Indiana University Athletics
IU Takes on No. 7/7 Ohio State on Sunday
2/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2006
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HOOSIER HEADLINES
• Indiana (12-9, 6-4) is set to take on No. 7/7 Ohio State (17-2, 8-1) for the second time this season on Sunday, Feb. 5 in Bloomington. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. and can be heard locally on WHCC-FM 105.1 with Jeremy Gray calling all the action. Indianapolis based WXLW-AM 950 will also pick up the game, and fans can follow the game on Gametracker at IUHOOSIERS.com.
• This will be the 58th meeting between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes, with OSU holding a 38-19 advantage in the all-time series. Ohio State won the first meeting this season, 60-50, in Columbus on Jan. 19.
• Jenny DeMuth is four steals shy of breaking the school record for career steals (210). The senior guard/forward currently has 207.
OHIO STATE AT A GLANCE
No. 7/7 Ohio State comes in to Sunday, Feb. 5 matchup against the Hoosiers sporting a 17-2 record overall and a 8-1 mark in conference play. OSU is on an eight-game winning streak and its only conference loss of the season came to Purdue on Jan. 1.
Junior center Jessica Davenport, who is also the conference's leading scorer and rebounder, averages 18.9 ppg and 9.4 rpg, respectively. The Columbus, Ohio, native earned back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Week accolades for the week of Jan. 16 and Jan. 23. Joining her in the double-digit scoring category are junior guard Brandie Hoskins (11.6) and sophomore guard Marscilla Packer (10.4)
The Scarlet and Gray rank first in seven different categories among Big Ten teams (Scoring Defense: 50.8), (Scoring Margin: +21.9), (FG-Percentage: .489), (Rebounding Defense: 32.7), (Assists: 19.16 per game), (Assist/TO Ratio: 1.34), and (Turnover Margin: +6.16). In addition, Ohio State ranks second in the nation in scoring defense and third in assists.
Head coach Jim Foster is in his fourth season at the helm of Ohio State. The Abington, Pa., native has racked up an overall record of 594-252 in his 27 years as a head coach, including a 90-27 ledger with the Buckeyes. With coaching stints at Vanderbilt (1991-2002) and St. Joseph's (Pa.) (1978-1991), Foster and his squads have made 20 postseason appearances, including two consecutive second-round appearances in the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Tournaments.
WHAT IT MEANS
An Indiana win would...
• Mark its seventh Big Ten win of the 2005-06 season. The Hoosiers have not won seven conference games since the 2001-02 season.
•Be its fourth conference home win this year.
•Be its first win over a Top-25 team since Jan. 12, 2003, when it defeated then-No. 23 Ohio State, 54-50 in Bloomington
DEMUTH ON VERGE OF ANOTHER IU RECORD
With the career free-throws record (473) under her belt, senior Jenny DeMuth has her eye on another school record, as she is just four steals away from breaking the career steals mark. Currently DeMuth has 207 steals. Former IU standout and current Youngstown state head coach, Tisha Hill (1989-92) holds the record now with 210 steals. DeMuth is the only Hoosier that even ranks among the top five in both categories (free throws and steals.)
FIFTY PERCENT FROM THE FLOOR
For the first time this season, Indiana shot better then 50 percent from the floor when the Hoosiers defeated Wisconsin on Feb. 2 in Madison. IU went 24-44 from the field on the night (54.5 percent). In looking at IU's last three games, seniors Jenny DeMuth, Cyndi Valentin and Brigett Branson have each been averaging over 50 percent from the floor. Branson is 2-of-2 (1.000 percent), DeMuth is 21-of-36 (58.3 percent) and Valentin is 20-of-39 (51.3 percent).
BETTER IN THE BIG TEN
With its 71-64 defeat over Wisconsin on Feb. 2, Indiana picked up its sixth conference win of the season, which is three more then IU had last year. The Hoosiers won four Big Ten games in 2003-04 ,five in 2002-03 and eight in 2001-02. It's highest conference win total (15) was during the 1982-83 season. IU's four Big Ten losses this year have all been against ranked teams.
CONFERENCE STATS
Through 10 conference games, Indiana has made its mark among the top five of nine categories among Big Ten teams. IU ranks first in rebounding defense (32.8), second in field goal percent defense (.378), scoring defense (57.0), third in three-point field goal percentage (.301), steals (9.20), fourth in defensive rebounds (24.10) and fifth in scoring margin (+5.0) turnover margin (+1.10), and rebounding margin (+2.0).
COUNT ON CYNDI
With eight 20-plus point scoring performances under her belt this season, Valentin currently has 26, 20-plus scoring performances to her name, which ranks third in school history. Indiana's all-time leading scorer, Denise Jackson, has the most in school history with 36. Valentin also ranks third for most 20-plus scoring performances in a single season behind Jackson's 16 in 1982-83 and Rachelle Bostic's 12 in 1983-84 Valentin is accustomed to putting up a bulk of Indiana's points, as she was the only Hoosier to score 20 points or more in a single game during 2004-05. She posted a total of seven 20-plus point efforts throughout the year.
THE CYNDI AND JENNY SHOW
The tandem of Cyndi Valentin (17.7) and Jenny DeMuth (14.5) is currently the highest scoring duo in the Big Ten, as they combine for 32.2 points per game. No other school in the conference has two athletes that rank among top-10 scorers.Valentin has led the Hoosiers in scoring 13 times this season, while DeMuth has held the honor five times.
ALUMNI WELCOMED BACK ON SUNDAY
Sunday's game is "Alumni Day". Several former IU women's basketball player will be in attendance and will be honored at half time. There will also be a reception prior to the game for the players and their families.
NEXT GAME
Indiana is back in action on Thursday, Feb. 9 when it hosts Penn State at Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall. Tipoff with the Lady Lions is set for 7 p.m. (EST) and can be heard locally on WHCC-FM 105.1, with Jeremy Gray calling all the action. Fans can also follow the game on Gametracker on IUHOOSIERS.com.
