Indiana University Athletics
IU and Northwestern Meet Thursday in WNIT
3/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 26, 2014
| INDIANA (20-12) vs. NORTHWESTERN (17-15) | |
| Date | March 27, 2014 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| Location | Bloomington, Ind. (Assembly Hall) |
| Radio | WHCC 105.1 FM | Listen Online Jeremy Gray, play-by-play |
| Live Web Broadcast | Big Ten Digital Network |
| Tickets | IUHoosiers.com |
| Game Notes | Indiana Notes | Northwestern Notes |
| Internet Coverage | Gametracker |
| Twitter | @IndianaWBB | @CurtMillerIUWBB |
| WNIT | WNIT Information |
THE OPENING TIP
Indiana hosts Northwestern in the third round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) on Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m. ET in Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers and Wildcats meet for the second time this season. The game can be heard on WHCC 105.1 FM with Jeremy on the call and watched on the Big Ten Digital Network which can be accessed at IUHoosiers.com/AllAccess.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Indiana is making its seventh WNIT appearance in program history and its first since 2009.
• With the win over Marquette, the Hoosiers won their 20th game of the season, marking just the sixth time in program history an Indiana team has won 20 or more games and the first since 2008-09. The school record for single season wins is 21 which has been accomplished four times.
• Head coach Curt Miller has won 20 or more games in 10 of the last 11 seasons and during that stretch has averaged 24 wins per year.
• Miller is one of eight finalist for Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year after being named Regional Coach of the Year for Region 6 on March 26. It is Miller's fifth time to earn WBCA Regional Coach of the Year honors.
• This year marks Miller's ninth national postseason tournament appearance as a head coach and his first at Indiana. All nine appearances have occurred in the last 10 seasons. Miller earned five NCAA Tournament berths at Bowling Green (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011) and now has four WNIT appearances (2008, 2009, 2012, 2014).
• Since the NCAA Tournament began play in 1983, this year marks IU's 11th appearance in a national postseason tournament, including four NCAA Tournament appearances (1983, 1994, 1995, 2002), seven WNIT appearances (1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014) and one NWIT appearance (1991). Prior to the NCAA Tournament, IU appeared in an AIAW Final Four (1973) and two AIAW Elite Eights (1972, 1974).
• This season marks the 17th year for the WNIT as the first tournament was played in 1998 with 16 teams and has since expanded to 64 teams.
• The Hoosiers own an 10-6 record all-time in WNIT games, playing in the semifinals once (1998) and playing into the quarterfinals twice (2006, 2009).
• Indiana has hosted eight WNIT contests in Assembly Hall and are 7-1 in those games.
• IU owns a 13-4 record this season at home in Assembly Hall, marking the most home wins for an Indiana team since the 1997-98 season.
• The Hoosiers are averaging crowds of 2,687 per game in Assembly Hall so far this season through 17 contests. If the season ended today, that total would set a new attendance record for Indiana women's basketball by over 250 people per game.
• Indiana added to its school record and has now totaled 240 3-point field goals on the season. That total ranks third all-time in Big Ten history for most 3-point field goals made in a single season.
• Larryn Brooks has tallied 511 points this year to add to her IU freshman record. She is the first Hoosier freshman to ever score over 500 points and her point total ranks ninth all-time at Indiana for most points in a single season.
THE COACHES
Indiana
Curt Miller
Career Record: 289-123 (13th year)
Indiana record: 31-31 (2nd year)
Northwestern
Joe McKeown
Career Record: 596-274 (28th year)
Northwestern Record: 87-100 (6th year)
NORTHWESTERN AT A GLANCE
Northwestern had success the last time it was in Bloomington when the Wildcats defeated Indiana on Jan. 30, 58-52. NU defeated IUPUI, 88-52, to earn its spot in the round of 16 of the WNIT. The Wildcats average 6.7 blocks per game as a team, disrupting shots all season. Four players score in double figures led by freshman Nia Coffey with 15.3 ppg. Coffey also paces the team in rebounds with 8.2 rpg and is second in blocks (1.8 bpg) and steals (1.6 spg). Maggie Lyon scores 13.5 ppg and leads the team in 3-pointers made (64). Freshman Christen Inman and sophomore Lauren Douglas each tally 11.9 ppg. Douglas shoots nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc and grabs 5.1 rpg. Inman shoots a team-best 49.3 percent from the field. Freshman Ashley Dreary paces the team in assists (6.2 apg) and steals (2.1 spg) while scoring 6.7 ppg.
FIRST POSTSEASON VICTORIES SINCE 2009
With Indiana's back-to-back wins over Belmont (first round) and Marquette (second round) in this year's WNIT, it marks the first time since 2009 that the Hoosiers have won two postseason tournament games in the same season. During the 2009 WNIT, IU took down Dayton and Bowling Green in its first two games of the tournament that year.
INDIANA IN THE POSTSEASON
Indiana women's basketball is in a postseason national tournament for the first time since 2009. Since the NCAA began its tournament in 1983, the Hoosiers have made 11 postseason appearances playing in four NCAA Tournaments (1983, 1994, 1995, 2002), one NWIT (1991) and is now in its seventh WNIT (1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014). IU also played in an AIAW Final Four in 1973 and made it to two AIAW Elite Eights (1972, 1974). The Hoosiers now own an 10-6 record all-time in WNIT games and are 7-1 at home in WNIT play.
MILLER IN THE POSTSEASON
Indiana head coach Curt Miller is making his ninth postseason appearance in the last 10 years as a head coach and his first since taking over the helm of the IU program. Thursday's game will be Miller's 15th national postseason game as a head coach. Prior to arriving in Bloomington, Miller led Bowling Green State University to eight postseason tournaments, including five NCAA Tournament appearances (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011) and three WNIT appearances (2008, 2009, 2012). His 2006-07 team beat Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament to become the first-ever MAC women's team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the national tourney.
MILLER NAMED FINALIST FOR RUSSELL ATHLETICS/WBCA NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Curt Miller has been named the 2014 Russell Athletic/WBCA NCAA Division I Regional Coach of the Year for Region 6 as announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Wednesday. With the regional recognition, Miller becomes one of eight finalists for National Coach of the Year. Miller earns his fifth WBCA Regional Coach of the Year honor as he also earned the recognition during his head coaching tenure at Bowling Green State University in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2012. Other region winners in 2014 include Geno Auriemma of Connecticut (Region 1), Muffet McGraw of Notre Dame (Region 2), Dawn Staley of South Carolina (Region 3), Jennifer Roos of Bowling Green (Region 4), Kim Mulkey of Baylor (Region 5), Ryun Williams of Colorado State (Region 7) and Scott Rueck of Oregon State (Region 8).
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 20
The Hoosiers currently have an 20-12 record this season. Including this year's team, only six times in program history has an IU team won 20 or more games in a season and this year's 20 wins ties for the second highest total of wins for a single year in program history. Indiana needs one more win to tie the school record for most victories in a single season.
CLOSE CALLS HAVE BEEN KIND
With Indiana's 72-69 triumph over Marquette in the second round of the WNIT on March 22, IU improved to 6-1 in games this year that were decided by five points or less. The Hoosiers defeated IPFW on Nov. 12 (85-80), Indiana State on Nov. 15 (57-54), No. 22/23 Iowa on Jan. 2 (86-84), Minnesota on Jan. 19 (83-78 OT) and Belmont on March 20 (48-47) with the only setback in those close games coming at Wisconsin on Jan 15 (65-60).
THE MILLER EFFECT
With Indiana's 20 wins this year, Curt Miller has won 20 or more contests in 10 of his last 11 seasons as a head coach and during that span has averaged 24 victories per season (268 wins total). In less than two years, Miller has taken an Indiana program that won just 15 games in the two years prior to his arrival to 31 wins since he became head coach at IU. The Hoosiers went 6-24 in 2011-12 and 9-20 in 2010-11. Under Miller, IU won 11 games last year and is currently 20-12 this season.
HOME SWEET HOME
With the win over Marquette on March 22, the Hoosiers improved to a 13-4 record in Assembly Hall this season, the program's most home wins in a single year since 1997-98. In IU's 17 home games this year, the Hoosiers have outscored their opponents by 153 total points for a plus-9.0 scoring margin while averaging 73.4 points per game inside of Assembly Hall.
MOST 3-POINTERS MADE IN SCHOOL HISTORY
With a Brooks 3-point field goal at the 7:27 mark of the second half against Illinois on Feb. 22, Indiana broke the program single season record for most 3-point field goals made in a season. IU has now hit 240 3-pointers this year. That total ranks third all-time in the Big Ten for most 3-pointers made in a season. It marks just the second time in school history that an Indiana team has hit more than 200 3-pointers in a season and it breaks the previous record of 204 made 3-point field goals in 1997-98. Indiana's 131 made 3-point field goals in Big Ten Play only ranks second all-time in conference history for most 3-pointers made in league games only.
In three games this season, the Hoosiers have connected on 12 3-point field goals which ties for the second most 3-pointers made in a single game in school history. Prior to this season, only three times ever in the history of the program had an IU team hit 12 or more 3-pointers in a game. Indiana leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goals made per game (7.5). Ten times this year, IU has connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in a game. In Big Ten games only, the Hoosiers hit 8.2 3-point field goals per game. IU ended the regular season conference schedule hitting a combined 54 more 3-pointers than its Big Ten opponents.
2013-14 HOOSIERS MAKING MARKS IN SCHOOL RECORD BOOK
Along with the most 3-point field goals made, the 2013-14 Hoosiers are starting to climb the IU record book in other team categories. Indiana's 2,239 points scored so far this year ranks fourth in program history for most points in a single season as a team, as does Indiana's 1,265 rebounds as a team. IU's 34.0 3-point field goal percentage would rank as the third-best 3-point percentage as a team in school history. Indiana needs just two more field goals to crack into the top six in program history for most field goals made in a single year as the team has hit 802 this season. Indiana has attempted 705 3-point field goals this year (a program record) and has made 1,965 total field goal attempts which is the fourth-highest attempts in a season ever.
This year's Hoosiers have also made their mark in a few single game categories in the Indiana record book. IU's 107 points scored at Cleveland State are the second-most points scored ever in a single game in program history. The Hoosiers also had 27 assists in that game which ties for the third most ever at IU for a single game. When Indiana hit 12 3-pointers on three occasions this year (Saint Louis 11/25, Minnesota 1/19, at Illinois 2/2), that total tied for second for most 3-point field goals made in a game.
BEST FRESHMEN SCORERS IN THE BIG TEN
Indiana's freshman class has combined to score 1,359 points so far this season which leads all Big Ten freshman classes in 2013-14. IU rookies have accounted for 60.7 percent of the total points scored so far this year, the best percentage for a group of freshmen in the conference.
LARRYN LIGHTING IT UP
Freshman Larryn Brooks has had a stellar start to her Indiana career as she earned Second Team All-Big Ten and conference All-Freshman honors.
With a free throw with 48 seconds left at Minnesota on Feb. 27, Brooks broke the IU freshman scoring record which was held for 34 years. She now has 511 points this season as she surpassed Dorothy Reffel's 454 points scored as a freshman in 1979-80. Brooks also holds the school freshman record for free throws made in a season with 119. She is second among all-time IU freshmen in 3-pointers made with 60 makes from beyond the arc and in assists by an IU freshman with 146.
Her season points, 3-pointers made and assists totals have also cracked the top 10 among all IU players for a single season. Brooks is the first freshman to score over 500 points and her 511 points ranks ninth all-time at Indiana for a single season. Her assist total ties for fifth and her 3-pointers made ranks seventh.
The Richmond, Ky., native has also set three IU freshman single game records this season:
• The first being her 37 points in the win over Virginia Tech on Dec. 4. Brooks shot 11-of-23 from the field, with four 3-point field goals and went 11-of-11 from the free throw line. She shattered a freshman record which stood for over 32 years and was held by Indiana's all-time career leading scorer, Denise Jackson, as she tallied 32 points against Michigan State on Feb. 13, 1981. The 37 points ties for the fifth best scoring game overall in IU history, the best output since Cindy Kerns scored 37 in 1999 and is the most points scored by any Big Ten player this season.
• She also set a freshman school mark hitting 7-of-9 3-point field goals against Milwaukee on Dec. 11, which also ties for the third-most made all-time in a single game at Indiana. She finished with 27 points in that game.
• Brooks dished for 10 assists two times against Minnesota on Jan. 19 and at Illinois on Feb. 2, which set a freshman record for most assists in a single game.
MEETING MILESTONES
• IU's 20 victories ties for the second highest total number of wins in program history as the school record for most wins is 21 (1978-79, 1980-81, 1997-98, 2008-09).
• This year's team is just the sixth in program history to win 20 or more games in a single season.
• The 20 wins this season are the most for the program in a single season since the 2008-09 campaign (21-11) and is nine more wins than IU had a year ago.
• Indiana more than doubled its Big Ten win total from a year ago.
• IU's five Big Ten wins are the most for the program in a single year since the 2009-10 season.
• The 14-0 record to begin the 2013-14 season was the best start ever in program history.
• IU's 14-game winning streak was the longest ever in school history.
• The Hoosiers were one of the last four remaining undefeated teams in the country and was the final Big Ten team with an unblemished record.
HIT THE GASSION PEDAL
Freshman Alexis Gassion has shown her development as a player as of late. Over her last 11 games, she has averaged 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. During that span she scored in double figures seven times, hit three or more 3-point field goals six times, had three or more steals three times, collected nine or more rebounds four times and had at least a block in eight of those games.
In the win over Marquette last time out, Gassion finished with 11 points with four assists, four rebounds, a block and a steal while shooting 3-of-6 from long distance. She hit a clutch pair of free throws with five seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory for Indiana. For the season, she is averaging 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and has scored in double figures 11 times.
LET'S GO GERARDOT
Senior transfer Tabitha Gerardot has been a solid contributor in her first year in an IU uniform. She is second on the team averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She has scored in double-figures in 12 games this year, including a season high 22 points vs. Michigan on Feb. 22 to go along with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Gerardot enrolled at Indiana after spending the last three seasons at Valparaiso University. The Ft. Wayne, Ind., native earned her undergraduate degree from Valpo in three years. She is working on her master's degree in linguistics after earning undergraduate degrees in French and Spanish. Gerardot is fluent in five languages.
The 6-1 Gerardot led the Crusaders in scoring in each of her last two seasons and averaged a near double-double last year with 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. She shot 47.4 percent during her junior season from the field and over 34 percent from beyond the arc on her way to earning Second Team All-Horizon League honors. Over her three years at Valpo, Gerardot appeared in every single game for the Crusaders and started in 91 of 93 contests to compile 1,215 career points while bringing in 723 career rebounds.
TAYLOR MADE HOOSIER
Freshman guard Taylor Agler has started every game of her young Hoosier career and has been a key part to IU's success the entire year. She has scored in double figure points in eight games this year, including five during Big Ten play. She has connected on 45 3-point field goals this year, which ranks her third among IU freshman for a single season behind teammate Larryn Brooks. She has hit three or more 3-point field goals six times in 2013-14.
Agler has twice scored 20 or more points this year as she tallied a career high 21 points at Iowa on Jan. 25 while nailing a career best 6-of-8 3-point field goals to go along with three assists and a steal. In the overtime win against Minnesota on Jan. 19, Agler scored 20 points with seven rebounds and hit four 3-pointers. For the year, Agler is averaging 7.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting 36.3 percent from 3-point range.
SENIOR SIMONE
Senior Simone Deloach has been key down the stretch for IU. In her last 13 games she is averaging 8.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52.0 percent from the field. During that stretch, she has had two double-doubles and for the year has achieved four double-doubles. Last time out in the win over Marquette, Deloach tallied 10 points with seven boards, three assists, a block and a steal while shooting 5-of-8 from the field. Against Illinois on Feb. 22, Deloach tied her career high of 14 points to go along with eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal while shooting 6-of-8 from the field. Against Penn State on Feb. 13, Deloach finished with 13 points and had a career-high tying 15 rebounds with two blocks and a steal. In the win over Wisconsin on Feb. 8, Deloach tied her career high with 14 points to go along with 14 rebounds and a career-best tying four assists.
For the year, Deloach leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game and is averaging 6.3 points per game, both career highs in those categories. In Big Ten games only, the Round Rock, Texas, native averaged 7.0 points per game and finished ninth in the conference with 7.1 boards per contest during league play.
