Indiana University Athletics
IU Prepares for No. 11/11 Michigan State
1/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
• Michigan State leads the all-time series over Indiana, 30-21, with the series being tied at 12 apiece when playing in Bloomington. Last season, the Hoosiers dropped both games to the Spartans, with a, 59-41 loss defeat in East Lansing and a, 60-51, loss at home. In addition, MSU has won the last four-straight meetings against Indiana.
• Sophomore center Sarah McKay returned to the Hoosier line-up last game vs. Illinois after having sat out the last five games due to a knee injury.
MICHIGAN STATE AT A GLANCE
The No. 11/11 Michigan State Spartans come into Sunday's game with an overall mark of 17-3 and a 6-2 record in conference action. MSU most recently defeated Purdue, 71-58 on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Senior Lindsay Bowen, a preseason All-Big Team selection as chosen by the coaches, leads the Spartans in scoring with 15.0 ppg, which also ranks 11th in the conference. Two other Spartans join her in double-figures as junior Liz Shimek (14.5) and senior Kelli Roehrig (14.4) are assets to MSU's offense. Additionally, Roehrig leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (3.90 per game) and is second in rebounding overall (9.2 rpg). Senior Kristin Haynie leads the Big Ten in steals (3.44 per game) and stands in at second in assists (5.22 per game).
Michigan State heads the conference in steals with 210 on the year (10.50 per game). The Spartans also lead the way in offensive rebounds with an average of 16.45 per contest.
Head Coach JoAnne P. McCallie is in the midst of her fifth season at the helm of Michigan State. During her tenure, she has racked up an overall record of 85-55. McCallie arrived at MSU after spending eight years as the head coach at the University of Maine. During her tenure with the Black Bears, McCallie guided Maine to a record of 167-73 and six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
VALENTIN NETS 1,000TH CAREER POINT
On Jan. 20, vs. then-No. 3/4 Ohio State, junior Cyndi Valentin became the 19th player in Indiana history to score 1,000 career points and just the ninth to do so during her junior year. The Bloomington, Ind., native currently sits at 16th overall in the all-time scoring list with 1,036 career points. Valentin needs 52 points to move into the 15th place on the all-time scoring list.
Senior Jenny DeMuth was the last Hoosier to achieve this accomplishment when she scored her 1,000th career point last year on Feb. 19, 2004 against Michigan State.
DYNAMIC DEFENSE
There is a lot that can be said about IU's defensive efforts. The Hoosiers are notorious for holding some of the top teams in the nation to low scoring. The Ohio State match-up on Jan. 20, was a perfect example of this, as Indiana held the Buckeyes, to just 52 points, its lowest scoring effort of the season. Prior to Thursday's game, OSU was averaging 76.0 ppg.
Indiana's stifling defense has put them near the top of three categories among Big Ten Conference teams. The Hoosiers rank first in field goal percentage defense (334-940/.355) and three-point field goal percent defense (52-197/.264). In addition, IU ranks second in scoring defense, as it has limited opponents to an average of 52.6 points per game over the course of 18 games. Not only do IU's defensive efforts rank high in the conference, the Hoosiers have also made it on to the national scene as their scoring defense and field-goal percent defense rank 11th and 24th, respectively.
On only two occasions (12/10 Maine and 1/23 Michigan) the Hoosiers allowed a team to score more than its average. In every other game, IU's defense has forced teams to score well below its normal average of points per game.
MCKAY BACK IN ACTION
Sophomore Sarah McKay is back in the Hoosier line-up after having sat out the last five games due to a knee injury she sustained on Jan. 2 vs. Minnesota. The Victoria, BC., native saw nine minutes of action against Illinois on Jan. 27 in Champaign.
The Hoosiers struggled without the play of their 6-foot-7 center, as they only averaged 43.8 points per game over the course of that five-game stretch.
MARK THE DATE NOW
February 20, 2005 will be a big day for Hoosier women's basketball. Indiana hosts Purdue at 2 p.m., but the rivalry is hardly the story. When the Hoosiers and Boilermakers tangle, fans will have an opportunity to help fight cancer simply by showing up.
In honor of IU women's basketball fans, Vera Bradley Designs will donate $10,000 for breast cancer research if the Hoosiers 'Pack the Hall' with 10,000 people.
NEXT GAME
The Hoosiers will remain at home to take on Wisconsin on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m (EST) at Assembly Hall. The game can be heard locally on WHCC (105.1) with Jeremy Gray calling all of the action. Live stats will also be available on iuhoosiers.com.
