Indiana University Athletics
#IUWBB Game 17 Preview: at No. 23 Minnesota
1/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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GAME 17
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THE OPENING TIP
The Hoosiers will hit the road for three of their next four games beginning on Sunday, Jan. 18 at Minnesota at 3 p.m. ET inside Williams Arena. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Stephanie White on the call. The contest can also be heard on IUHoosiers.com with Greg Murray behind the microphone.
DID YOU KNOW?
• The Hoosiers and Gophers split their meetings a year ago as the home team won each time they met. IU topped Minnesota in Assembly Hall in overtime, 83-78, on Jan. 19, 2014. The Gophers returned the favor topping Indiana in Williams Arena on Feb. 27, 2014, 73-62.
• So far in 2014-15, all but two points of IU's point production have come from either freshmen or sophomores, accounting for 99.8 percent of Indiana's total points this year.
• The Hoosiers have hit 121 3-point field goals through 16 games this year, just ahead of last year's record-setting pace when Indiana hit a program record 259 3-point field goals (2nd best total in Big Ten history). Last year through 16 games, IU hit 112 3-pointers.
• For the sixth time this year, five Indiana players scored in double figures in the win over Wisconsin last time out as Larryn Brooks, Tyra Buss, Amanda Cahill and Jess Walter all tallied 11 points with Karlee McBride adding 10.
• The last time an IU team had five players score in double figures in six games in the same season was 1997-98
• In 12 contests this year, the Hoosier bench has outscored its opponent's, including a 21-2 edge in the Wisconsin game.
• IU shot 18-of-20 (90 percent) from the free throw line in the win over the Badgers, marking the first time an Indiana team has hit 90 percent or better from the free throw line on 20 or more attempts in a game since Jan. 6, 2013 vs. Northwestern (18-of-20).
• Cahill has five double-doubles on the year, the most for an Indiana player since 2008-09 (Whitney Thomas, 10). She has scored in double figures 12 times this season and has had 10 or more boards in eight contests.
• Walter has scored in double figures in each of the last three games. In her last seven games, Walter averaged 10.1 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from 3-point range and 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
• Buss leads all freshmen nationally in steals (2.9 spg) and is tied for 21st overall. She leads the team in steals and scoring (12.5 ppg) while adding 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
THE COACHES
Indiana
Teri Moren
Career Record: 211-134 (12th year)
Indiana record: 12-4 (1st year)
Minnesota
Marlene Stollings
Career Record: 65-44 (4th year)
Minnesota Record: 15-2 (1st year)
MINNESOTA AT A GLANCE
Despite losing Rachel Banham, the preseason pick as Big Ten Player of the year, the Gophers have thrived as Amanda Zahui and Kelley Shae have stepped up in her absence. Zahui averages a double-double with 16.4 ppg and 11.5 rpg on the season to go along with a conference-leading 4.1 bpg. In Big Ten play only, Zahui is tallying 18.4 ppg and 13.8 rpg. Shae is tallying 17.8 ppg in Big Ten play, and for the year averages 16.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg. Carlie Wagner is also scoring in double figures (10.1 ppg) as Shayne Mullaney gets the offense going as she dishes for 5.1 apg. The Gophers lead the Big Ten in rebounding (44.4 rpg) and are third in blocks (6.1 bpg). Minnesota is coming off a road win at Ohio State where the Gophers topped the Buckeyes, 76-72.
YOUNG GUNS GETTING IT DONE
So far in 2014-15, all but two points of Indiana's point production have come from either freshmen or sophomores. The first and second-year players have accounted for 99.8 percent of IU's point production this season. The same can be said about nearly every statistical category as Hoosier freshmen and sophomores have accounted for all but 22 total minutes played this season. IU has had four freshmen, six sophomores and one walk-on senior see playing time this year. Due to injuries, no juniors have played yet this season for Indiana.
ROAD TRIP HOOSIERS
Indiana will play three of its next four contests on the road beginning with back-to-back games at Minnesota on Jan. 18 and then at Penn State on Jan. 22. IU will host Maryland on Jan. 25 before heading to East Lansing to take on Michigan State on Jan. 28.
This week begins a stretch where the Hoosiers end the regular season playing eight of 13 contests away from Assembly Hall. That includes the final stretch of games where IU plays four out of five contests on the road to end the regular season schedule. Indiana is one of four Big Ten schools that have a five-game span with four on the road along with Illinois, Iowa and Purdue.
NOTING THE WIN OVER WISCONSIN
• Against Wisconsin, five Indiana players scored in double figures for the sixth time this year including Larryn Brooks (11), Tyra Buss (11), Amanda Cahill (11), Jess Walter (11) and Karlee McBride (10).
• The Hoosier bench outscored Wisconsin's 21-2, marking the 12th game this year in which IU's reserves have outscored the opponent's.
• The Indiana defense forced Wisconsin into 21 turnovers, marking the fourth time this season that IU has forced 20 or more opponent turnovers.
• The Hoosiers outscored the Badgers 23-10 in points off turnovers.
• Indiana connected on 18-of-20 free throws to shoot a season-high 90 percent for the game. It marks the first time an IU team has hit 90 percent or better from the free throw line on 20 or more attempts in a game since hitting 18-of-20 against Northwestern on Jan. 6, 2013.
• In her first start of the season, sophomore Alexis Gassion skied for a career-high 16 rebounds. She also added seven points, two blocks, a steal and an assist.
CLIMBING TO THE CA-HILL TOP
Freshman Amanda Cahill has recorded five double-doubles this year, the most by an Indiana player in a single year since 2008-09 (Whitney Thomas, 10). Against No. 24 Michigan State on Dec. 31, Cahill finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 6-of-7 from the field in that game to notch her fifth double-double.
For the year, Cahill is averaging 11.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field. Cahill has scored in double figures in 12 games this year and has collected 10 rebounds or more in eight contests to become the first player with eight games of 10+ rebounds in the same season since Thomas in 2008-09.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Land phone lines are thing of the past, but the Hoosiers are still dialing long distance in 2014-15. IU has hit 121 3-point field goals through 16 games this year, just ahead of last year's record-setting pace when Indiana hit a program record 259 3-point field goals (2nd best total in Big Ten history). Last year through 16 games, IU hit 112 3-pointers. The Hoosiers are connecting on 7.6 3-point field goals per game (2nd in B1G). In three games this year, IU has connected on 10 or more 3-pointers.
THE BUSS IS ROLLING
Freshman Tyra Buss has scored in double-figures in 12 games this season and currently leads the team in scoring (12.5 ppg) and steals (2.9 spg), while adding 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Buss leads all freshmen nationally in steals and is tied for 21st overall. The Mt. Carmel, Ill., native has had three or more steals in eight games and has totaled 46 steals so far this year. Her 46 thefts are the most by an Indiana player since 2010-11 (Jori Davis, 52).
Twice this year, Buss has earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors (Nov. 17, Nov. 24). She became the first IU player to ever receive Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on consecutive occasions and the second Hoosier to earn the award twice in the same season (Larryn Brooks, 2013-14). Buss became the first Indiana player to earn conference weekly laurels in back-to-back weeks since Cyndi Valentin was named Big Ten Player of the Week two straight times in 2005-06.
WALTER IS GOING ON
Freshman Jess Walter continues to improve as her rookie year progresses. She has scored in double figures in each of the last three games. In her last seven games, Walter averaged 10.1 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent (15-of-33) from 3-point range and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. She made her first career start last time out vs. Wisconsin.
For the year, Walter is averaging 7.4 points per game off the bench for the Hoosiers. She has scored in double figures in six games this season and is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the free throw line.
LARRYN LIGHTING IT UP
Indiana sophomore Larryn Brooks continues to be a leader for the Hoosiers. For the year, Brooks has scored in double figures in 12 contests and is averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 assists (9th in B1G), 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Brooks was one of four IU players to lead the team with 11 points against Wisconsin on Jan. 11.
Brooks had one of the most productive seasons by any freshman in the history of the program last year. She broke the IU freshman scoring record, tallying 554 points (7th on school single season list), breaking a 34-year-old freshman record held by Dorothy Reffel who scored 454 points in 1979-80. She was the first freshman in program history to ever eclipse 500 points in a season. Brooks also set freshman marks for 3-pointers made with 67 (T-4th), assists with 154 (3rd) and free throws made with 129. Brooks led the Hoosiers in scoring (16.3 ppg), field goals made (179), 3-point field goals made, 3-point field goal percentage (.379), free throws made, free throw percentage (.832) and assists.
Brooks earned Second Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors last season. She was the first Hoosier to earn second team all-conference honors since 2011 (Jori Davis) and just the fifth freshman ever at IU to be named to the conference's all-freshman squad and the first since 2006 (Whitney Thomas).
JENN BECOMING A GEM
After averaging just 6.5 minutes per game in 16 appearances a year ago, sophomore Jenn Anderson has started in each game this year and has made her presence known so far in 2014-15. In IU's win over No. 24 Michigan State, Anderson led Indiana with 19 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. She also took three charges in the game.
Anderson is third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage as she is shooting 56.9 percent while averaging 9.9 points per game. She has scored in double-figures in eight games this year.
MICROWAVE MCBRIDE
Sophomore Karlee McBride has stepped up her game in 2014-15 as she leads Indiana's bench in scoring with 7.7 points per game. McBride has scored in double figures six times, including 10 points against Wisconsin on Jan. 11. She has tallied a career-high 15 points twice this season and has hit multiple 3-point field goals in five contests.
Media Contact: Ryan Sheets, rmsheets@indiana.edu
