Indiana University Athletics
IU To Face Michigan State (1-15-03)
1/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
January 15, 2002
Bennett Looks To Stay Perfect vs. Spartans
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Bennett Issues $5,000 Challenge
Kathi Bennett wants to establish a new single-game attendance record at Indiana, and she is putting her money where her mouth is.
The Indiana women's basketball coach will pledge $5,000 of her own money to the Wabash Valley affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer if the Hoosiers break their existing attendance record of 5,503 when they host Wisconsin at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24 at Assembly Hall.
High school and middle school girls' basketball programs throughout the state of Indiana have been invited to attend this game compliments of IU Athletics.
Back To Breslin
The Indiana women's basketball team (9-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) looks for its third straight win and its fifth win in its last six games when it heads to East Lansing to face Michigan State (8-6 overall; 1-2 Big Ten)
The game can be heard live on the radio on 105.1 WHCC Radio in Bloomington, with Jeremy Gray calling all the action.
The broadcast can also be accessed live by visiting iuhoosiers.com, then going to the women's basketball schedule page. Once on the schedule page, click on the "listen live" icon for the Michigan State game.
Bennett Undefeated vs. Spartans
Since taking over the head coaching job at Indiana, Kathi Bennett has never lost to Michigan State, compiling a perfect 4-0 record over the Spartans.
Michigan State had won seven of the last nine meetings over Indiana prior to Bennett's arrival.
Series History
The Hoosiers have controlled the series lately, winning four straight over Michigan State. Prior to Kathi Bennett's arrival, the Hoosiers had never won more than three in a row over the Spartans.
In a series that dates back to 1972-73, Michigan State enjoys a 26-21 all-time advantage.
Recent Series History
Indiana claimed a pair of wins over Michigan State last year, including a narrow 50-47 win over the Spartans in the Breslin Center. That victory marked the third Indiana win over Michigan State in the last four meetings in East Lansing.
The last two meetings between the Hoosiers and Spartans played at the Breslin Center have been decided by three points or less.
Just Going Out And Winning Games
Indiana has won three straight and four of its last five.
In the last five games, the Hoosiers have not posted overly dominant statistics, but have still found a way to win.
The average scoring margin per game during this span is only 4.6 points, the Hoosiers have actually been outrebounded, 38.8 to 38.6, and IU has committed 18.6 turnovers per game.
DeMuth, Valentin The Key
Jenny DeMuth and Cyndi Valentin have ignited Indiana's recent hot stretch.
In the last five games, DeMuth has averaged 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while Valentin has contributed with 12.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest.
During that span, DeMuth has shot .517 from the field, while Valentin is a perfect 14-for-14 from the free-throw line.
DeMuth Shines vs. Big Ten
Sophomore guard Jenny DeMuth, the lone starter back from last year's team, is quickly coming into her own against tough competition.
In fact, her numbers are better against Big Ten opponents than they are overall.
The Highland, Ind., product is averaging 18.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in Big Ten play...numbers that are up from her 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game overall.
DeMuth has a team-high six blocked shots against Big Ten opponents and has led the Hoosiers in scoring in each of their three Big Ten games.
Valentin Has Made Last 15...And Counting
Freshman guard and Bloomington native Cyndi Valentin has drained her last 15 free throws over the last six games.
Earlier in the season, Jenny DeMuth sunk 17 straight and Kali Kullberg drained 12 in a row.
Bennett A Giant Killer
Indiana defeated No. 23 Ohio State, 54-50 at Assembly Hall in its last game.
Kathi Bennett has made a habit of beating ranked teams during her time at Indiana, claiming two wins over top-10 teams, three wins over top-15 teams and six wins over top-25 teams.
IU is 4-1 in its last five games against ranked Big Ten teams.
Fans Starting To Notice
2,845 fans came through the gates of Assembly Hall to watch the Hoosiers upset the Buckeyes last week. That figure is the sixth-highest single-game total ever at Indiana.
Top Ten Single-Game Attendance Records
5,503 vs. Purdue 1/29/1999
5,003 vs. Purdue 1/25/1998
3,414 vs. Purdue 1/7/2001
3,213 vs. Michigan 1/16/1998
3,004 vs. Ohio State 1/31/1997
2,845 vs. Ohio State 1/12/2003
2,728 vs. Purdue 3/6/1992
2,569 vs. Purdue 2/10/1995
2,268 vs. Ohio State 2/18/1996
2,190 vs. Iowa 2/7/1999
Attendance A Hot Topic Lately
With the good turnout for the Ohio State game and Kathi Bennett pledging $5,000 of her own money to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer if the Hoosiers break the all-time mark, here are some key attendance notes to look at regarding Indiana...
* The Hoosiers average 1,274 fans per home game. The Big Ten average is 3,504 and will only go up now that the conference season is starting.
* Last year, Indiana averaged 1,178 fans at home. The Big Ten average was 4,347.
* Over the last 10 years, Indiana has averaged 1,055 fans at home. The Big Ten average over that same span is 3,737.
* Over the last four years, Indiana has averaged 1,088 fans per game. The Big Ten average over that same span is 4,313.
Don't Count Them Out
Indiana has erased large second-half deficits in each of its last two games, coming back from 10 points down with 9:05 remaining to upset No. 23 Ohio State last Sunday. In the Hoosiers' game against Northwestern three days earlier, they erased a seven-point halftime deficit to win, 62-52.
The Hoosiers have trailed in the second half in five of their nine wins this year.
More About Indiana's Comebacks
Opponent Score/Time Remaining Result
Ball State BSU-67, IND-62/4:03 left W, 103-95 (2 OT)
Northwestern NU-31, IND-23/19:28 left W, 62-52
Ohio State OSU-41, IND-31/9:05 left W, 54-50
Valentin A Star In The Making
Bloomington native Cyndi Valentin averages 10.3 points per game going into Sunday's contest against Ohio State.
Valentin would become only the 15th player in school history to average a double-figure scoring mark in her freshman year and the first since Jill Chapman averaged 14.2 points per game in 1998-99.
Kullberg Named Athlete Of The Year
Freshman point guard Kali Kullberg was named as the Orono Sun-Sailor's Athlete of the Year for 2002.
The Orono, Minnesota, native finished her career at Orono High School as the all-time leading scorer in school history (either boys or girls), despite playing with two broken wrists during her junior season.
Kullberg is out for the year after tearing her ACL in practice on December 17.
Defense Tops Big Ten
Kathi Bennett is a coach that stresses defense, and her Hoosiers have responded. Indiana leads the Big Ten in both field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal defense, limiting the opposition to .341 shooting from the field and .259 shooting from beyond the arc.
In addition, the Hoosiers rank second in the conference behind only Ohio State in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to only 58.0 points per game.
Who's It Going To Come From?
One of the best things that Kathi Bennett has had to work with this year is the fact that scoring punch has come from several different sources this year.
Against Illinois State, Cyndi Valentin became the third different Hoosier this year to score more than 20 points in a game, joining Jenny DeMuth and Lisa Eckart.
Five different Hoosiers have scored 17 or more points in a game this year, with seven players reaching double figures.
On top of that, four different Hoosiers have posted double-doubles this year.
Freshmen Starting Every Time Out
Indiana head coach Kathi Bennett has started a true freshman in every game this year.
Power forward Brigett Branson got the start against Wofford, Ball State and Eastern Kentucky, with center Angela Hawkins getting into the starting lineup for the first time against Nevada and starting every game since.
Kali Kullberg made her first collegiate start against North Texas, then came back to start against Purdue before tearing her ACL in practice and being forced to the sidelines.
Cyndi Valentin climbed into the starting lineup against South Florida, and is possibly the most explosive player of the bunch.
Indiana's Freshmen This Year
Indiana is a team that relies heavily on freshmen. There are a total of five true freshmen on the roster. Four of Indiana's freshmen (Brigett Branson, Angela Hawkins, Kali Kullberg and Cyndi Valentin) have already been in the starting lineup this year, with Branson becoming the first true freshman to start her debut since current Detroit Shock player Jill Chapman in 1998.
Scoring By Class
Class (# of Players) PPG RPG APG
Seniors (5) 25.3 12.7 7.0
Juniors (1) 1.4 2.9 0.3
Sophomores (2) 15.4 7.2 2.8
Freshmen (5) 22.9 16.9 2.3
Bennett Coaches 400th
When the Hoosiers faced Illinois on January 2, it marked the 400th game of Kathi Bennett's career as a head coach.
In her 15 years as a head coach, she has won a Division III National Championship, a Big Ten Tournament Title, seven conference championships, made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and has five 20-win seasons to her credit.
Bitten By The Injury Bug
Starting guard Kali Kullberg went down in practice on December 17 with a torn ACL and is out for the season. She underwent surgery on December 30, and will not be able to take a medical redshirt, as she played in too many games to qualify.
With Kullberg now out of the lineup, head coach Kathi Bennett is faced with the daunting task of coaching with only one point guard on her roster (Kristen Bodine, who tore her ACL last year and is still not quite at 100 percent herself).
Earlier in the season, junior LeeAnn Stephenson also suffered a torn ACL in practice. The quickest player on the Indiana roster, Stephenson underwent surgery and is redshirting the season.
Amazing But True
With the ACL injuries to both Kullberg and Stephenson, Indiana has seen three point guards go down with torn ACLs in a span of just over 12 months.
Kathi Bennett, whose playing career ended with a knee injury of her own, has seen injuries become a recurring theme during her time at Indiana.
Player Year Injury Result
Kali Kullberg 2002 Torn ACL Surgery
LeeAnn Stephenson 2002 Torn ACL Surgery
Lisa Eckart 2002 Ruptured Disk in Back Surgery
Kristen Bodine 2001 Torn ACL Surgery
Jamie Gathing 2000-02 Various Knee Injuries Surgery
Bennett Second-Fastest to 40
Indiana head coach Kathi Bennett picked up her 40th win at the helm of the Hoosier program when Indiana handed Eastern Kentucky a 61-49 defeat on November 25.
Having reached the 40-win mark in her 65th game as the head coach of the Hoosiers, she became the second-fastest to 40 wins in Indiana history.
Fastest to 40 wins at Indiana
1) Bea Gorton (1971-76) 46 games
2) Kathi Bennett (2000-present) 65 games
3) Jim Izard (1988-2000) 71 games
4) Maryalyce Jeremiah (1980-85) 73 games
5) Joy Malcholdi (1976-80) 82 games
Road Weary
The Hoosiers logged some serious miles during the nonconference portion of the schedule. After opening the season at home, Indiana traveled to Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout. The Hoosiers then visited Tallahassee, Fla., to battle Florida State before returning home to host Georgetown. The Hoosiers concluded their odyssey by traveling to Denton, Texas to do battle with North Texas.
The Hoosiers traveled 5,662 miles to and from Anchorage, then 1,596 miles to and from Tallahassee, only to travel an additional 1,788 miles to and from Denton. All tolled, Indiana covered 9,046 miles over a span of 18 days.
Capitalizing From The Line
The Hoosiers attempted a season-high 40 free-throws against Georgetown, draining 30.
The 40 free-throw attempts marked the second-highest single-game total in school history.
DeMuth Sets School Record
Sophomore guard Jenny DeMuth set a new school record in the Hoosiers' 103-95 win over Ball State by draining all 14 of her free-throw attempts in the contest.
The prior record was held by Lisa Furlin, who went 12-for-12 in a game against Wisconsin in 1993.
Denise Jackson holds the school record for total free throws made in a game with 15.
Kullberg From the Line
Freshman guard Kali Kullberg's 12-for-12 effort from the free-throw line against Georgetown was one of the best single-game performances from the free-throw line in school history.
She became only the third player ever at Indiana to have converted on all of her free-throw attempts (min. 12) in a game (Lisa Furlin in 1993 and Jenny DeMuth earlier this year).
All-Tournament
Both Jenny DeMuth and Kristen Bodine earned All-Tournament team honors at the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
DeMuth averaged 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in the two games in Anchorage, including a 26-point, seven-rebound performance in the championship game.
Bodine averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 assists in the two games, including a 17-point showing against Eastern Kentucky.
Making Their Mark
This year's Hoosiers have already marked up the record books.
In IU's 103-95 win over Ball State on November 23, the Hoosiers tied the single-game team record for assists with 29, led by Kristen Bodine. Bodine had 12 assists in the contest, a mark that tied her for third place on the school's single-game chart for an individual.
Indiana's 103 points in that contest tied for the second-highest single-game outburst, behind the 110 points the Hoosiers put on the board against Alabama-Birmingham in 1991.
World Traveler
Indiana's travel situation in the early part of the season may seem a bit much, but it is nothing new to senior forward Jill Hartman. Hartman toured Europe this past summer as a member of the Big Ten All-Star team that compiled a perfect 5-0 record.
Home Grown Hoosiers
Since taking over at the helm of the Indiana program prior to the 2000-01 season, Kathi Bennett has made a point of bringing in some of the top talent from the state of Indiana. On the current roster, Bennett has brought in the runner-up for the state's 2001 Miss Basketball award (Jenny DeMuth) and four Indiana All-Stars (DeMuth, Kristen Bodine, Brigett Branson and Cyndi Valentin.)
Valentin's Day
Freshman Cyndi Valentin made quite an impression in her first go-around in front of the Indiana faithful. The local product from Bloomington South High School won the three-point shooting contest at Midnight Madness in front of over 12,000 fans at Assembly Hall.
Valentin emerged from the women's half of the bracket by edging Kristen Bodine, then defeated men's champion Ryan Tapak in the event final.
What's Next
Indiana continues it swing up north when it battles Michigan at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.
The game can be heard live in Bloomington on 105.1 WHCC Radio with Jeremy Gray calling all the action.
Fans outside of Bloomington can listen to the game by logging on to iuhoosiers.com, then going to the women's basketball homepage and clicking on "Listen Live" on the women's basketball schedule page.
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