IU To Host Illinois (2-28-03)

2/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

News Update

February 27, 2003

Seniors Look To Go Out In Style

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 Illinois 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.

Senior Day
Indiana seniors Jill Hartman, Allison Skapin, Kristen Bodine, Lisa Eckart and Khisha Asubuhi will all be recognized after Sunday's game against the Illini, as they are all making their final appearance in front of the Assembly Hall fans.
Hartman and Skapin are the only two four-year seniors, with Hartman setting a school record for single-season three-point shooting in her sophomore year, draining 15-of-24 attempts from beyond the arc that year (.625 pct.)
Bodine, Eckart and Asubuhi all transferred to Indiana, with Bodine coming from Butler after spending two seasons with the Bulldogs, Eckart coming to IU after three seasons at Evansville and Asubuhi joining the team after beginning her career at Ohio University before transferring to Cincinnati State and then Indiana.

Senior Day Fun Fact
Last year's Senior Day went down as one of the most emotional days in the history of Indiana women's basketball. Head Coach Kathi Bennett made her return to the sidelines for the first time after being involved in an automobile accident to lead the Hoosiers to a 74-52 win over Northwestern.
When senior Jill Chapman was addressing the crowd with a thank-you speech after the game, boyfriend Cody Daily proposed to her. Chapman accepted and the couple married late in the summer.

Hometown Heroes
In addition to the Senior Day festivities, Bodine, Hartman and Eckart will all be recognized with displays in the South Lobby of Assembly Hall honoring them as "Hometown Heroes".

Series History
Indiana and Illinois have met 46 times in the past, with Indiana owning a 25-21 all-time advantage. Illinois has dominated the series recently, winning 11 of the last 13 meetings.

Series at a Glance
Series Record Indiana leads, 25-21
In Bloomington 14-6
In Champaign Illinois leads, 13-9
At Neutral Sites Tied, 2-2
In Kathi Bennett Era Illinois leads, 2-1
Last Indiana Win 2/21/02 in Champaign, 70-66
Last Illinois Win 1/2/03 in Champaign, 63-58
Current Streak Illinois has won 11 of last 13

When We Last Met
The Hoosiers opened their Big Ten season in Champaign with a 63-58 loss to the Illini. Illinois started the game with an 11-3 run, which was erased when the Hoosiers went on to finish the first half with a 30-11 run.
The second half went back and forth, but the physical inside play of Cindy Dallas (15 points, 16 rebounds) and the long-range shooting from Jere Issenmann (14 points on 4-of-9 three point shooting, including the final dagger: a three-pointer from the corner with 39 seconds left) was too much for Indiana to overcome.
The Hoosiers played well enough to get the road win, but 5-of-13 shooting from the free-throw line in a five-point game proved to be costly.

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.

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).

Top-10 Season Attendance Average (Total/Games)
Year Avg./Game Total Att./Games
1) 2002-03 2,136 23,499/11 games
2) 1997-98 1,449 23,184/ 16 games
3) 1998-99 1,340 21,444/ 16 games
4) 2001-02 1,178 15,318 /13 games
5) 2000-01 1,115 15,606/ 14 games
6) 1994-95 1,080 16,204/ 15 games
7) 1996-97 1,076 15,060/ 15 games
8) 1993-94 952 13,328/ 14 games
9) 1995-96 874 13,105/ 15 games
10) 1992-93 770 10,774/ 14 games

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 .389 shooting from the field and .297 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Hoosiers rank fourth in the conference in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to only 62.0 points per game.

Last Game
Indiana is coming off a 74-48 loss to Purdue at Mackey Arena. The loss was the Hoosiers' 10th in their last 12 games this season.

Wrapping Up The Purdue Game
 Purdue retained the Barn Burner trophy for the fifth consecutive year. The Boilermakers hold an 8-2 all-time series advantage in the Battle for the Barn Burner.

 Indiana's loss ensured that Purdue gained a full Titan Series point in the sport of women's basketball (the Boilers also beat Indiana on December 14 at the RCA Dome). Indiana's lead in the Titan Series was cut to 5.5-4.5.

 Freshman point guard Kali Kullberg suited up for the first time since tearing her ACL in practice on December 17. She did not play against the Boilermakers, but was in uniform for the first time after missing 16 games.

 Also on the injury front, Brigett Branson is yet to recover from the second-degree ankle sprain she sustained at Wisconsin, playing only two minutes against Purdue. She has played a combined total of eight minutes in the three games since the injury.

 Indiana's starting guards (Kristen Bodine and Cyndi Valentin) were a combined 6-for-15 from the field against Purdue.

 The key to Thursday's game at Purdue was the Boilermakers' ability to get to the free throw line. The Hoosiers allowed the Boilers to shoot 31 free throws, which is the highest figure for any opponent during a regulation game this year. Purdue made more free throws (27) than field goals (22).

 The 19 turnovers committed by Indiana was the most since the Hoosiers turned the ball over 19 times against Michigan State on January 26.

 The Hoosiers were held without a field goal for the last 5:09 of the game.

 Lisa Eckart, fresh off a 22-point effort against Michigan and a 19-point performance against Northwestern in her last two games, was held to two points (her least vs. a Big Ten opponent this year).

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 single-game school record for points by a freshman guard.

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

Date Indiana FT Outcome, Score
2/20 vs. Northwestern 10-for-17 L, 50-46
2/9 vs. No. 15/16 Minnesota 10-for-19 L, 59-56
1/24 vs. Wisconsin 11-for-25 L, 69-58
1/2 vs. Illinois 5-for-13 L, 63-58
12/14 vs. No. 6/6Purdue 10-for-23 L, 53-51

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 17 three-point attempts over the last three 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.