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(04/23/01 5:41am)
The headache started on Turn 2 of the 10th lap.\nIt never ended.\nPhi Gamma Delta, besieged with mechanical malfunctions and messy crashes sputtered through the 200-lap men's Little 500 race, finishing in 13th place, its worst showing since 1993.\n"It was a long day," senior and rider Todd Cornelius said. "But it's just a bike race."\nThe Fijis popped three chains, tangled in two wrecks and were stalled by a 10-second penalty. Midway through the race, the team which has finished second the past two years and won the race six times was left to ride with the pack, stay to the outside and mind its business. By race's end, the four Fiji riders, speckled in black cinders from the Bill Armstrong Stadium track, looked tired. \nAnd crushed. \n"It's disappointing as hell," sophomore and rider Adam Shields said. "We knew we could race with (the leaders)." \nIt started when Cornelius' Mongoose bicycle ran over a Sigma Nu rider after the Sigma Nu rider lost his groove on the 10th lap, a crash that also involved No. 2 qualifier Delta Chi. Cornelius was able to return to racing, but was nearly a half-lap down to Sigma Phi Epsilon, which led at that point.\nCornelius, riding the next 15 laps, was able to bring Fiji back into the lead pack. But a second crash on Lap 53 removed the Fijis from serious contention.\nFiji fell to the cinders for the second time between Turns 1 and 2, breaking a chain, forcing it to walk its bike around Turn 2 and down the back straightaway while Cornelius ran across the infield from Fiji's pit with a spare bike.\n"We were up there," Shields said. "But when the chain came off, we lost so much time just coasting."\nAlready a lap down, the Fijis were assessed a 10-second penalty for "creeping" on the field during the full-course caution that followed the Lap 53 incident. Now, they were down two laps, and left to ride alongside the leaders, instead of with them.\n"I don't think we completely showed up today," said Cornelius, who will return to ride next year."\nSeven laps later, with the penalty already served, Cornelius broke another chain heading into Turn 1. Already past the Fiji pit, Cornelius was helpless through the course's first two turns with his hands in the air, a frustrated signal to his pit. For the second time, a green-jerseyed rider was running across the infield in the aid of a teammate.\n"We had some bad luck, but that's part of it," said Fiji coach Troy Lewis. "You can train for everything in the world, but you can't train for that specific instance"
(04/20/01 5:04am)
It's your race. And the Indiana Daily Student is doing everything to bring it to you. \nWith its online partner, the Indiana Digital Student, the IDS is bringing the women's and men's Little 500 to your personal computer. As you might have already noticed, the Digital Student has launched a Little 500 site (www.idsnews.com/little500/), posting stories pertaining to the 33 men's and 30 women's teams. \nThe site also features an interactive tour of Bill Armstrong Stadium, the location of both races. Browsers can see where each of the 63 teams' pits are located, as well as the position of key officials. With the construction of a new grandstand and the removal of the old one, browsers can explore the new look of the track, including the move of the start/finish line. Jersey colors are also assigned to each team on the site, helping interested spectators find their teams in the circling herd of cyclists.\nBut that's just the beginning.\nIdsnews.com will be the home for Little 500 race day coverage. For alumni out of town and students stuck in the dorms, the site will provide live updates from the men's race and immediate posts from both events when the races are completed. Plans are also in the works to provide images from the track during the race, so fans can read -- and see -- the progress of their favorite team. Within seconds of the races' conclusion, browsers will know the winners of the 14th women's and the 51st men's Little 500. \nFrom there, 19 IDS staff members will hit the ground, providing audio interviews with the winners and other racers. Nine photographers will document the event through their lenses and eight reporters will present the race in text. Stories will be posted immediately.\nMonday, with the Little 500 over, the IDS print edition will back up its online coverage with in-depth analysis of this year's race, including perspectives from the racers.\nWhat started with a 1,400-word story by Little 500 men's beat reporter Guy Cipriano in February ends this weekend. Every racer's name has been in print on an IDS page. \nThe men's and women's winners will see it again Monday. Will you?
(04/19/01 4:41am)
Acacia rider and junior Kevin Vanes realized something after his first Little 500 race last year: "I needed to learn how to ride the bike."\nAs a rookie, Vanes was clueless about many of the intracasies that go along with the 200-lap race around the quarter-mile cinder track in Bill Armstrong Stadium.\n"I didn't realize how much work it would have to be," Vanes said. "I thought, 'I'm athletic, I could ride a bike.' But that's not how it is. Not at all."\nAfter the race ended with Acacia in 11th position, Vanes assessed his first try and constructed goals for the 2001 season.\nHigh on that list was to finish in the top five in Individual Time Trials.\nIt took a little work -- and a little growing up on the bike but Vanes met his goal, finishing third.\nNow he's working on another goal: winning the entire race. He'll get his chance starting from the 22nd spot Saturday afternoon.\n"We've trained really hard and our goal is to win this race," Vanes said. "We had a bad day on quals day. But we're going to put that behind us."\nBut after a poor qualification run, more than 18 seconds behind pole-sitting Phi Gamma Delta, Acacia and Vanes began to compete like they were expected to all along, Vanes said.\nVanes finished .44 seconds behind Fiji rider Todd Cornelius, finishing third in ITTs. He followed that up by making the semifinals of Miss-N-Outs. He pushes his Acacia teammates just as hard as he pushes himself.\n"He pushes everyone really hard, it gets aggravating sometimes but in the end it's all worth it," sophomore Tyler Burke said. "The bottom line is that we all trust him as the team leader and we know that he'll never let us down." \nVanes said he hopes he and his teammates can parlay that success to race day, where Acacia wants to make a quick start to avoid potential wrecks and climb toward the front. \n"As soon as you get to the outside, you can just haul ass straight to the front," Vanes said. "We have four very good riders who are capable of riding all day long in the lead.\n"Physically, you worked all year, you're not going to improve at this point, now it's a mental game. And that's what the race is going to boil down to. Who's mentally tough?"\nAlongside Vanes, Acacia features two other riders with Little 500 experience. Junior Kirk Habegger was a member of the 2000 Acacia team, while Burke rode for second-place finisher Ashton last season. The fourth member of the team is sophomore Ryan Brown, who has no previous race experience. \n"Tyler needed some direction, but he had a good base," Vanes said. "He knows what the race is like, which is a big help, we just had to focus him more on some details. He's working really hard."\nBurke said Vanes' help has been instrumental in his maturation as a rider.\n"Kevin taught me a lot about the technical aspects of riding and that riding smart is just as important as riding hard," Burke said. "Kevin is really admirable in that he leads by example. Anything he asks you to do he would do himself and twice as hard."\nAnd while Vanes has pushed his teammates, hoping for a top finish in this Saturday's race, he's pushed himself into the upper-crusts of Little 500 riders this season, Habegger said.\n"He has trained like a mdaman since last July and it is definitely paying off," Habegger said. "There is no shortcut or magic pills when it comes to success, just hard work"
(03/07/01 5:02am)
It's out of their hands.\nAfter 29 games, the Indiana women's basketball team rested its case for a NCAA tournament spot Friday with a loss to Iowa in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament.\nThe Hoosiers (19-10, 9-7 Big Ten) can now only wait and see if they are one of the 34 lucky teams chosen to fill the field Sunday.\nBut Friday's 81-76 loss to Iowa -- after holding a 19-point second half lead -- makes the Hoosiers anxious for Sunday's decision.\n"I really don't know," coach Kathi Bennett said about her team's NCAA chances. "I wish we would have taken care of business (against Iowa) and probably the Illinois game at our place. With those two wins, I'd feel pretty good. \n"We're a very good basketball team, and I think we proved that. Of course I'm going to say we deserve to get in … The Big Ten is tough. But did we do enough, I don't know."\nThe NCAA tournament features 64 teams vying in a single-elimination format for the Division-I national championship. Thirty teams are guaranteed a spot in the field based on conference championships. The other 34 teams are chosen by a 10-member selection committee.\nThe Hoosiers, who continue to practice this week, hope their resume impresses the panel that fills out the NCAA brackets.\nIf an NCAA bid alludes them, the Hoosiers would be eligible for the Women's National Invitation Tournament, a 32-team single-elimination tournament.\nBut the 'Big Dance' is the goal.\n"We have a really good chance of getting in," junior guard Heather Cassady said. "We just have to keep on getting better and get ready this week in practice."\nOne of the key factors for determining the 34 at-large bids is the Ratings Percentage Index, a mathematical consortium that ranks Division-I teams on a number of elements. The RPI, which has been used previously to aid the men's tournament selection process, was used for the first time last season to help fill the women's field.\nIn the RPI's first try, it correctly predicted 31 of the 34 at-large entries.\nWith one week to go, the Hoosiers are holding on to what appears to be the last at-large slot, according to the RPI. IU is ranked 50th in the index and is projected as an 11th seed in the NCAA tournament. It is the lowest-ranked at-large team in the RPI's 64-team field.\nBut even that doesn't assure the Hoosiers of anything.\nLast season, Wisconsin was ranked 51st in the season-ending RPI poll after a tough schedule and a .500 Big Ten record. Despite the prediction of an NCAA bid from the RPI, the Badgers were left out of the field and settled for a spot in the WNIT -- which they went on to win.\nPenn State coach Rene Portland believes the Big Ten's bottom four teams are bringing down the conference's nationwide stature and costing the Big Ten NCAA tournament teams.\n"I talk about it a lot, but I'm very concerned about the strength of our conference," Portland said. "The bottom four teams are scheduling for comfort, not competition. They're not helping this league."\nPortland said she thinks Ohio State, Northwestern, Michigan State and Minnesota's non-conference schedules are to blame for the Big Ten's fourth-place ranking among conferences by the RPI. That ranking will haunt the Lady Lions for seeding and other Big Ten hopefuls -- like IU -- for a NCAA berth, she said.\nOhio State coach Beth Burns defended her team's schedule, rated 130th in the nation by the RPI. \n"Everybody has to do what they feels is best for their team," Burns said. "We thought it would be important to build some confidence." \nBurns also said she scheduled UCLA -- riddled with problems this season -- but a team that went to the Sweet 16 last year. The Buckeyes started the year with 10 consecutive wins, eight coming against teams with RPI ratings above 165. \nOne of OSU's wins was a 94-32 romp against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who ranks 305 out of 316 Division-I schools, according to the RPI. \nIt's a sore subject for Portland. \n"We talk about it at every coaches meeting, but they don't seem to get the message," she said.\nMeanwhile, IU must put aside Friday's loss and the untimely dismissal of senior Rachael Honegger, and work this week like they're a tournament team.\n"We're just going to practice," McGinnis said. "And hope for the best"
(03/05/01 5:37am)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Junior forward Erin McGinnis had a career-high 27 points Friday in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal match-up with Iowa. McGinnis led the Hoosiers with six second-half field goals. \nBut the Hoosiers only had six second-half field goals.\nAfter its most productive first half of the season, IU collapsed in the second 20 minutes, falling to No. 23 and second-seeded Iowa 81-76.\nThe Hawkeyes went on to win the tournament, knocking off top-seeded and No. 8 Purdue in the finals 75-70. \nAfter playing the night before, the seventh-seeded Hoosiers tired down the stretch, coach Kathi Bennett said.\n"The fatigue caught up with us in the second half," Bennett said. "The closer the game got, the tighter we got, and the quicker we took shots."\nThe loss eliminates IU from the Big Ten tournament.\n"This was a test for us," Iowa guard Cara Consuegra said. "I told the team 'Let's see how we respond.' Well, we responded, and now we're rolling."\nThe Hoosiers (19-10, 9-7 Big Ten) controlled the tempo and the game in the first half, quieting the Iowa faithful and building an 18-point halftime lead.\nBut Iowa stormed back, collapsing on junior center Jill Chapman and slicing apart the Hoosier defense. Consuegra, a senior, led the Hawkeye attack with 19 points, including 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Guard junior Lindsey Meder added 20, despite foul trouble throughout the second half.\nThe Hawkeyes took over the game when the teams came out after halftime. \n"The momentum swung," Consuegra said. "Everyone in the arena could feel it."\nThe 18-point lead was down to seven just eight minutes into the second half. With 4:33 left, the game was tied.\n"They got us back on our heels," junior guard Heather Cassady said. "After they cut it down to 13, or 14, they kept coming at us harder and harder, and we kept falling back and falling back."\nA lay-up by Iowa senior center Randi Peterson with 2:27 left gave Iowa its first lead since the opening moments of the game. The Hawkeyes (18-9, 12-4) never trailed again. Peterson, despite foul trouble of her own, finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds.\nWith Peterson benched much of the second half, the Hawkeyes looked to Beatrice Bullock for some inside presence. In seven minutes, Bullock scored five points but was more than another scoring threat.\n"Beatrice played some crucial minutes," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. "We would not have won this game five games ago with Peterson in foul trouble like she was in tonight. Beatrice did a great job filling that role."\nAfter a seesaw game for the first 10 minutes of the first half, IU took control. Trailing by three with 11:10 left the Hoosiers went on a 18-0 run over three and half minutes to grab a 15-point lead. Chapman dominated the inside during the stretch, scoring nine of the Hoosiers' 18 points. Freshman guard Anna Waugh nailed two quick three-pointers and the Hoosiers were quickly on top 33-18. Chapman finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Waugh added 12.\nBut the momentum never continued after the teams came back out of the locker room.\n"We were up by 18 at halftime," Cassady said. "In the second half, we played like we didn't deserve to be out there. But we definitely deserve to be out there. Hopefully, we'll get the opportunity to show that"
(03/02/01 5:56am)
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - Lisa Bluder still has Kathi Bennett's number.\nBetween the two coaches, whose career paths have moved in similar directions, Bluder's teams have beaten Bennett's.\nA third change in prominence -- with both coaches moving to the Big Ten -- didn't change much. Bluder's Hawkeyes smashed the Hoosiers 83-56 Feb. 4 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.\nLooking to break the funk, Bennett will bring the seventh-seeded Hoosiers to a rematch with No. 2 Iowa at 6 p.m. tonight in a quarterfinal game in the Big Ten's Women's Basketball Grand Tournament. The winner advances to the semifinals Saturday night.\n"We're the underdog," said senior guard Rainey Alting of the match-up. "We have nothing to lose."\nBluder, in her first season in Iowa City, took the Hawkeyes to a 17-9 record, with a 12-4 Big Ten mark. For her efforts, Bluder was named Big Ten Coach of the Year Tuesday by both the media and the coaches.\nBluder sat courtside for IU's 78-56 win against 10th-seeded Minnesota.\n"They're a different team basically," said Bluder of the Hoosiers. "Indiana played with a lot of intensity." \nAn extra day of rest won't help the Hawkeyes, Bluder said. In fact, she said her team's practice Thursday in Iowa City was more taxing than IU's rout of the Gophers.\n"We probably practiced harder than they had to play," Bluder said. "It's almost an advantage of them. They've had an extra shoot-around. They know the gym. It wasn't a tough game for them physically or emotionally either."\nThe Hawkeyes line up with one of the best backcourts in the Big Ten. Junior Lindsey Meder, a first team All-Big Ten selection, and senior Cara Consuegra, a first-team coaches pick for All-Big Ten, combine for 27 points per game.\nAgainst IU, the two were on their averages; Meder scored 17 and Consuegra pumped in nine. But the big problem for the Hoosiers in the first meeting was the inside duo of Randi Peterson and Jennie Lillis. Peterson, a first-team media All-Big Ten selection, abused IU junior forward Jill Chapman for 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lillis, a freshman, added 16 points and rebounds against IU.\nUndersized, the Hawkeye duo was able to use its quickness against Chapman and the trio of post players IU presented Iowa.\n"We were able to get Chapman in foul trouble and that helped our offense," Bluder said. "She can control a game, so it was important to have that happen. It will be important again tomorrow."\nWhile Bluder has had the luxury of watching IU tape all week, Bennett hasn't seen any Hawkeye action since the last time the two teams met. Bennett said she will be up late getting her team ready for the No. 23 Hawkeyes.\n"We haven't seen a thing on Iowa," Bennett said. "We've been busy worrying about Minnesota. We'll go back and spend a lot of time looking at tapes of Iowa. Iowa's a very good, quick transition team"
(02/28/01 12:20am)
A final list of two candidates for IU's athletics director position has been presented to IU President Myles Brand, a University official told The Associated Press last week.\nESPN reported Monday that the finalists are Colorado State athletics director Tim Weiser and San Diego Chargers Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael McNeely.\nUniversity officials, search committee members and the University spokeswoman would not or could not confirm the ESPN report late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.\nA Colorado State University spokeswoman confirmed to the IDS late Monday night that Weiser is one of the names on the list to replace Clarence Doninger, who is retiring June 30.\nWeiser, now Colorado State's athletics director, would not comment on his status.\n"I will continue to comment only on the job I currently have at Colorado State," Weiser said.\nWeiser has been at Colorado State for four years, where he has turned the football program into one of the nation's top 25 teams. Weiser has boosted minority graduation rates to above 70 percent while at Colorado State.\nBefore he was at Colorado State, Weiser held athletics positions at Eastern Michigan and Austin Peay.\nMcNeely, who has been with San Diego since June of 1999, was formerly the athletics director at Pepperdine University. McNeely, 47, started his career as an assistant football coach with the University of Colorado. \nAlthough a Chargers spokesman could not confirm that McNeely is a finalist for the IU job, he would not rule out the possibility.\n"We've heard the rumors going around the office all day," said Bill Johnston, the Chargers spokesman. "I can't confirm or deny, and Mike won't comment."\nTerry Clapacs, vice president for administration and chairman of the search committee, told The Associated Press that the 18-member panel was unanimous in its recommendation of two finalists, although he did not specify who they were. Clapacs could not be reached for comment Monday night.\nClapacs said Brand could have a decision by the end of the week,\n"I would expect that the president will move very quickly and that we should have an athletics director announced within a week, 10 days at the most," Clapacs told The Associated Press.\nAccording to ESPN, the list contained a third name, Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich, who withdrew his name from consideration last week. Clapacs said Brand will interview the two candidates this week.
(02/26/01 7:48am)
Kathi Bennett spoke. Rachael Honegger cried. Rainey Alting wiped tears from her face.\nAlting took the microphone and cried. Heather Cassady sat on the bench, head in her hands.\nWhen Honegger spoke, no one could keep their eyes dry. On the most emotional day of the year -- emblazoned with its most important game -- IU soared and sputtered with its emotions in its 54-50 loss to Illinois.\n"Remember how loyal you are to the vision," Bennett said to the seniors in a ceremony after the game. "You are why the adventure has been so wonderful."\nOn Senior Night -- her last game in Assembly Hall -- Honegger returned to the court for the first time since Feb. 8. In 14 minutes, she scored two points. The bucket came in her first 10 seconds in the game. \nAfter the game, a loss that cost the Hoosiers a first-round bye in Big Ten tournament, Honegger thanked nearly everyone. Always prepared, Honegger read off 3-by-5 index cards in front of Assembly Hall's 1,671 fans.\n"I want to thank athletics director Clarence Doninger for his strength and support the last few weeks," Honegger said.\nHonegger thanked her parents, her fiancee, Chad, and her 18-month old son, Isaiah.\n"I want to thank my son," Honegger said, losing control of her tears. "He has taught me there's so much more to life than basketball."\nHonegger finished to a loud applause, returning to hold Isaiah as the ceremony continued.\nAlting, who struggled from the field on 1-for-7 shooting, kept her warm-up in her face during much of her talk.\nAlting provided the few laughs during the emotional, somber senior night.\n"I'd be here all night if I tried to thank everyone. I can't talk anymore," Alting said, leaving the microphone. But she returned with more to say.\n"Oh, I forgot my teammates."\nThose teammates took front and center to thank Alting and Honegger for the leadership and emotional fire they brought to the team.\nJunior forward Jill Chapman and Cassady, a junior guard, presented the seniors with photo albums documenting the unbelievable road the two had traveled in their short college careers.\nBut that trip isn't over yet, Chapman said.\n"We've fought so hard," she said. "But we've got a long way to go. Let's keep going."\nAlting and Honegger have seen and done a lot in their college careers. Alting has played at two colleges and for three coaches, while Honegger has experienced the joy of a son and the sadness of suspension.\nIt culminated Thursday night. And the players' faces showed the wear of the journey. \n"This coach and this coaching staff and your teammates would give anything to have you here longer," Bennett said. "We love you"
(02/26/01 5:26am)
They were the Big Ten's best defense, hands down.\nBut for outstanding statistics and a stingy reputation, Wisconsin's biggest defensive contribution Saturday was avoiding Tom Coverdale's smiles and Kirk Haston's pumping fist.\nIU marched through the Big Ten's top defense, shooting 70.2 percent -- 73.7 percent from three-point range -- in an 85-55 rout of the No. 19 Badgers.\n"I just wanted to try and stop the rush," Badger coach Brad Soderberg said. "We never did."\nThe precision in which IU (17-11, 8-6 Big Ten) picked apart the Badger defense was staggering. Entering the game, IU was the Big Ten's eighth-best three-point shooting team and ninth in scoring offense while Wisconsin (17-8, 8-6) led the conference in three-point defense and the nation in scoring defense percentage.\nBut the numbers were pointless minutes into the game. In the first six minutes, the Hoosiers couldn't miss, as 7-for-8 shooting sparked IU to a 13-point lead. Haston, a junior center, carried the Hoosiers early on, nailing two three-pointers in the first five minutes to bring the 17,051 fans at Assembly Hall to their feet. Haston was quiet in the second half, finishing with 16 points. But his 12 in the first eight minutes got the Hoosiers going.\n"When you make shots, your offense looks good," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "We were patient. We really took our time."\nAnd when Haston cooled down, someone filled his shoes. Four Hoosiers finished in double figures -- all with impressive numbers. After watching Haston lead the first-half barrage that put IU up by nine, 38-29, freshman forward Jared Jeffries went 7-of-7 from the field in the second half. Eight consecutive Jeffries points, including two driving dunks, forced Soderberg to burn a timeout just minutes into the second half. Jeffries finished 8-of-8 from the field with 18 points.\n"In the first half, we were really in a good rhythm. Kirk was hitting, so my role was to play defense," Jeffries said. "In the second half, I had a chance to set my own rhythm up."\nSoderberg watched helplessly from his seat as the Hoosiers tore apart the Badger defense. The Hoosiers were able to capitalize in every aspect of their offense, both down low to Jeffries and Haston and outside with sophomore guards Coverdale and Kyle Hornsby, who were consistently unstoppable. The two combined for 13-of-15 shooting and 39 points. \nUp by 20 with four minutes left, the Hoosiers slowed down their offense, befriending the clock. With the shot clock winding down, junior guard Dane Fife cut through the lane, where the Wisconsin defense collapsed. Pressured, he whipped the ball around to Coverdale sitting on the corner in front of the IU bench. Wide open, Coverdale, who had already connected on 5-of-6 three-pointers, hit one more. \nSoderberg didn't flinch. From the other bench, freshman guard A.J. Moye, jumping and smiling with excitement, nearly grabbed Coverdale from the floor. Coverdale finished with a game-high 24 points.\n"In warm-ups, I couldn't hit a shot to save my life," Coverdale said. "But once I hit a couple, it starts to carry over. Then Kyle (Hornsby) hit a couple and we got on a roll. We had confidence in our shot." \nHornsby, who scored 15 points -- all from behind the three-point arc -- hit a deep three on IU's last possession, the team's 14th and the most ever for IU in a Big Ten game. \n"It was a lot of fun," Hornsby said of his and Coverdale's long-range marksmanship. "It's nice to know -- we're in the same grade -- that we're going to be together for another two years. We need to keep playing like that"
(02/22/01 5:17am)
Senior Night is always special.\nBut with an NCAA Tournament berth and a first-round bye at the Big Ten tournament on the line, tonight's game cannot be much more important.\nLooking to break its tie for sixth in the Big Ten standings, IU will honor its seniors 7:30 p.m. today in a crucial match-up against Illinois.\nThe match-up scares coach Kathi Bennett.\n"They're one of the most talented teams in the Big Ten," Bennett said of the Illini. "They're such a tough team to prepare for. If my voice sounds a little shaky, you know why -- they're that good."\nBesides the Illini and the importance of the game, the Hoosiers (16-8, 8-6 Big Ten) will honor their two seniors after the contest on McCracken Court. Senior guard Rainey Alting, who has started every game, averaging almost nine points, will address the crowd after the game.\nShe's going to be nervous, she said.\n"I'm not one to speak in front of people very well," Alting said. "But I want the chance to tell my family and my teammates how much I love them. I'm just going to wing it."\nAlting is in only her second season with IU, after transferring from Vincennes University.\nStill, in two years in Bloomington, she has made a tremendous impact through her leadership for the Hoosiers.\n"It's going to be very emotional," said junior guard Heather Cassady of the senior's last home game. "I think we'll definitely want to come out with a little fire. (Rainey's) got one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen on and off the court. She genuinely cares about everyone." \nBennett holds out hope that the second senior, Rachael Honegger, suspended since Feb. 7, might play.\nRegardless, Honegger, who started every game prior to her suspension, will also speak to the fans.\n"I hope she can play," Bennett said, but noted she has nothing to do with the decision. "Seeing how well she's handled it, I know that it will be OK, though." \nHonegger was not made available to the media pending the result of the athletics committee's investigation, but Bennett said she has handled the situation remarkably. \n"This is what I am so impressed with..." Bennett said. "When we're in the locker room before games, and after wins, there's just a genuine happiness for the team. "\nSeniors aside, IU still faces perhaps its most important game yet in Bennett's first season. A win seriously helps IU's NCAA chances.\n Illinois (13-13, 8-6) has had an up-and-down season, filled with big wins and crushing losses. Despite their .500 record with two games remaining, their strong Big Ten record has Illinois thinking about the postseason.\n A win against IU tonight would vault Illinois past IU in the Big Ten standings -- crucial to Illinois and disasterous to the Hoosiers.\nIllinois coach Theresa Grentz knows how important tonight's game is. \n"We're coming down to an extremely critical part," Grentz said. "It's going to be tough to go in there and win, but we have to."\nIf IU wins out against Illinois and then against 4-20 Northwestern, the Hoosiers are guaranteed the No. 5 seed -- and a first round bye -- in next week's Big Ten tournament. A loss will ensure the Hoosiers play in the tournament's first round, a blow to their postseason hopes.\nAlting wants to make sure her IU career ends with a trip to the NCAA tournament.\n"I've realized my career is winding down and I want it to end in the NCAA tournament," Alting said. "It's what you work for your whole life, and we have a real chance of making it happen."\nThe Hoosiers will need to stop Illini guard Allison Curtin. Curtin leads Illinois in scoring, averaging more than 14 points a game. Curtin scored 25 points in Illinois' two-point win against Michigan State 52-50. In the win she also added seven rebounds and four assists.\nTo combat Curtin, IU might employ a 2-3 zone, Alting said. The Hoosiers have worked on the zone in practice, but have played man-to-man every minute of each game this season. \n"Allison Curtin is a great player. She gets up and down the ball, she causes teams headaches, she anticipates, she scrambles, she gets her hands on things -- so we have to keep her ahead of it," Bennett said. "We have to make them work on the offensive end and the defensive end. They change things up, so we are going to have to be very alert."\nBut Bennett, who will say goodbye to her first players since coming to IU last March, might have her mind wander to Honegger and Alting. Despite coaching them for only one season, Bennett has built a strong bond with the two.\n"You only get one shot in your life to do this (play basketball), and to put as much energy and work and effort into four years, and to have the season winding down, all of a sudden you look at it, and you're like, 'Oh my gosh, it's here,'" Bennett said. "What I can tell you about Rainey and Rachael, the words I have been trying to come up with is 'meaningful self-sacrifice.' They've given everything they have in a positive and good way. They've had servants' hearts trying to make the team the best it can be. \n"As a coach, when you have seniors like that, you enjoy your time with them, and I am going to be sad to see it come to an end."
(02/19/01 5:54am)
Michigan and IU were fighting for their postseason lives Sunday in front of 1,832 fans at Assembly Hall.\nWith IU's convincing 73-51 win, the Hoosiers (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) are one step closer to the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines (16-10, 9-6) are on life support.\n"We knew we had to get them to continue our dream of getting to the NCAA tournament," coach Kathi Bennett said. "Again, we took one step towards that."\nThe Hoosiers never trailed in the game and led by as many as 23 points midway through the second half. After scoring 52 points in the second half of its upset win against No. 25 Iowa Thursday, Michigan scored 51 points Sunday against IU, the Wolverines' lowest output of the season. \nMichigan shot 23 percent on nine-of-39 shooting in the second half and never threatened the Hoosier lead. After the loss, Michigan coach Sue Guevara said she knew her team's NCAA tournament hopes are in jeopardy.\n"Both teams are on the bubble with the NCAA tournament," Guevara said. "We're fighting for our lives. And right now, we're on a respirator."\nThe win ensures IU will finish the Big Ten season with at least a .500 record and gives the Hoosiers a tiebreaker over the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings.\nIf both teams won their remaining conference games, they would finish tied in fifth place at 10-6. But IU would be seeded ahead of Michigan as a result of Sunday's game. The difference between the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds at the Big Ten tournament is large because the sixth seed would have to play on the tournament's opening day, while the No. 5 team gets the first day off.\n"We're guaranteed of being .500 in the Big Ten, and that's huge," Bennett said. "Now, we have two games left and a shot to get to the NCAA tournament and we're very motivated to do that."\nIU finishes the season at home Thursday against Illinois (13-13, 8-6), and then on the road Sunday at Northwestern (4-20, 0-14).\nIU's win has serious NCAA tournament implications. The Hoosiers sit 33rd in Sunday's Ratings Percentage Index, which mathematically ranks Division-I teams. The win against Michigan, the RPI's No. 44 team, could boost IU on the NCAA projection lists.\nAfter Michigan's upset win Thursday against Iowa, the Wolverines had an advantage in making the NCAA tournament. But Michigan must beat Penn State in its last regular-season game to have a serious chance of an NCAA berth, Guevara said.\n"I told the girls, we have to win that game," Guevara said. "You can look at it two ways: It's a lot of pressure, and you choke or you really embrace the challenge you know have."\nIllinois, who beat Michigan State 52-50 Sunday, still has an outside shot at the NCAA tournament. The Illini must win its last two games, the first Thursday against IU in Bloomington. Even with two wins, the Illini are still a long shot for the NCAA tournament.\nBennett said she thinks the Big Ten is a strong enough conference to send both IU and Michigan to the tournament along with Purdue, Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa. Those six teams will finish the conference season with above-.500 records.\nJunior forward Erin McGinnis, who had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting Sunday, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, said the Hoosiers needed to win against Michigan.\n"We knew that we had to prove ourselves," McGinnis said. "This is a big win for our tournament standings. This was a very huge game"
(02/13/01 5:42pm)
The talk last week wasn't about turns and technique for the women's swimming team, which is preparing for this weekend's Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. \nDays before the biggest meet of the year, the women were thinking about which music would echo through Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center before each event.\nThey're still concerned with the meet -- it's weighing most on their minds -- but music is just one of the perks to staying home and being host to the conference meet.\n"It's going to be awesome having it here," sophomore backstroker Colleen McCracken said. "We have everything here. All our fans are going to be here. It's our school, you know … it's going to be awesome."\nThe meet starts Thursday and finishes Saturday. \nThe advantage of staying in Bloomington is mostly aside from the actual swimming, although the Hoosiers will feel more comfortable in their own pool. \nSophomore Tina Gretlund said she thinks IU will benefit from the knowledge of the pool.\n"You know the blocks. You know the walls," Gretlund said. "There could be a slight difference if you go to other pools. It's definitely an advantage."\nWhen the Hoosiers aren't in the pool this week, they'll be donning artistic hats and creating posters to fill the white walls surrounding the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center. So when the Hoosiers surface from the sea of blue, they'll see a sea of red and white.\nGretlund said she is excited, not nervous.\n"This is a good opportunity to swim even faster with a great crowd behind us," Gretlund said. "It's not pressure. It's fun."\nAnd the Hoosiers will make sure being at home won't be a distraction. To do so, coach Dorsey Tierney is treating the meet like it's on the road, putting the team in the Indiana Memorial Union Hotel starting today.\nIU swimmers and divers will not attend classes, instead focusing on the meet.\n"From Tuesday on, it's business," Gretlund said. "Dorsey is making sure we're all focused on swimming. If we stayed home, I'm sure there would be a lot of calls from friends and stuff, but you can't really do that at the hotel."\nThe Hoosiers (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) might have one distraction from staying at the IMU, McCracken admits. With arch-rival Purdue making camp right beside IU, McCracken won't say what might happen.\n"It'll be interesting," she said with a smile.\nThe swimming championships have been held recently at the IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis Natatorium. Minnesota has won the last two team titles. Before that, Michigan had a stranglehold on the meet, winning an astonishing 12 times in a row.\nThe Big Ten meet was last held in Bloomington in 1998, where Michigan won by more than 140 points. The Hoosiers finished a distant fifth that year.\nFor Tierney, preparation for the 2001 meet has presented the third-year coach with more work, organizing and preparing the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center for the 11 teams and more than 200 swimmers and divers. But Tierney said she doesn't mind longer hours as long as she'll be staying in Bloomington Thursday.\n"It's a little bit more work -- trying to get everything ready to go," Tierney said. "But it's worth it. I'd be glad do the work every year, if we'd have it here"
(02/13/01 5:14am)
Junior center Jill Chapman could get used to this.\nFor the third time this season, the Big Ten Conference has selected Chapman as its women's basketball Big Ten Player of the Week.\nThe latest honor, announced Monday, will be shared with Iowa guard Lindsey Meder.\n"(Chapman) gave us problems all over the place," said Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie Sunday. "Early on, she got some neat little shots. She did some creative things as a post player to create offense for herself."\nChapman guided the Hoosiers (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) to their first back-to-back wins in more than a month. The Hoosiers upset then-No. 20 Wisconsin 83-79 in overtime Thursday and beat Michigan State Sunday 52-50.\nIn the last-second win against the Spartans, Chapman led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Chapman dominated the first half, scoring 14 of IU's 22 points, including the Hoosiers' first six field goals.\nAt one point in the first half, Chapman was single-handedly beating Michigan State 14-12.\n"We didn't do much to stop her," McCallie said Sunday. "She got one-on-one in the post, and when that happened, we were done. We tried to prevent that, but we couldn't all the time. She did a great job and deserves a lot of credit."\nAgainst Michigan State's match-up zone, coach Kathi Bennett said Chapman was able to get good looks at the basket.\n"Once we started making shots from the outside, we were really able to get Jill isolated down low," Bennett said. \nAgainst Wisconsin, Chapman had five crucial points in overtime to carry IU to its first victory against a ranked team since 1998. Chapman finished with 19 points against the Badgers.\nThe biggest two came with the shot clock winding down and the Hoosiers needing a bucket in overtime. Chapman took a pass from junior guard Heather Cassady and made a 15-foot fall-away jumper.\n"We were setting up for a lob, but we didn't get it," Chapman said after Thursday's win. "Heather got the ball inbounds, and I was open, so I took it."\nChapman is the only Big Ten player to receive the honor three times this season.
(02/12/01 5:42am)
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- It's been a long time coming for junior forward Erin McGinnis.\nAfter sitting out a year, and being on the bench for most of this one, McGinnis was in the spot she envisioned nearly two years ago when she transferred to IU from Auburn -- with the ball in her hands and the game on the line.\nWith the clock running down, McGinnis proved her worth, sinking a 12-foot jumper to beat Michigan State 52-50 Sunday. \nWith 9.9 seconds on the clock, and the game tied, McGinnis wasn't necessarily supposed to get the ball, coach Kathi Bennett said. But she did anyway, with the Spartans' best player in her face. Let disappointed Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie finish the story.\n"It was a nice ball fake by (McGinnis)," McCallie said. "I like that (Julie) Pagel was there. That's a good match-up or us. We let her get on track in the game too much. Early on, she hit some threes. We let her get to a point of confidence where she was feeling good about hitting the last second shot."\nTime out. Let's check how McGinnis built the confidence McCallie spoke of. With her team up by two, McGinnis made eight consecutive points on a driving lay-up and two three-pointers to balloon the Hoosier lead and give IU the momentum.\nFirst, McGinnis was left alone two feet behind the three-point line. Seeing the shot, she took it and pumped her fist as it went down. The next trip down, a quick head fake left the Spartans in the dust as she weaved through the MSU defense. \nIn the third trip, a quick pass from junior center Jill Chapman made McGinnis' shot easy. With IU trailing 23-22 at halftime, the Hoosiers needed a quick start, and got it from McGinnis. \n"Erin got hot there to start us off and that helped a lot," Bennett said. "It opened everything up." Now, back to McCallie and how the Spartans have now lost nine consecutive games. \n"We recognized (McGinnis) taking the ball out of bounds," McCallie said. "We thought she might step in and do something. But when she cut through, that was good because Pagel is good on that side. But she made a terrific ball fake, and hit a great shot. She deserves all the credit in the world."\nMcGinnis finished with 15 points, one off the career-high she set in Thursday's win against Wisconsin. She added three rebounds, two blocks and two assists.\nBoth of the assists were to Chapman, whose 25 points paced IU.\n"I really like working with Erin," Chapman said. "She's a great passer."\nAnd with the game in her hands, a pretty good shooter, Bennett said.\n"She's worked so hard on her shot," said Bennett after Thursday's win. "It's not luck"
(02/12/01 5:41am)
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State guard Christie Pung had a chance to play hero Sunday afternoon in front of 3,416 fans at the Breslin Center. She missed -- twice. \nPung's miss was junior forward Erin McGinnis' gain. The 6-foot-1 forward, in her second start, rattled home a 12-foot jumper with 1.1 seconds left to squeak by Michigan State 52-50.\n"We didn't rebound at the end," coach Kathi Bennett said. "And it tightens up pretty quick. We didn't get tired though. And that was huge."\nIU (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) led by nine, 50-41, with 3:13 left in the second half, but the Spartans (8-15, 2-10 Big Ten) had a chance to take the lead with 18.3 seconds remaining. Pung drove the baseline past freshman guard Anna Waugh and scored to tie the game. A Waugh foul on the play had Pung at the line for the Spartans with a chance to take the lead, their first since the end of the first half.\nPung, a 75 percent free-throw shooter, missed, but was rewarded a second chance after junior center Jill Chapman entered the lane early.\nIt didn't help.\n"I had another chance," Pung said. "I was just hoping to make the most of it. But I didn't."\nAfter the second miss, IU (16-7, 7-5 Big Ten) inbounded the ball with 9.9 seconds left. The Hoosiers cleared out for junior point guard Heather Cassady, who found McGinnis in the left corner with 4 seconds left. McGinnis faked out MSU freshman Julie Pagel and rolled home the jump shot for the win. McGinnis finished with 15 points, her second consecutive double-digit game.\nBut it was the Spartans who missed a chance for an upset.\n"We have to play 40 minutes to win in the Big Ten," Pagel said. "We can't play 20 minutes here and 10 minutes there, then fall asleep for eight minutes. You can't do that and win."\nIn the first half, Chapman exploited the soft inside of Michigan State's match-up zone. Working a high-low game with a trio of Hoosier power forwards, Chapman accounted for 63 percent of the Hoosiers' first-half offense.\n"In the zone, they can't double-team that much," Chapman said. "They have to focus on the shooters, so I could just sit behind."\nChapman, at 6-foot-5, used her size against Pagel (5-foot-11), connecting on six of her first seven attempts from the field. After consecutive offensive rebounds and lay-ins with 7:21 left in the first half, Chapman had 14 points. The Spartan's (8-15, 2-10)had 12.\n"We had Erin and Jill working very well together," Bennett said. "They were feeding each other. Rainey hit a big outside that really helped, because they had to cover outside, and it created isolation with Jill."\nBut while Chapman was hot from the field, the rest of the Hoosiers weren't in the first half. Minus Chapman, IU shot 13 percent from the floor on 2-15 shooting and found themselves trailing the 10th-ranked Big Ten team by one, 23-22.\nPagel, though ineffective on defense, shined offensively, leading the Spartans with 11 points. Eight came in the half's final four minutes, erasing a 22-15 IU lead. The Spartans went into the locker room leading despite a stretch of nearly nine minutes without a field goal.\n"She's so aggressive. She never quits," Bennett said. "She's relentless. You have to love everything she does. I really like her."\nPagel led the Spartans with 23 points and nine rebounds, both team highs. She scored six points in the game's final three minutes.\n"Pagel was scrappy and played with a lot of heart," MSU coach Joanne McCallie said. "I couldn't believe she had 23. It was such a blue-collar effort"
(02/08/01 5:24am)
After saying a week ago that the athletics department properly dealt with senior Rachael Honegger's guilty plea to a felony, athletics director Clarence Doninger agreed Wednesday to suspend Honegger from playing basketball during an IU Athletics Committee investigation.\nHonegger can practice and travel with the team but cannot participate in regular season or postseason games until the inquiry is completed.\nIU President Myles Brand asked Doninger to suspend Honegger while the investigation proceeds, University spokeswoman Susan Dillman said. Doninger complied.\n"President Brand determined suspension was not only in the best interest of the student, but also in the best interest of the University," Dillman said. "He conveyed that to Clarence Doninger, and Doninger agreed."\nAfter hearing of the situation through news reports, Brand expressed concern he was not made aware of Honegger's actions earlier. Brand asked Bruce Jaffee, associate dean for academics of the Kelley School of Business and chairman of the Athletics Committee, Monday to investigate the situation further. Brand asked Jaffee to see if Honegger's actions violate the IU athletics conduct code, adopted by the board of trustees last fall.\nBrand also asked Dean of Students Richard McKaig to determine if there were violations of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct. \nNo firm timetable has been set, Doninger said, although all parties hope for a speedy but thorough investigation.\n"It is my hope that the matter can be resolved quickly and Ms. Honegger can be reinstated fully to the team," Doninger said in a statement. \nJaffee said the investigation is under way.\n"Committee members are actively gathering information and conducting interviews," Jaffee said. "There's no set date. We want to do this as quickly but as thoroughly as possible. But I certainly want to have it done by the athletics committee meeting later this month."\nDoninger said Monday that a glitch in the lines of communication was the problem that kept Brand from hearing of Honegger's situation.\nIn his statement Wednesday, he said the guilty plea came around the time Knight was fired.\n"The athletics department became aware of this problem during a hectic time relating to the men's basketball program," Doninger said. "Unfortunately, there was an inadvertent communications gap with IU President Myles Brand, which I regret."\nHonegger was sentenced to six months on house arrest Jan. 29 for embezzling money from a grocery store where she worked. Honegger was also ordered to pay $13,117.44 restitution by Monroe Circuit Judge David Welch.\nIn a probable cause affidavit filed in June, an Indiana State Police detective said Honegger confessed to forging money orders and taking cash from the store, saying she needed the money because she was planning to marry.\nThe athletics department and women's basketball coach Kathi Bennett internally punished Honegger after learning of the theft last spring but would not comment on the terms of the action.\nHonegger has started in all 21 of IU's basketball games this season.\nIn a statement, Bennett supported Brand's decision but stood by the original punishment.\n"I believe what we did initially was correct, but I also understand, accept and support President Brand's decision," Bennett said. "I will continue to stand behind Rachael"
(01/31/01 3:57am)
It holds no official weight. \nIt's just a projection. A projection that neglects IU's final seven regular season games and the ensuing Big Ten tournament.\nBut projection or not, important or not, coach Kathi Bennett is getting close to turning around the women's basketball program in one season.\nIn the first projection of the women's NCAA tournament conducted by the Ratings Percentage Index, a complex algorithm has placed IU in the field of 64 teams.\nBennett, still coaching, and not taking any gratitude in the projection, said the Hoosiers have a lot of work to do if they want to play in the NCAA national championship.\n"We had a goal to be playing in the postseason," said Bennett, who took over the team in March after IU failed to renew former coach Jim Izard's contract. "If we want to get there, we have to get better in certain areas."\nIU is projected as an 11th seed in the tournament by the RPI, which takes into account wins, losses and strength in schedule. Its index of teams is one of the resources the NCAA consults in selecting teams for its tournament.\nConference champions receive automatic bids in the tournament from the NCAA, which then awards 34 at-large slots to fill the field. The RPI correctly picked 31 of the 34 at-large teams from last year's tournament in its first year of projecting the field, said Jerry Palm, owner of Palm Sports Resources, Inc., the company that runs the RPI.\nLooking at the seeding, Palm predicts IU meeting Vanderbilt in the first round of the tournament in the Mideast bracket. The game will be played on the campus of Texas Tech, the Mideast's No. 3 seed, the RPI projects.\nPalm claims his projections are valid, although he concedes he cannot predict the outcome of the season. \n"Fifty-two of the 64 were within one seed of actual," Palm wrote on his Web site, www.collegerpi.com. "Not bad for a first try."\nThe Big Ten lists six teams in the tournament's first projection with Purdue leading the way as a No. 2 seed in the Mideast bracket. Other Big Ten teams include: Penn State, No. 3 (East); Wisconsin, No. 4 (Midwest); Iowa, No. 10 (Midwest); and Michigan, No. 10 (West).\nOnly the Big 12 has more teams in the first projection, with seven.
(01/30/01 5:13am)
For the first time in 17 days, coach Kathi Bennett has a reason to smile. \nAfter three consecutive losses had plunged IU from second to seventh in the Big Ten standings, the Hoosiers righted the ship Sunday with a 83-76 win over Ohio State.\n"I felt we kept our composure down the stretch," Bennett said. "We never lost the lead. At crucial times, we had some big shots that we made."\nAfter leading by as many as 18 points, IU (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten) squandered the lead to as little as two points late into the second half. But whenever Ohio State poised to take the lead, the Hoosiers converted on crucial possessions.\nWith the Hoosiers up by four with four minutes left, senior guard Rainey Alting hit a key jumper from the elbow to slow the Buckeye run.\nAnd even bigger, junior forward Erin McGinnis drilled a three from well beyond the line as the shot clock wound down on an IU possession. The shot pushed the lead to nine and forced OSU coach Beth Burns to call timeout.\n"This was the kind of game that came down to players making plays," Burns said. "Indiana, three or four different times in the second half, really stepped up and made big baskets with three or four seconds left on the shot clock."\nThe win, IU's 14th, had a different feel.\nJunior center Jill Chapman, who has been IU's leading scorer and rebounder, played sparingly against the Buckeyes, totaling only six points and three rebounds, numbers considerably off her averages (14.5 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game).\nChapman, who had been the go-to-player in all of IU's wins, sat on the bench for most of the game with a towel in her lap. Chapman played just 14 minutes. Chapman picked up two quick first-half fouls, playing five minutes.\nThere wasn't anything wrong with Chapman, Bennett said. Bennett just felt more comfortable with a smaller, quicker line-up against the fast Buckeye team.\n"We're a little better defensively when we're smaller," Bennett said. "We get back in transition. We're active on the low block. Different teams dictate different style. You have to adjust.\n"Because Ohio State is so quick, this was a good line-up."\nWith Chapman out, scoring came from different avenues as senior guard Tara Jones shot 6-of-9 from the floor for 14 points while junior forward Erin McGinnis scored 15, an IU high for the transfer from Auburn.\nWith the Hoosiers holding on to a seven-point halftime lead, Jones, who been quiet despite starting 19 of 20 games, caught fire, pushing the IU lead to to 18, 54-36.\nJones made four field goals, including two threes in the first four minutes of the second half. A streaky shooter who averages 7.5 points per game, Jones found her shot early in the second half.\n"When (Jones) gets her balance and goes straight up, I really like her shot," Bennett said. "When she does that, she shoots a very high percentage."\nJunior point guard Heather Cassady had her third consecutive strong scoring game as the floor general netted 19 points. Cassady was solid from the free throw line, converting 12 of 14 attempts.\nWithout Chapman inside, Cassady created much of the offense off strong dribble penetration. \nThe Buckeyes are playing bone-thin after losing a handful of players to injury so far this season. The OSU bench looked like an infirmary as four players sat hobbled, casted and in street clothes. With a thin line-up, Burns used only eight players, one an all-conference volleyball standout and another player 30 seconds with a cast on her left wrist.\nThe experience has definitely taken its toll on Burns.\n"The biggest problem for our team is that we regress to trying to do it by ourselves," Burns said. "We know we have no subs. We know we have none of none-of-the-above and everybody gets into a little one-on-one. I used to take things one game at a time, but now I have to take it one day at a time. And sometimes that is even too far-sighted."\nOSU center Courtney Coleman led the Buckeyes with 19 points and eight rebounds. All five starters scored double-figures for OSU, and all played close to 30 minutes in the loss.\nThe Buckeyes might have been hurt by the loss of guard Tomeka Brown, who fouled out with 4:37 left in the game. Brown collided with Cassady as the Hoosier guard faked a jump shot. Brown had 12 points in 28 minutes.\n"I saw the baseline was open, so I just drove, and stopped," Cassady said. "I just pumped a little and she went up."\nNotes: With her fourth point, Chapman moved into the top-10 all-time in scoring at IU. Freshman forward Charliss Ridley, who missed Sunday's game, will be back with the team Tuesday. Ridley took a leave of absence for one week, missing two IU games. Sophomore Jill Hartman returned Sunday after serving a one-game suspension from the NCAA in Thursday's 79-70 loss to Penn State. In 18 minutes, Hartman had four points and five assists.
(01/29/01 5:29am)
For the first time in 17 days, coach Kathi Bennett has a reason to smile. \nAfter three consecutive losses had plunged IU from second to seventh in the Big Ten standings, the Hoosiers righted the ship Sunday with a 83-76 win over Ohio State.\n"I felt we kept our composure down the stretch," Bennett said. "We never lost the lead. At crucial times, we had some big shots that we made."\nAfter leading by as many as 18 points, IU (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten) squandered the lead to as little as two points late into the second half. But whenever Ohio State poised to take the lead, the Hoosiers converted on crucial possessions.\nWith the Hoosiers up by four with four minutes left, senior guard Rainey Alting hit a key jumper from the elbow to slow the Buckeye run.\nAnd even bigger, junior forward Erin McGinnis drilled a three from well beyond the line as the shot clock wound down on an IU possession. The shot pushed the lead to nine and forced OSU coach Beth Burns to call timeout.\n"This was the kind of game that came down to players making plays," Burns said. "Indiana, three or four different times in the second half, really stepped up and made big baskets with three or four seconds left on the shot clock."\nThe win, IU's 14th, had a different feel.\nJunior center Jill Chapman, who has been IU's leading scorer and rebounder, played sparingly against the Buckeyes, totaling only six points and three rebounds, numbers considerably off her averages (14.5 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game).\nChapman, who had been the go-to-player in all of IU's wins, sat on the bench for most of the game with a towel in her lap. Chapman played just 14 minutes. Chapman picked up two quick first-half fouls, playing five minutes.\nThere wasn't anything wrong with Chapman, Bennett said. Bennett just felt more comfortable with a smaller, quicker line-up against the fast Buckeye team.\n"We're a little better defensively when we're smaller," Bennett said. "We get back in transition. We're active on the low block. Different teams dictate different style. You have to adjust.\n"Because Ohio State is so quick, this was a good line-up."\nWith Chapman out, scoring came from different avenues as senior guard Tara Jones shot 6-of-9 from the floor for 14 points while junior forward Erin McGinnis scored 15, an IU high for the transfer from Auburn.\nWith the Hoosiers holding on to a seven-point halftime lead, Jones, who been quiet despite starting 19 of 20 games, caught fire, pushing the IU lead to to 18, 54-36.\nJones made four field goals, including two threes in the first four minutes of the second half. A streaky shooter who averages 7.5 points per game, Jones found her shot early in the second half.\n"When (Jones) gets her balance and goes straight up, I really like her shot," Bennett said. "When she does that, she shoots a very high percentage."\nJunior point guard Heather Cassady had her third consecutive strong scoring game as the floor general netted 19 points. Cassady was solid from the free throw line, converting 12 of 14 attempts.\nWithout Chapman inside, Cassady created much of the offense off strong dribble penetration. \nThe Buckeyes are playing bone-thin after losing a handful of players to injury so far this season. The OSU bench looked like an infirmary as four players sat hobbled, casted and in street clothes. With a thin line-up, Burns used only eight players, one an all-conference volleyball standout and another player 30 seconds with a cast on her left wrist.\nThe experience has definitely taken its toll on Burns.\n"The biggest problem for our team is that we regress to trying to do it by ourselves," Burns said. "We know we have no subs. We know we have none of none-of-the-above and everybody gets into a little one-on-one. I used to take things one game at a time, but now I have to take it one day at a time. And sometimes that is even too far-sighted."\nOSU center Courtney Coleman led the Buckeyes with 19 points and eight rebounds. All five starters scored double-figures for OSU, and all played close to 30 minutes in the loss.\nThe Buckeyes might have been hurt by the loss of guard Tomeka Brown, who fouled out with 4:37 left in the game. Brown collided with Cassady as the Hoosier guard faked a jump shot. Brown had 12 points in 28 minutes.\n"I saw the baseline was open, so I just drove, and stopped," Cassady said. "I just pumped a little and she went up."\nNotes: With her fourth point, Chapman moved into the top-10 all-time in scoring at IU. Freshman forward Charliss Ridley, who missed Sunday's game, will be back with the team Tuesday. Ridley took a leave of absence for one week, missing two IU games. Sophomore Jill Hartman returned Sunday after serving a one-game suspension from the NCAA in Thursday's 79-70 loss to Penn State. In 18 minutes, Hartman had four points and five assists.
(01/26/01 6:12am)
After starting the season 10-0, Ohio State women's basketball coach Beth Burns couldn't help but have high hopes for the Big Ten season. \nBut the Buckeyes' hopes of fighting for an NCAA tournament bid have taken a slight dive. Burns -- coaching a team plagued with injuries -- is now fighting to keep five healthy Buckeyes on the floor. \nThe team IU beat 65-56 a month ago will look vastly different when Ohio State (13-5, 3-5 Big Ten) comes to Bloomington for the 1 p.m. conference match-up Sunday. The game will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports.\nA season that started so full of promise for Burns has turned into a nightmare. Her team has been weakened by injuries to the point where her roster now boasts two volleyball players and a soccer goalie. \n"I didn't even know all the names of my players last week," Burns said. \nBut the biggest blow came Jan. 4, when sophomore LaToya Turner suffered a season-ending tear to her left anterior cruciate ligament in a two-point loss to Michigan State. It was the second time Turner injured her left ACL; she tore the ligament in a high school all-star game two years ago. \n"Obviously, this is a big challenge for LaToya to face," Burns said. "We will all pull together to support her through her surgery and subsequent rehab. Through all of this, our team is that much closer and fully committed to helping LaToya." \nBefore the injury, Turner, the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of The Year, ranked third in scoring (17.8 points per game), sixth in rebounding (6.6 rpg), fourth in steals (2.54 spg) and first in blocks (2.31 bpg). Turner was named Big Ten player of the week Nov. 20 after a career-high 37-point and 14-rebound performance in the Buckeyes' season opening rout of Cleveland State. \nAgainst the Hoosiers earlier this season, Turner turned in 11 points, three rebounds and three blocks.\nReplacing Turner would have already caused headaches for Burns, but the loss of other key players has thinned her once unbeaten team.\n"At this point, I'm more of a morale coach than anything," she said. "I guess (the injury bug) hits everybody, but to have five season-ending injuries is almost stunning. \n"My biggest challenge is the morale of the team," she said. \nThe team was so riddled with injuries, it only dressed six players in its loss to Illinois two weeks ago. Burns has added two new players to her roster just to be able to practice.\nBuckeye soccer goalkeeper Amber Barnes began practicing with the team Jan. 10, while OSU volleyball middle blocker Dana Stearns adds depth to the team inside. Neither played in the Buckeyes' last game, a 76-63 loss to Michigan.\nWith the sport-crossovers, OSU will likely dress 10 for the rest of the season, but is still basically a six-person team. OSU's 10th player -- nothing more than an extra body if even more should go wrong for the Buckeyes -- is a 5-foot-6-inch point guard wearing a cast on her right hand. Burns has been able to keep relatively upbeat during the entire ordeal. \n"We must be tough to prepare for," said Burns, laughing. "We were a running, pressing team for 10 games, now we're not. Kids are playing 40 minutes a game, and now we can't practice. \n"I'm learning every day," she said.\nAlong with Turner, freshman guard Caity Matter, guard Tanya McClure and forward Courtney Bale have all been shelved with injuries this season. \nMatter played in the Buckeyes' first nine games, averaging more than eight points and three rebounds a contest. \nBut the big loss is Turner, whose absence has saddened many across the conference.\n"She's such an impact player," said Purdue coach Kristy Curry of Turner. "It breaks my heart to see her go down like that." \nCoach Kathi Bennett said she knows the team her squad beat earlier this season will look different Sunday. But that doesn't comfort the first-year coach. She said it worries her.\n"Sometimes it takes the pressure off where you've lost some of your best players," Bennett said. "You can come out and play without fear. You can be very dangerous"