Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Travel to Purdue (2-25-03)
2/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
February 25, 2003
Hoosiers Hope To Shock Boilers
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• Purdue Game Notes CLICK HERE! • Player Notes CLICK HERE!
Valentin Makes Indiana History
Freshman guard Cyndi Valentin became the first Indiana freshman ever to record 250 points, sink 25 three-pointers and record 30 steals in a season when she drained a three-pointer in the second half against Michigan.
Branson Questionable vs. Purdue
Freshman starting forward Brigett Branson sprained her right ankle against Wisconsin on Jan. 16 and subsequently missed Indiana's next game against Northwestern. Branson returned for the Hoosiers' game at home against Michigan, only to leave the contest for good after playing only six minutes. She is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Purdue.
Titan Series Matchup
The Indiana women's basketball team (11-13 overall, 4-10 Big Ten) heads to Mackey Arena to battle Purdue (21-5 overall; 10-4 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Half of a Titan Series point will be at stake in the contest, as Purdue claimed the first half with a 53-51 win over the Hoosiers at the RCA Dome earlier in the year.
Thursday's game can be heard live on WHCC Radio 105.1 in Bloomington with Jeremy Gray calling all the action.
The broadcast can be 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 Purdue game.
What Is The Titan Series?
The Titan Series is an all-sports competition between Indiana and Purdue that lasts throughout the school year. Indiana won the inaugural Titan Series last year.
Each sport is worth one point to an overall title. Saturday's game will be worth a half-point, with the February 27 meeting in West Lafayette worth the other half.
Updating The Titan Series
Going into Thursday's game, Indiana owns a 5.5-4.0 advantage over Purdue in the Titan Series.
Series History
The Hoosiers and Boilermakers have met 54 times through the years, with Purdue owning a 32-22 all-time series advantage.
Purdue won the last meeting between the two teams, edging the Hoosiers by a 53-51 margin at the RCA Dome earlier this year in a non-Big Ten game.
Purdue has held a significant advantage over the Hoosiers since 1987, compiling a 28-4 record over Indiana in that time.
Kathi Bennett has compiled a 1-5 record against the Boilermakers since taking over at the helm of the Indiana program in 2000.
Series at a Glance
Series Record Purdue leads, 32-22
In Bloomington Purdue leads, 14-9
In West Lafayette Purdue leads, 15-8
At Neutral Sites Indiana leads, 5-3
In Kathi Bennett Era Purdue leads, 5-1
Last Indiana Win 3/2/02, Indiana-55, Purdue-41
Last Purdue Win 12/14/02, Purdue-53, Indiana-51
Current Streak Purdue has won 10 of last 11
Ranked Teams Beware
Although history may not be on Indiana's side for Thursday's game, it bears mentioning that under Kathi Bennett, Indiana has defeated two top-10 teams, three top-15 teams and six top-25 teams. IU is 4-3 in its last seven games vs. ranked Big Ten teams.
Bennett's Pocketbook Takes A Hit
Indiana head coach Kathi Bennett made a pledge to donate $5,000 of her own money to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation if the Hoosiers set a new single-game attendance record when they hosted Wisconsin on January 24.
The existing record of 5,503 fans was shattered in the contest, as 7,986 people came through the gates for the game.
Indiana's Finest
Thursday's matchup pits some of the top high school talent from the state of Indiana this past year. The Hoosier roster features 2002 Indiana All-Stars Cyndi Valentin (Bloomington South HS) and Brigett Branson (Turkey Run HS), who teamed up with Purdue's Carol Duncan, Sharika Webb and Missy Taylor on the Indiana All-Star team.
Former Indiana All-Stars Playing
Purdue
Mary Jo Noon (Jeffersonville HS, 1998)
Brianna Howard (Southwestern HS, 2002)
Carol Duncan (NorthWood HS, 2002)
Sharika Webb (Cathedral HS, 2002)
Indiana
Kristen Bodine (Martinsville HS, 1998)
Jill Hartman (Evansville Memorial HS, 1999)
Jenny DeMuth (Highland HS, 2001)
Brigett Branson (Turkey Run HS, 2002)
Cyndi Valentin (Bloomington South HS, 2002)
Hoosiers Break Attendance Record
The Hoosiers set a new average attendance record this year. Indiana averages 2,136 fans per home game, far above the existing record of 1,449 fans per game set in 1997-98.
When Indiana drew 2,058 fans to its game against Michigan, it established a new single-season total attendance record. 23,499 fans have seen the Hoosiers play at home this year (11 games). The existing record for most total fans at home came in 1997-98, when 23,184 fans came through the gates (16 games).
The Hoosiers still have one home game remaining (March 2 vs. Illinois).
Defense Tops Big Ten
Kathi Bennett is a coach that stresses defense, and her Hoosiers have responded. Indiana leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal defense, limiting the opposition to .390 shooting from the field and .294 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Hoosiers rank third in the conference in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to only 61.5 points per game.
Last Game
Indiana is coming off a 75-64 loss to Michigan at Assembly Hall last Sunday.
The Hoosiers got out to a fast start at 8-0, but Michigan went into the locker room at halftime up 33-26 and went on to keep IU at arm's length in the second half to claim its first road win of the year.
Wrapping Up The Michigan Game
• Lisa Eckart led Indiana with 22 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point land.
• Cyndi Valentin added 11 points, but no other Hoosier had more than eight points.
• Brigett Branson did not start after suffering a sprained ankle against Wisconsin the week prior. She left the Michigan game after playing only six minutes and did not return.
Valentin A Name To Remember
Indiana freshman guard Cyndi Valentin has shined more than any freshman guard since Linda Cunningham in 1983.
Valentin averages 10.8 points per game, which is the second-highest mark ever for a freshman guard at Indiana behind Cunningham's 11.2 average in 1983.
Among the 17 members of Indiana's 1,000-point club, only seven averaged more than 10.8 points per game as a freshman.
Valentin's three 20+ scoring games are the most ever for a freshman guard at Indiana, and her 23-point showing against Wisconsin ties her with current teammate Jill Hartman for the school record for points by a freshman guard.
Don't Look Now, But...
At this same point last year, the Hoosiers had an identical 11-13 record. Indiana then went on a six-game winning streak that included three wins over ranked opponents and a Big Ten Tournament championship.
Adventures In Free Throw Shooting
Free throw shooting has been a very real problem for the Hoosiers all year, as they rank 11th in the Big Ten with a .668 team percentage.
Mathematically, poor free throw shooting has cost the Hoosiers five games this year
Bloomington is Watching
Indiana has always been at or near the bottom of the Big Ten in home attendance, but the Hoosiers are starting to get hometown support that they have not gotten in the past.
The Hoosiers have seen 21,441 fans come through the gates of Assembly Hall this year in their 10 home games (2,144 average).
Indiana's current attendance figure is a significant improvement over the entire history of the program, as the Hoosiers have only broken the 20,000 fan plateau for a season twice.
Indiana has never averaged more than 2,000 fans per game during a season.
The Hoosiers have established three of the top eight single-game attendance marks in school history this year, setting a school record on January 24 when 7,986 fans saw the Hoosiers host Wisconsin.
Top Ten Single-Game Attendance Records
1) 7,986 vs. Wisconsin 1/24/03
2) 5,503 vs. Purdue 1/29/1999
3) 5,003 vs. Purdue 1/25/1998
4) 3,867 vs. Minnesota 2/9/03
5) 3,414 vs. Purdue 1/7/2001
6) 3,213 vs. Michigan 1/16/1998
7) 3,004 vs. Ohio State 1/31/1997
8) 2,845 vs. Ohio State 1/12/2003
9) 2,728 vs. Purdue 3/6/1992
10) 2,569 vs. Purdue 2/10/1995
Eckart Lighting It Up
Senior forward Lisa Eckart has sunk 10 of her last 15 three-point attempts over the last two games. The Greenwood, Ind., native was 5-for-7 against Northwestern and 5-for-8 against Michigan. Prior to her recent outburst, no IU player had drained five three-pointers in a game all year.
Recruiting Class Ranked
Indiana's incoming crop of freshmen has been tabbed as a top-25 recruiting class by All-Star Girls Report recruiting service.
The Hoosier crop was ranked 23rd nationally and is headlined by Indianapolis native Carrie Smith (Brebeuf Jesuit) and by 6'7 Canadian Sarah McKay.
Monroeville native Leah Enterline (Heritage HS) also joins the class, along with Lincoln, Neb., product Jamey Chapman and Minneapolis' Annika Boyd.
All Good Things Must End
Cyndi Valentin's streak of 25 consecutive made free throws came to an end in State College when she missed the second of her two free throws in the second half of Indiana's loss to Penn State. Valentin's streak stands as an Indiana freshman record and is the second-best mark for any player ever at IU.
Longest Free-Throw Streaks at Indiana
1) Kristi Green (1998) - 31 consecutive
2) Cyndi Valentin (2003) - 25 consecutive
3) Jenny DeMuth (2002) - 18 consecutive
3) Lisa Furlin (1993) - 18 consecutive
5) Kristi Green (1996-97) - 14 consecutive
6) Kali Kullberg (2002) - 12 consecutive
Indiana's Comebacks
The Hoosiers have trailed in the second half in six of their 11 wins this year. Here is a look at IU's largest comebacks this season.
Ball State-67, Indiana-62 with 4:03 remaining W, 103-95 (2 OT)
Northwestern-31, Indiana-23 with 19:28 remaining W, 62-52
Ohio State-41, Indiana-31 with 9:05 remaining W, 54-50
Northwestern-49, Indiana-39 with 1:51 remaining L, 54-50
Michigan-45, Indiana-29 with 16:50 remaining L, 71-68
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 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.
Who's It Going To Come From?
Scoring punch has come from several different sources this year.
Against Iowa, Kristen Bodine became the fourth different Hoosier this year to score more than 20 points in a game, joining Jenny DeMuth, Lisa Eckart and Cyndi Valentin.
Five different Hoosiers have scored 17 or more points in a game this year, with eight players reaching double figures.
On top of that, four different Hoosiers have posted double-doubles this year and eight different Hoosiers have led the team in scoring in a game this year.
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.
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.
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.
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 this year's roster, is 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.
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/ Women's BasketballMonday, August 17
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Thursday, August 13
Wednesday, August 12