU is coached by league veteran Karen Langeland who is in her 23rd season with the Spartan program and carries a 354-276 career and school record. The Series: Michigan State holds the lead in the all-time series 24-17. The two schools faced off only once this season with the Spartans winning 86-69 in Assembly Hall Feb. 5. Cindy Kerns led IU with 19 points and 15 rebounds in the game while MSU's Kristen Rasmussen scored a game-high 22 points.
QUARTERFINALS - If the Hoosiers should advance to the quarterfinals, they will meet No. 15 Penn State who is the No. 2 seed with a 20-6 overall record and 12-4 Big Ten mark.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE - Despite posting its poorest showing in league play with a 2-14, 10th place Big Ten finish, Indiana still managed to rank among the nations best in the latest NCAA women's basketball statistics released Feb. 17. Currently, the Hoosiers rank 17th in the nation in 3-point field goal shooting, averaging 6.2 treys per game. Leading the way for the Hoosiers is junior Kay Morgan who has netted 68 shots from downtown.
HER BEST FOR LAST - Playing in her final regular season Big Ten game last Sunday, senior Cindy Kerns exploded for a career-high 37 points, connecting on 15 of 26 shots rom the field and 4 of 7 from behind the 3-point arc. In her scoring frenzy, the 6-2 forward became the first Hoosier in over a decade to score 32 or more points in a game. Her 37 points left her just three shy of the school record set by Karna Abram (40 points) in 1987.
LET'S MAKE IT A TRIO - With seniors Dani Thrush and Kristi Green garnering their 1,000th career points last weekend, senior Cindy Kerns could make it a trio if she scores 24 points this weekend. Currently Kerns has 976 career points.
NO LONGER A FRESHMAN - After playing 30 games, rookie guard Heather Cassady probably doesn't considers herself a freshman any longer and her recent play is evident of that fact. In the Hoosiers' final two regular season league games, the 5-6 Cassady came off the bench against Northwestern to play 34 minutes, scoring 10 points and adding two rebounds, two assists and a career-high five steals. Two days later, against Michigan, Cassady played a season-high 35 minutes, scoring seven points and dishing out a career-best seven assists. For the season, she is averaging 4.4 points and 2.0 assists per game.
MORGAN SHOOTS FOR RECORD - Junior Kay Morgan is just two 3-pointers shy of breaking the school mark for 3-point field goals made in a season. Currently the 5-6 guard leads the Big Ten with 68 treys. Former Hoosier Kris McGrade holds the record with 69 3-pointers made during the 1991-92 season.
TWO FOR 1,000 - Heading into their final weekend of league play, seniors Dani Thrush and Kristi Green were 11 and 10 points, respectively, short of 1,000 career points. Thrush reached the milestone against Northwestern on Feb. 19, while Green, who led the nation in free throw percentage a year ago, fittingly scored her 1,000 career point on two free throws at Michigan Feb. 21. Thrush currently has 1,011 career points to rank 13th all-time on the IU scoring charts while Green boasts 1,002 points to rank 15th.
CLIMBING THE CHART - Dani Thrush is also making her way up the school's career assists record chart. Currently, Thrush has 397 career assists to rank second all-time. Thrush would need 136 more assists to take over the top spot which is currently held by Tisha Hill (1989-92). The 5-9 senior is averaging 4.9 assists per game and has posted double-doubles for assists and points four times and for points and rebounds once. Only Penn State's Helen Darling has more double-doubles for assists and points in a game this season with eight.
February 22, 1999
HOOSIERS 10th SEED IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Indiana to play seventh-seeded Michigan State
1999 Big Ten ConferenceWomen's Basketball Tournament Friday-Monday, February 26-March 1
RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Ind.
First Round -- Friday, Feb. 26
Game 1 -- #8 Iowa (12-14) vs. #9 Northwestern (11-15) -- 4 p.m.
Game 2 -- #7 Michigan State (14-12) vs. #10 Indiana (13-17) -- 6 p.m.
Game 3 -- #6 Michigan (16-10) vs. #11 Minnesota (7-19) -- 8 p.m.
Quarterfinals -- Saturday, Feb. 27
Game 4 -- #4 Wisconsin (14-12) vs. #5 Ohio State (16-10) -- 11 a.m.
Game 5 -- #1 Purdue (25-1) vs. Game 1 Winner -- 1 p.m.
Game 6 -- #2 Penn State (20-6) vs. Game 2 Winner -- 4:30 p.m.
Game 7 -- #3 Illinois (16-10) vs. Game 3 Winner -- 25 minutes after Game 6
Semifinals -- Sunday, Feb. 28
Game 8 -- Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner -- 1 p.m.
Game 9 -- Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner -- 25 minutes after Game 8
Championship -- Monday, Mar. 1
Game 10 -- Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner -- 7:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals and semifinals televised by Fox Sports Chicago
Championship game televised by ESPN2
Times are Eastern Standard
