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(09/18/03 6:07am)
Coach Jerry Yeagley returns to the site of his first career coaching victory tonight when the men's soccer team (2-2-2) battles Notre Dame at 7 p.m. in South Bend, Ind., at Alumni Field.\nYeagley said he is aware of the challenge the Fighting Irish (2-1-2) present and added IU can't make any blunders against its in-state adversary.\n"Goals don't come easy against them," Yeagley said. "We're going to have to play close to the vest. It's going to be a chess match. They're good at forcing mistakes. We have to avoid mistakes against them. We can't make mistakes."\nYeagley, who is in his final season, has collected 528 career wins. He needs 15 victories to tie Stephen Negoesco on the all-time wins list.\nNotre Dame participated in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic at the end of August but did not face IU. Likewise, the Hoosiers competed in Notre Dame's tournament last weekend, but the two teams did not meet. \nThe Hoosiers edged the Fighting Irish 1-0 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season in Bloomington. But junior forward Ned Grabavoy said IU has to simply go in and play its game. He added they cannot get caught up with Notre Dame's fans and playing on the same field as they played on last weekend.\nGrabavoy said he knows the importance of this in-state confrontation.\n"It's big. It's the first game before conference play," Grabavoy said. "It's important that we come out playing well from the start. It's a must-win game for this team."\nGrabavoy has totaled four goals in the team's first six matches. Not yet a senior, he has accepted a leadership and scoring position on this squad.\n"It's a different role," Grabavoy said. "This past weekend, a lot of chances were created on offense because of good team defense. Other players are gaining confidence." \nYeagley said Grabavoy and sophomore midfielder/forward Brian Plotkin are the team's primary offensive threats at the moment. He said he has been pleased with the play of freshman back/midfielder Jordan Chirico and said he will receive more playing time. Yeagley also added the back three defenders, freshman backs Jed Zayner and Julian Dieterle, and sophomore back Drew Moor are improving every game. He said they will continue to get better with time.\n"Defense always takes some time for communication," Yeagley said. "And our freshmen haven't played that much with our other players. We do need more production from our forwards though."\nMeanwhile, Moor said the practice regimen and game plan has been tweaked this week to prepare for the Fighting Irish.\n"We changed things up a little bit," Moor said. "The players and coaches have seen a few things to change. Our focus is to deny their two forwards the ball."\nIU grabbed a lead against Fresno State on Sunday and was victorious over the Bulldogs, 3-1 in South Bend, Ind. At the same time, Notre Dame is coming off a scoreless draw with Akron. The Fighting Irish won last weekend's tournament title, while the Hoosiers finished in third place.\nEven though Moor transferred from Furman University and is originally from Texas, he said he knows the significance of this rivalry. \n"It's a regional battle," Moor said. "The fact that both teams are from Indiana -- it's for pride. Both teams put everything aside and focus on each other. It's going to be intense. Hopefully, we can bring more intensity." \nAfter Thursday's contest, IU returns home on Sunday to open Big Ten play with Michigan State and begins a three-game home stand. \nYeagley said IU has to remain focused on the job at hand. He added the Fighting Irish don't have any secrets, and he said he respects them as a team.\n"Notre Dame is like a machine," Yeagley said. "You know what you're going to get."\n"The last two games we've played have been one-goal games. You have to earn what you get against them. Nothing comes easy."\n-- Contact staff writer Zack Eldridge at zeldridg@indiana.edu.
(09/11/03 5:54am)
A quick glance at the IU men's soccer roster will show that young players make up a major part of the team. One youth member is sophomore midfielder Brian Plotkin, who said he is trying to set an example for the youth on the squad.\nAs IU's previous pair of tournaments indicated, Plotkin said he is attempting to become an all-around solid player, a player who can do a variety of things on the field.\nHe notched a goal and an assist in IU's draw with Georgetown last weekend at the UConn Classic, recording four shots, including two shots on goal.\nHis offensive talent has impressed coach Jerry Yeagley.\n"He's very dangerous with his left foot," Yeagley said. "He can also pose a danger from a distance. He shoots a heavy ball. He's become a well-known and respected player."\nPlotkin forms a piece to the puzzle for IU. Yeagley said Plotkin's accomplished ball-handling ability makes it easier for the Hoosiers to control the ball and to dominate ball possession, making it more likely they will score.\nAt the same time, Plotkin is focusing on being a consistent scoring threat. \n"I had a problem with my shots last year," Plotkin said. "I would hit them off the side of my foot and struggled shooting the ball. This summer I worked on it. Hopefully, the good luck can continue this season."\nMeanwhile, Yeagley said he likes the way Plotkin has changed his demeanor on the field.\n"Brian was 'Freshman of the Year' last season and he wasn't even a starter," Yeagley said. "He showed how he impressed the (conference) coaches. He's a tireless worker and has improved his game. He's changed his personality on the field. Now, he's challenging on tackles and challenging on air balls."\nWhile Plotkin's behavior has transformed on the field this year, a year ago he collected a prestigious conference award, earning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award in 2002. One of his notable accomplishments was scoring a meaningful goal in the NCAA Tournament last year. He tallied the game-winning goal against Notre Dame, propelling the Hoosiers to the third round of the tournament.\nPlotkin said he was ecstatic after recording the game-winning score against the Fighting Irish. \n"It was a great feeling and a huge relief," Plotkin said. "Being at home, scoring my first goal like that. It was a great rush."\nSophomore midfielder/back Jordan Chirico praised Plotkin for his willingness as a team member first and foremost. \n"I think he's just an amazing teammate to have play for us," Chirico said. "It's nice to play with him."\nYeagley highlighted Plotkin's skill as a player and said he could definitely be a true leader on the team. Yeagley said Plotkin leads by example and his personality is blossoming on the field. Yeagley added that Plotkin has improved dramatically and that he's worked hard over the spring and summer. \n"He's not a supporting player anymore," Yeagley said. "He takes on more responsibility. He's the kind of player that can change a game. He can be the man of the match."\nPlotkin's experience prior to IU was invaluable in helping him mature as a player.\nPlotkin, who is a native of Lisle, Ill., was a member of the Under-17 National team in 2001 that won the national championship. He also participated on the Under-16 National team a year earlier.\nThe sophomore said he hasn't really modeled his play after particular player. He added junior forward Ned Grabavoy was influential in helping him develop his game.\nPlotkin said Grabavoy has helped him progress into the player he is today.\n"(Ned) shows the younger players and me how to do things the right way," Plotkin said. "He has helped all the younger players on the team a great deal. He wants us to improve."\nFurthermore, Plotkin said communication is fundamental when you're on the field.\n"We're a young team," he said. "Probably the most important thing we have to do is communicate."\nAt the same time Chirico said Plotkin is a clutch player. \n"He's just a good all-around player," Chirico said. "He comes through in the tough times. He comes through when you need a goal."\n-- Contact staff writer Zack Eldridge at zeldridg@indiana.edu.
(09/04/03 5:17am)
In soccer, the goalkeeper is the last line of defense for his team. In the case of junior goalie Jay Nolly, IU's last line of defense, goals come at a rare pace. He was strong in goal for the Hoosiers last weekend, as he posted two shutouts and has a 200-minute scoreless streak.\nNolly highlighted how he accomplishes the trying job and said confidence is the key.\n"Going into this season, I knew I had to be confident, being confident in my abilities," Nolly said. "(My confidence) has helped the defense. They're gaining experience, and that's helped me."\nWhile the junior stopper has been focusing on boosting his confidence, his coach knows it requires a certain demeanor to man the goal. Coach Jerry Yeagley described what it takes to be a soccer goalie.\n"First of all, goalkeepers have to have a certain personality," Yeagley said. "They have to have thick skin. Defenders are different. Goalkeepers can't make a mistake, unlike defenders. \n"Second, goalkeepers have to be able to handle the ball with both their hands and feet. They have to be very skilled in managing the soccer ball. Some people think goalkeepers are crazy, but it comes with the job."\nA native of Littleton, Colo., Nolly has garnered a wealth of soccer experience. He played for the Colorado Rush Soccer Club and led the Rush to three state titles. Nolly said that circumstance was invaluable in helping him become the goalkeeper he is today.\n"It's a top club," Nolly said, referring to the club team. "The coaching staff is the top of the line. It helps you make the transition to college."\nNolly's previous experience eased his transition to collegiate soccer. Last season Nolly owned a .78 goals against average, good for 17th in the nation. Even though Nolly didn't record a save versus UAB in a double-overtime contest, the Blazers threatened to score against him several times. UAB hit shots off the post a handful of times, as they belted eleven shots in the match. \nBut Nolly thwarted the threat each time, securing a 0-0 draw for IU and leading them to the win in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic for the first time in five years.\nIn addition, he avoided letting California tally a single goal against him on Friday night. He notched a career-high nine saves against the Golden Bears, leading IU to a 3-0 victory.\nAs a result of his performances, Nolly was awarded the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.\nThe upperclassmen said he was proud of this accomplishment.\n"It was real exciting," Nolly said. "Anytime you get recognized by somebody it's nice. But when you get recognized by the Big Ten Conference, it's really special because some of the best soccer in the country is played in the Big Ten." \nYeagley said Nolly has to be like a puppeteer in that he has to organize the defense. Yeagley added he has to supply confidence to the defense, especially the team's younger players. \nOne of those younger players said defense and goalkeeping is fundamental to the success of the squad. \n"Like everybody says, it starts with defense," freshman Jed Zayner said. "Jay's been a major part of our success. He's really focused all the time."\nMeanwhile Yeagley isn't completely satisfied with his goalkeeper's game. He said Nolly must still work on a few things in goal. Yeagley said Nolly must work on low balls to the corners of the goal and he has. \n"With Nolly being such a big person, he's had to work on his agility and footwork," Yeagley said. "It's his final frontier."\nAt the same time, Zayner is impressed with Nolly's approach to work.\n"His work ethic is top class," Zayner said. "He shows why he's a leader on the team, not letting distractions bother him or the other players down on the field." \nIn 2002, Nolly was tabbed First Team All-Big Ten Conference, as he compiled eight shutouts. This year he is poised to be even better and has started off on the right foot. \nYeagley said he has a great deal of confidence in his starting keeper.\n"Before the season started, I said Jay had the potential and ability to be one of the best goalkeepers in the country," Yeagley said. "I still believe that."\n-- Contact staff writer Zack Eldridge at zeldridg@indiana.edu.
(07/31/03 2:18am)
When building a house, if one doesn't have a steady foundation, then the house isn't going to be able to withstand the test of time. The same goes for football. An integral part of IU's football program recently decided to transfer to another Big Ten school. John Kerr, a sophomore linebacker, plans to attend Ohio State and join the Buckeye football program.\nKerr was an essential part of the Hoosier football team and formed the foundation for the future. He led IU in tackles as a freshman last season with 117. Kerr, a 6-foot-1-inch, 247-pound defensive back announced in December he was leaving the school.\nIU coach Gerry DiNardo commented on the loss of Kerr at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. "It always hurts when you lose a player from your team, but hopefully we will have some guys that step up in his place," DiNardo said. "I'm looking for team guys."\nBesides leading the team in tackles, Kerr played in all 12 games last year and added two sacks. He recorded 75 solo tackles as well. \nKerr explained his main reason for transferring from IU was friction with DiNardo.\n"I didn't get along with Coach DiNardo," Kerr said. "We had irreconcilable differences. We just didn't see eye to eye. We didn't get along. That's the way it was, and we accepted that."\nWith the loss of Kerr, it will make a beleaguered IU defense even thinner.\nDiNardo said lack of depth on the team for the upcoming year is going to be difficult to overcome. He added the team has a mere 65 scholarship players and last year they had the same number. A year from now, he said he is hoping the scholarships are where they need to be -- at 85.\nDiNardo said he is doing everything in his power to make sure the number of scholarship players increases. He visited all 311 high school football programs or schools in Indiana in just two years in an effort to reach out and establish strong recruiting roots in the state -- a commitment the day he was hired as IU's football coach. He visited his final school May 23.\n"I will be in every high school in the state of Indiana as soon as it is possibly human to do," DiNardo said. "I will map out a plan and part of the plan will be that I will be in every high school, whether there is a prospect or not."\nWhile DiNardo is focusing on recruiting, Kerr is moving on with his football career at Ohio State. Kerr, who played high school football at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, will have to sit out next season. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.\nKerr said it made good sense to attend Ohio State because of the closeness to his hometown. He said Ohio State is only an hour and a half from his home. In addition to the proximity to his hometown, Kerr added the fact the football program is very successful, which made it enticing to go there.\n"I feel the best players in the nation are from the state of Ohio," Kerr said. "If we can keep them there, we can compete for a national title year in and year out."\nOhio State defeated Miami 31-24 in double-overtime to win the national title in breathtaking fashion last year in the Fiesta Bowl. \nMeanwhile, IU hosts Ohio State on Oct. 25 at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers travel to Columbus the following season on Oct. 23, 2004. Kerr would be eligible to play in that contest in 2004.\nWhen he had to make a choice, Kerr said the decision to transfer to Ohio State wasn't a difficult one.\n"Ohio State is always where I've wanted to be," Kerr said. "At Indiana, I wasn't happy. I figured why not roll the dice and attend Ohio State and play football there"
(07/24/03 1:50am)
In an attempt to solidify its success in the future, IU has garnered a very talented recruiting class for 2004-05. \nThe headliners of that class are D.J. White, a 6-foot-8-inch, 233-pound forward from Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Josh Smith, a 6-foot-9-inch power forward, who played at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga., last season. \nWhite, who made his intentions clear while playing at the Nike All-America Camp in Indianapolis, is considered by many recruiting services to be one of the top 10 players in the class of 2004.\nWhite verbally committed to play for the Hoosiers on July 7, and he will begin playing in the 2004-05 season after he finishes his senior season at Hillcrest High School. \nWith his big frame, White commands a strong presence in the paint, but it's his ability to step away from the basket and to face up that coaches said impressed them.\n"He can handle the ball thoroughly," said assistant Hillcrest High School coach Bryant Lancaster. "He can go to the right and left well. (His high school coaches) want him to develop his outside game. We know he can play with his back to the basket. Next year, we want him to polish his outside game so he can use that to his advantage in college." \nBy stepping away from the basket, White gets the chance to use his ball-handling abilities. His scoring prowess is good, too. He averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior.\n"He is clearly one of the top three to four players at his position in the country and quite possibly a McDonald's All-American," recruiting analyst Greg Swaim said. "He really set himself up as a major prospect a year ago at the Nike All-American Camp, and last month he narrowed his recruiting list to IU, Florida and North Carolina."\nWhite's former high school coach Thad Fitzpatrick said he is a more versatile player now because of his ball-handling capabilities.\n"One of the things that has helped him is his ability to handle the ball," Fitzpatrick said. "It has helped him improve his game. His natural position is the four, but his ball-handling ability has improved at that position." \nLancaster said he believes White will one day play in the NBA, but first he will continue his basketball career by donning the cream and crimson. He added that White has a great deal of potential. \nWhite's assistant coach praised Coach Mike Davis and the reputable program he has developed at IU.\n"There are some big things that stand out about Mike Davis," Lancaster said. "He's a man of his word. He will teach D.J. not only how to become a better basketball player, but how to become a better person off the court. He will make sure D.J. is doing well in the classroom with his academics and that he develops as a person."\nSwaim said he has heard positive things about Davis as well. He elaborated on White's determining factor for selecting IU.\n"From everything we're hearing, Coach Davis and his staff just flat outworked everybody else for the kid," Swaim said. "D.J. has said that Coach Davis spent more time talking to him, while some of the other schools had their assistants talk to him. I think he felt more at home with Coach Davis and that's pretty consistent with what we hear from other kids being recruited by the Hoosiers."\nFitzpatrick concurred with Swaim's assessment.\n"I think his main decision was pretty much because of his relationship with Coach Mike Davis," he said. "It was the most important reason. You always want to go somewhere where you're comfortable with the coach."\nBesides basketball powerhouse Florida, IU was able to grasp White away from in-state power Alabama. \nIn addition to White, the Hoosiers were able to snatch Smith, a 6-foot-9-inch power forward. \nSmith is ranked by at least two publications as a top 10 player in the class. He made his plans clear while attending the ABCD Adidas camp in Teaneck, N.J, then made his verbal commitment July 9. \nHe will play his senior year at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. He averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds as a junior last year.\n"Smith is an awesome athlete who needs to work just a little on his jump shot," Swaim said. "But he is a monster on the offensive glass."\nSmith was also recruited by Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, North Carolina and Syracuse.\nSmith and White are the top recruits of IU's class and experts said they will form a dynamic frontcourt at IU.\n"Without a doubt, it's a top-five class," Fitzpatrick said. "It's subjective, though. I feel (White) will be productive at IU."\nIn addition to White and Smith, IU was able to receive commitments from Robert Vaden from Pike High School in Indianapolis and James Hardy from Elmhurst High School in Fort Wayne. Vaden stands 6-feet-5-inches tall, while Hardy stands 6-feet-6-inches tall. Vaden is the highest-ranked player out of the two, as he is projected as a top 40 prospect by most experts. \nLancaster abridged what White needs to do to improve his game, and he said he thinks the sky's the limit for White.\n"Basically D.J. just needs a year of polishing his skills, of enhancing his skills," Lancaster said. "He needs to use his senior year to brush up his outside game mainly. But I expect major contributions from D.J. his freshman year at IU." \nSwaim said he feels like the Hoosiers already have cemented a highly ranked recruiting class.\n"It will still be difficult for anyone to catch Texas, which already has five top 30 commitments," Swaim said. "But IU is right behind the Longhorns with White, Smith, ... Vaden ... and Hardy"
(07/10/03 1:50am)
Not long ago, Amie Dworecki was forced to give up running competitively because of bad knees. Her doctor advised her to stop running long distances.\nBut her love for the sport was too great to give it up entirely. \nAfter resting her knees for a while, they regained the strength needed for a standard marathon. Her knees certainly have recuperated nicely. A story right from the pages of "Ripley's Believe It or Not," a soon-to-be IU graduate student will strive to make marathon history later this summer. \nIn August, Dworecki will run a marathon in Asia -- probably Siberia, at which point she will break three world records for the marathon: fastest completion of a marathon on all seven continents by a woman, having the lowest cumulative times and being the youngest person to ever have done so.\nDworecki already has run marathons on six continents, including a race on Antarctica and one through the Sahara Desert. She detailed how she has been able to achieve this amazing undertaking.\n"I'm kind of a goal-oriented person," Dworecki said. "Once I get something in my head, I want to do it. I like to accomplish goals because it's so satisfying." \nDworecki, who has run four marathons in two-and-a-half months, said she quit her job two years ago. In North America, she has run a race in Florida as well as a marathon in Vancouver, Canada. \nDworecki ran the "Last Marathon" on the frozen continent of Antarctica this spring. She said it was like taking the hardest conditions of every race and putting them in one marathon -- the wind was blowing at 40 to 55 mph; she had to run up a glacier; she had to run on thin ice and actually broke through falling in up to her knees in frigid water. She then had to continue for 20 miles after that point in order to finish the marathon. \nShe said there is only one artic marathon every two years, so if she didn't run it this year, she would have had to wait at least two years in an attempt to break the world records.\nJohn Shaughnessy is a marathon runner who ran in Antarctica with Dworecki.\nHe has run the Boston Marathon three times, the New York Marathon once, Hawaii once and has done an Ironman Triathlon, which includes a marathon, once.\n"I certainly appreciate what Amie is doing in terms of running a marathon on\nevery continent," Shaughnessy said. "Frankly, I only did the Antarctica marathon simply to visit Antarctica, as I only want to set foot on each continent. It never occurred to me to run a marathon on every continent."\nShaughnessy said there were snow drifts they had to fight through and a glacier they climbed twice. There were penguins and leopard seals -- "they'll take your hand off on the course," he said. He added that near the glacier, there were birds larger than seagulls called skuas that would dive bomb you while you ran. He said that not many marathoners can say they had to look up most of the time waving their arms to fend off irritable birds. But Dworecki accomplished this astonishing feat. \nAmie's mother, Naomi Dworecki, said traveling the world allows her daughter to have unbelievable learning experiences. \n"I have always said the world is there for people to see and experience and I think that is exactly what Amie is doing," Naomi Dworecki said. "Running the marathons around the world enables her to meet people from all over the world on a different level than a typical tourist would be able to do."\nIn addition to these feats, Amie is doing an awareness campaign for the Global Fund for Women in San Francisco, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering women's human rights around the world. Dworecki explained her dedication to the women's charity group. \n"I've felt a lot of challenges in my career," Dworecki said. "I grew up (without) a lot of money in my family, yet I still had aspirations of doing great things as a woman. I want to be able to help women achieve their dreams and this is a way to help that cause."\nShaughnessy illustrated Dworecki's personality and her determination when it came to training for a marathon.\n"Amie is a very warm person, but like a duck, there's a lot going on underneath the surface," Shaughnessy said. "We worked out once in the gym on the boat to Antarctica, and I was very impressed with the focus she displayed lifting weights, doing leg lifts and running on the elliptical trainer. Most importantly, she really quizzed me about my own physical fitness and gave me support and advice, which I needed since I've been in a physical rut as of late."\nThe sky seems to be the limit for Amie Dworecki and her mother knows it. She said she is extremely proud of her daughter and knows she is a very dedicated person. \n"It means a great deal, and I am proud of her, but frankly I am not surprised," she said. "One thing I know about Amie is that if she sets her sights on something, she will do it. She could offhandedly say something like 'I want to fly to the moon someday' and the next thing you know, you'll turn on the TV and see her face being broadcast from outer space." \nShaughnessy encapsulated Dworecki's marathon aspirations by referring to Greek mythology. \n"Given that marathoning has ancient Greek roots," Shaughnessy said. "Amie is (becoming) a modern day Odysseus through her world travels"
(07/03/03 1:29am)
The IU women's basketball program added a new piece to the puzzle in hopes of securing a successful future for the team. Former IU player Quacy Barnes was tabbed an assistant coach to the team Monday. Barnes starred for the Hoosiers from 1994 to 1998 and was the first Hoosier ever to play in the WNBA. Barnes highlighted the intangibles she will utilize in her new job.\n"I feel I bring two things to the IU women's basketball program," Barnes said. "First, my experience gained when I played at IU. Second, we have ten young players and I feel I will be comfortable working with them. I can help them greatly with all the experience I've gained both professionally overseas and in the WNBA, and especially with playing at IU."\nBarnes was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs in the 1998 WNBA Draft with the 22nd overall pick. Barnes also played for the Seattle Storm for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 1998 finished her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury in 2002. She said she left the WNBA because she really wanted the opportunity to get into coaching and added that she did not want to be a part of the business side of the league anymore. \nBesides her WNBA experience, Barnes also played professionally in Turkey, South Korea, Italy, Israel and China.\nCoach Kathi Bennett, who just completed her third season at IU, said she is eager to see what Barnes can do as a coach.\n"We're very excited to have Quacy join our coaching staff," Bennett said in a press release. "She has a passion for the game and her experiences both at IU and in the WNBA make her a valuable asset to our program. We have some young post players on the team and she is going to be able to help them develop."\nBeing an assistant coach at IU is nothing new for Barnes. For part of the 1999 season, she moved into a graduate assistant coaching position. She worked primarily with a group of post players that included 2002 WNBA draftee Jill Chapman, who was selected by the Detroit Shock.\nBarnes described how she landed the job and her willingness to be a coach.\n"I called Kathi. IU was home for me," Barnes said. "It was a career change. I just wanted to get into coaching."\nBarnes had a very successful college basketball career. Her 269 career blocked shots is a school record and ranks as the second-highest total in Big Ten history.\nIn addition, she ranks eighth on IU's all-time scoring list with 1,428 career points. Her protégé, Chapman, recorded 1,366 career points. Barnes' career total of 640 rebounds is good for seventh on the Hoosier's all-time list.\nIU assistant coach Paul Nixon referred to Barnes' experience as a frontcourt player.\n"Quacy brings some very unique experiences," Nixon said. "She'll be able to provide different perspectives on what's going on. She spent her entire career in the post and the other staff members are mostly guards, so she'll be able help the post players. Also, the players will feel very comfortable with her because she played at IU and has been in their shoes." \nBarnes' administrative responsibilities will include overseeing the ordering of equipment, recruiting, scouting opponents and working with the post players, according to a press release. In addition, she will be involved heavily in all aspects of the Indiana Girls' Basketball Camps.\nBarnes detailed what she can contribute to the program and highlighted her professional experience as a valuable resource.\n"With my professional background I have a lot of different strategies that I can bring to the team," Barnes said. "I can give my opinions to the coaching staff. This game is the same game that I played when I was in college, but many things have changed and different strategies can be used nowadays"
(06/05/03 1:19am)
A perplexing question to answer is does football promote violence in teenagers and adults who regularly watch NFL games? A recent study by IU researchers says when it comes to cases of domestic violence, football does not encourage as much of it as once thought.\n"IUB researchers found that expectation about a football game, rather than its outcome, was an even greater contributing factor in increased reports of domestic violence in 14 NFL cities highlighted in the study," according to a press release by IU Media Relations. However, not all football games bring forth excitement of fans' emotions leading to domestic violence.\nResearch conducted at IU presented May 25 at an international conference found the relationship between televised professional football and domestic violence was less common than previous reports suggested. The presentation was delivered at the International Communication Association conference in San Diego. The study, "Televised NFL Games and Domestic Violence: A 14 City Study," was prepared by Walter Gantz, chairman and professor of telecommunications and two doctoral students, Sam Bradley and Zheng Wang. \n"None of us are domestic violence experts," Gantz said, referring to himself and his co-authors. "However, we know that domestic violence is linked with geography, the seasons of the year, more domestic violence takes place in the summer than the winter, it is linked with weekends, and it is linked with communication skills, alcohol consumption, and drug use. We didn't think that pro football would have a huge effect on domestic violence because there are so many other factors that are involved with domestic violence."\nThe researchers contacted police departments in every city with an NFL franchise between 1996 and 2001. \nWang described his interest in this project.\n"This study, to me, has special meaning of methodology training and practicing," Wang said. "It uses large scale data over time from real life, and uses complicated statistics. These are very interesting to me." \nThe researchers found the number of domestic violence cases was inversely related to the point-spread. The authors said the more the team was expected to lose, the greater the number of domestic violence dispatches on game day. Bradley said as a team was expected to win, domestic hostility decreased.\nGantz expanded on this finding and the types of NFL games that lead to domestic disturbances. He said if a person knows their team is going to lose there's a sort of grumpiness. He added if it's an important game, late in the year, and it's close, those games were more linked with domestic violence. \nMoreover, the researchers tested theories about whether the Super Bowl -- the most widely viewed single television event of the year and an unofficial holiday for many -- could predict domestic aggression. But the study found the number of cases reported on Super Bowl Sunday was fairly small compared to those on a holiday such as Christmas.\n"We went into this not expecting a huge spike," Gantz said. "The Super Bowl doesn't lead to as much domestic violence as other holidays and I'll tell you why. First, it draws the largest audience in terms of attendance, so people who normally watch it on TV are actually at the game. Second, some people watch the Super Bowl only for the ads and not for the game. Also, most fans' teams are not involved in the Super Bowl, so they care less and are less passionate about who wins."\nWhile there wasn't a huge fluctuation with domestic conflicts on Super Bowl Sunday, there were still some additional cases of domestic violence. \nA study of this magnitude took a great deal of time and manpower. A gracious Gantz gave the credit to his colleagues. Gantz thanked Bradley and Wang for doing most of the work and said they knew the right people to contact. \nBradley expressed the challenges the researchers faced.\n"It's really easy to uniform crime," Bradley said. "Police departments are very willing to give monthly crime totals. But when it comes to individual days, that's very difficult. You have to explain to them. Monthly totals are not good."\nThe city of Indianapolis responded that it did not keep such accounts. \nCities providing information on domestic violence were Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Green Bay, Kansas City, Miami, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and Tampa Bay.\n"This study is preliminary because we've only studied 14 out of the 30 NFL cities," Gantz said. "But for some cities it's very difficult to gather the data needed because they clump the data together in months or years, and we're targeting specific days. The effects might accrue on certain days, but we don't really know for sure. I would like to do research for at least 20 NFL cities."\nFinally, Gantz warned that sports fans need to be more cognizant of their actions and realize that sports are simply a game. \n"Sports can be exciting and be physiologically arousing," Gantz said, "which fans need to realize when they are wrapped up in the action and after the game is over"
(05/29/03 1:08am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- While inexperience showed at times for rookie drivers in the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500, nerves did not, as the majority of rookies not only finished the race, but did so in remarkable fashion. \nSix of the nine rookies finished in the top 15 of the Indy 500 Sunday. Tora Takagi, driver of the No. 12 Pioneer car, finished fifth and was the highest-placing rookie. \nTakagi described his success at the Brickyard and the privilege of leading the rookie field.\n"I am very happy with this result in my first Indy 500 race," Takagi said. "My car was always fast this month. I wish I could have finished about two places higher, because I think we were capable of finishing at least third. But overall, I am happy with being the highest-finishing rookie in the race. That is a great honor."\nWith his performance, Takagi was able to capture the Bank One Rookie of the Year Award as well as $25,000. \nTakagi was a mere 1.9606 seconds off the pace of champion Gil de Ferran. The race produced the smallest margin ever between first and fifth place.\nIn addition to Takagi, several other rookies went deep into the race. The first to go out of the race was Dan Wheldon, who made contact with the wall in Turn 3 on lap 186, only 14 laps from the end of the race. His No. 26 car then lifted up and turned upside down, sliding into the barrier in Turn 4. Wheldon's car stopped upside down in Turn 4, but he escaped the incident without serious injury.\nThroughout the race, many of the rookies were in a position to win. On lap 180, four rookies were in the top 10. Takagi and Wheldon were in fifth and sixth place, respectively, and were both vying for the lead with just 20 laps remaining. \nBesides Takagi and Wheldon, Tony Renna had a strong run. By finishing seventh, Renna, driver of the No. 32 Cure Autism Now car, gave Kelley Racing its highest finish the team has ever had at the Indy 500. "We just ran a consistent race and stayed out of trouble," Renna said. "It was a great time. The guys gave me a great car. We just worked at it all race long to develop the car and bring it in." Another notable rookie was A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt. Foyt IV had some incidents on the racetrack and had a demanding day, but managed to finish the race in 18th place. At one point during the race, Foyt IV nearly clipped Helio Castroneves in a move the first-year driver probably should not have made. \nNevertheless, the elder Foyt said he has confidence in his grandson and knew his first race at the Brickyard would be a challenging one. \n"We just told him to stay out of trouble and he had a big handicap with no radios at the beginning," A.J. Foyt said. "We're not going to run without no radio and endanger his life and somebody else's, and that was the big problem that got us down. Then after that, we was just trying to finish and give the leaders that were racing for the lead -- since we were five or six laps down -- just get out of their way and let them go. He ran some laps over (2)20 (mph), but the big thing is he got a race under his belt and he learned a lot."\nFoyt IV wasn't the only rookie to make mistakes. On lap 191, Scott Dixon was weaving back and forth to warm his tires when he brushed the inside pit retaining wall. He finished 17th, one spot ahead of Foyt IV.\nFurthermore, Roger Yasukawa, driver of the No. 55 car, finished 10th. Buddy Rice, who started 19th, finished in 11th place, while Vitor Meira, driver of the No. 22 car, finished 12th. Meira started from the 26th position. Meanwhile, Shinji Nakano finished 14th. The seven rookies running at the finish is a record since the Bank One Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1952. Takagi highlighted the magnitude of the Indy 500 and what it means to be able to race in such a storied event.\n"Now I understand what everybody was trying to tell me about the Indy 500," he said. "It is a very special place and a very special race. Not just the race, but all of the nice things that happen before the race, all of the traditions"
(05/22/03 1:36am)
Helio Castroneves will attempt to make history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, where he'll look to claim his third-consecutive Indy 500 title when the 87th running of the Indy 500 takes place at 11 a.m. Sunday.\nNo other driver has won three straight Indy 500 races. In addition, he is one of only five drivers to win consecutive Indy 500 races. Castroneves, who drives the No. 3 Marlboro car, earned the pole after recording a speed of 231.725 mph May 11. It marked the first time a defending Indy 500 winner won the pole since Emerson Fittipaldi captured the top spot in 1990 for Penske Racing. \nCastroneves said he was elated after grabbing the pole. \n"This is one of the best days of my life," Castroneves said. "It's fantastic. It's a dream come true. That guy upstairs made it happen, trust me. I didn't know I had that fast of a car. I knew it would turn the speeds but not for four laps. All of a sudden, I think the cold weather helped the tires. Oh my God, I'm just so happy."\nTony Kanaan qualified in the second position, while Robby Gordon earned the third spot in the 33-car field. \nLast year's IRL Series champion, Sam Hornish Jr., earned the 18th position in what is the deepest field since the IRL split with CART in 1995. \nHe described what it takes to win at Indy and the good fortune a driver has to have.\n"Honestly, the thing about it is that you have to have a very consistent race car to win this race," Hornish Jr. said. "You don't have to have the fastest car, because you can be the fastest car all day long, and you have a bad pit stop, and you go back to 10th, you can't pass anybody, (and) your day is done. So what we're looking to do for Race Day is have a very consistent car, get behind somebody that's fast and can pass, stay there all day long and try to trick them at the end." \nSo far this year, Scott Dixon, Kanaan and Scott Sharp have won in the IRL series. Sharp has recorded 106 points this season, while Kanaan has earned 102. Meanwhile, Castroneves has tallied 83 points in three races this year.\nTwo-time Indy winner Arie Luyendyk does not have medical clearance to drive in the race after crashing during practice May 9. Alex Barron, in the No. 20 car, replaced Luyendyk and qualified on Bump Day.\nMichael Andretti, who has led in nearly 400 laps in 13 races at Indy, the most of any driver without a victory, will retire as a driver following Sunday's race. His No. 7 car is starting in the 13th spot. Crowd favorite Al Unser Jr. is a few spots back in the 17th position.\nIndiana native Sarah Fisher, the lone female to qualify this year, will start 24th in the No. 23 car. Fisher detailed what it was like on Bump Day at the track May 18.\n"I'm so relieved this day is over," Fisher said. "It's been one of the longest in my life, kind of like the last day of school before summer vacation. It's a big load off my mind to not have to worry anymore about getting bumped and to just focus on the Indianapolis 500." \nWhile Fisher will attempt to accomplish a feat no other woman at Indy has imagined, a confident Castroneves eyes a much bigger prize: a three-peat at the Indy 500. \n"As I keep saying, I'm going to enjoy this moment because motor racing, you never know what's going to happen," Castroneves said. "And, for sure, it's been very fortunate to come over here in Indianapolis and be very successful. And right now I'm doing exactly what I did the last two years. Everybody's really committed to do our best. And, again, it's been wonderful so far. It's obvious the field is very competitive, very tight. As Roger (Penske) said, we do have a chance, we have two fast cars, and we just have to keep focused on our job. Whatever happens hopefully happens in a good way"
(03/31/03 5:20am)
After being on the road for the last seven weeks, the IU men's tennis team was glad to finally be playing a match at home. During the extended road trip, the team dropped three matches, its only losses of the spring season. The No. 23 Hoosiers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten) returned to its winning ways this weekend against No. 64 Penn State, but fell to No. 31 Ohio State. \nIU defeated the Nittany Lions 6-1 on Saturday at the Indiana Tennis Center and snapped its brief two-match losing streak. But the Hoosiers were knocked off by the Buckeyes 5-2 Sunday.\nThe lone point IU dropped against Penn State (12-4, 2-2) was at the No. 1 singles position. Sophomore Jakub Praibis retired in the second set because of a reoccurring thumb injury. IU did not relinquish another point on Saturday.\n"I was really pleased with our intensity today," IU interim coach Matt Pledger said. "We did a lot better job of playing hard from beginning to end. In our last couple of matches, we have not done that. We were intense from the very first point of doubles, and I was happy with that. I still think we can play a lot better because we didn't play nearly as well as we did earlier this season."\nIU began the match by winning the doubles point. The Hoosiers won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, including a come from behind victory by freshmen John Stone and Viktor Libal at the No. 2 spot. The duo was down 6-3 and came back to clinch the doubles point for IU with a 9-7 victory over Malcolm Scatliffe and Brad Nudell.\nMeanwhile in singles action, sophomore Ryan Recht breezed through his match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, over Matt Frakes. The win was Recht's eleventh of the season tying him for the team lead with Praibis. Recht highlighted his success in singles. \n"Coming in, I knew his forehand side was weak," Recht said. "I tried to use that to my advantage. I was able to get off to a good start, and I rolled with that."\nRecht said it was a good feeling to playing at home again and added it was different. Despite the difference, Recht's game was on.\n"My forehand was solid today," Recht said. "I used my forehand, which gave the rest of my game confidence. The good start helped me control the match from the outset."\nSenior Zach Held clinched the team victory for IU with 6-3, 6-3 win. It marked Held's first time playing at the No. 3 position this season, as he normally plays at the No. 4 spot. \n"Every win in the Big Ten is critical," Held said. "When you start winning in the Big Ten, people start to take notice of you. Winning also gives us confidence as a team to know that we can get the job done." \nHeld was able to hold his opponent at bay and improved his overall record to 9-5. \n"It felt like everything was working," Held said. "I was popping my serve. I was making him play every point, too. But, I really started popping my serve and that helped me greatly."\nIn addition Libal won at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-3. Senior Petr Novotny and sophomore Tommy Bagnato added victories at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions, respectively. \nOn Sunday, Praibis downed Buckeye Phil Metz 6-3, 6-4, at the No. 2 spot to claim IU's lone singles point. The Hoosiers won the doubles point against Ohio State (14-4, 4-0), but lost the match as IU had to battle uphill all afternoon. \n"The big thing we really need to work on is finding ways to win the match when we are up," Pledger said. "Double faulting, missing easy shots when the match is on the line, that is when you find out your true colors, if you are a fighter, if you are a competitor. I am proud of the way the guys fought at the end of the match, but then it is frustrating to see how we can work so hard just to give it away"
(03/10/03 5:57am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- In the waning minutes of a tightly contested game between IU and No. 14 Penn State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday, both teams must have been thinking about last year's Championship contest. The IU women's basketball team upset the Lady Lions 75-72 in last year's conference tournament on its way to the NCAA Tournament.\nThis time, however, the Hoosiers' upset bid would fall short to 67-64, even though IU led with less than three minutes to play at Conseco Fieldhouse. IU had already beaten Wisconsin by one point in the first round of the tournament.\n"Any first game in the tournament is tough," Penn State coach Rene Portland said. "IU believed in themselves in the Wisconsin game. IU remembers the magic they had last year."\nIU (13-15, 5-11 Big Ten) kept pace with top-seeded Penn State (24-7, 13-3 Big Ten) for the entire game, as it went down to the final seconds. \nWith the score knotted at 61 with 2:36 remaining, the Hoosiers were in a prime position to pull the shocker. But that is when Penn State junior guard Kelly Mazzante raised her game to another level. After grabbing an offensive rebound on a free throw miss, Mazzante called timeout with 1:10 left after she was trapped on the baseline. Out of the timeout, Mazzante drilled an off-balance three-pointer from the left wing to give the Lady Lions a 65-61 lead with 51 seconds left. \nBut the Hoosiers answered as freshman guard Cyndi Valentin darted to the basket, was fouled and converted a three-point play to bring IU within one, 65-64 with 42 seconds remaining. \nPenn State came right back though. IU elected to play solid defense, instead of fouling as there was a 12-second differential between the shot clock and game clock. Once again, Mazzante, who scored 18 points, received the ball on the left side and drove on the baseline. But as Mazzante elevated to shoot the ball, her shot was blocked as a foul on IU was called. The Big Ten Player of the Year made both of her free throws to put Penn State up, 67-64, with 19 seconds left.\nAfter an IU timeout, the Hoosiers tried to set up a three-point attempt to tie the game by senior forward Lisa Eckart. But Eckart's desperation attempt didn't even draw iron at the final buzzer. The Lady Lions escaped with a three-point victory and advanced to the semifinal round.\nBennett said IU's last look to tie the game wasn't a great shot, due in part to a stifling Penn State defense. \n"We played well -- well enough to win throughout the game, and I'm proud of my team, but it wasn't a very good look," Bennett said. "They switched on all the screens and that really hurt us. They recognized everything we tried to do and forced us out of everything."\nEckart, who finished with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, detailed how the final play went wrong.\n"They (Penn State) did a nice job on defense on the last play," Eckart said. "They were switching and floating around. It wasn't a good look at the basket." \nValentin was the only other IU player in double-figures as she tallied 10 points. \nThe Hoosiers committed 21 turnovers, while the Lady Lions committed only 14. \nBennett said IU could not overcome its turnover troubles. \n"Turnovers -- turnovers down the stretch, that hurt us," Bennett said. "We tried to hand the ball off so we wouldn't have to pass it long distances, but we couldn't do it. Penn State did a nice job of defending us, especially in the second half."\nMeanwhile, Penn State used the transition game to spark its offense. They had 17 fast break points compared to IU's zero. Another difference was the Lady Lions performance from the free throw line. They made 22-of-23 from the charity stripe.\nPenn State sophomore guard Tanisha Wright finished with a game-high 26 points, including a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. \nThe game featured 14 lead changes and IU's biggest advantage was six points, which came in the first half. IU led by one at half, 34-33.\nEckart said she was disappointed to see her season end, but was happy to see the IU fans turn out in record numbers this year at Assembly Hall as well as at Conseco Fieldhouse. \n"We noticed a huge difference in our fan base at home," Eckart said. "They have followed us here. The fans are awesome."\nAt the same time, junior forward Jamie Gathing summed up IU's performance against talented Penn State.\n"This was a team game and team defense," Gathing said. "Everyone gave their all"
(03/07/03 3:48pm)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Defense is nothing new for this group of players. Defense has been the cornerstone of the IU women's basketball team ever since coach Kathi Bennett took over the helm three years ago. \nAnd defense was a major factor in IU's opening round win over Wisconsin, 52-51, in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse, as the Hoosiers squeaked past the Badgers. IU (13-14, 5-11 Big Ten) came out focused defensively in the first half and was determined to establish the tone of game on that side of the ball. IU's stingy defense limited the Badgers (7-21, 5-11) to a mere 18 points in the first half, and the Hoosiers held Wisconsin to 24 percent shooting from the field in the first. Wisconsin only converted six field goals in the first, compared to IU's 10. As a result, IU entered the half with a 10-point lead.\n"Our energy was great on defense in the first," Bennett said. "I mean -- you can see the size difference. They are a lot taller than us. We did a better job with perimeter defense in the first than the second."\nPrior to this contest, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (39 percent). They also ranked fourth in the conference in scoring defense allowing a little less than 63 points per game. \nIU limited Wisconsin to 40 percent (22-55) field goal shooting in the contest. In addition the Badgers only connected on one three-pointer in the entire game. The Hoosiers were able to hold the Badgers in check in the first period, but Wisconsin responded defensively in the second half. The Badgers used a 2-3 zone to hold IU scoreless for nearly eight minutes in the second. Meanwhile Wisconsin went on a major run in the second to erase the double-digit halftime deficit. The Badgers were able to utilize the length of 6-foot-7 junior center Lello Gebisa and 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Ebba Gebisa in the zone to stifle the Hoosiers' offensive sets. Overall Wisconsin held IU to 24 points in the second. \nBennett was more dissatisfied with her team's defense in the second.\n"We had no intensity in the second half," Bennett said. "Our ball pressure was bad. How we were fighting in the post was bad. We just lost our intensity, and we had defensive breakdowns. I think they got three put-backs in a row. That really hurt us. We needed to change the way we were playing defense."\nHowever IU's defense stepped to the forefront when it mattered most on Thursday. After a made free throw by Lello Gebisa with 1:04 left, the Hoosiers held Wisconsin scoreless for the remainder of the game.\nThe IU players know the importance of solid defense and how it leads to other opportunities.\n"We know we have to play hard on defense," senior guard Kristen Bodine said. "We got beat on the boards in the second. Sometimes we struggle on offense. When that happens we need our defense to spark our offense."\nIn the first, IU's defense sparked its offense, as the Hoosiers connected on four three-pointers and attempted to push the ball down the floor.\nBennett has engrained the concept of true defense into her players' heads and it has paid dividends.\n"No matter what, defense wins games," freshman guard Kali Kullberg said. "We got a stop in the second and built off of that. Stops turn the game around"
(03/03/03 5:46am)
After a difficult regular season in some respects, the IU women's basketball team wanted to finish on a high note at home on Senior Day. The women would get their wish.\nThe Hoosiers prevailed against Illinois 85-82 in overtime Sunday at Assembly Hall. \nPrior to this contest, IU (12-14, 5-11 Big Ten) had lost 10 of twelve games this year.\n"This was a big win for us," IU coach Kathi Bennett said. "We needed a victory like this. (Junior forward) Jamie Gathing's defense on Williams in the second half was key."\nWith the crowd Sunday, IU averaged more than 2,000 fans per home contest this year, marking the first time that record had been achieved. \nIllinois (17-10, 9-7) controlled from the outset as it opened the game 7-1 and shot extremely well from the field in the first half. As a result, the Hoosiers found themselves battling uphill for all of the first half.\nThe Hoosiers never led in the first and trailed by as many as 15. Illinois led at the break, 45-35.\nThe second half was a different story. IU's defense buckled down and limited the Illini to shoot only 34.8 percent (8-23) in the second.\nIn the second half, IU gradually decreased the Illinois lead. The Hoosiers fought back to within one point with 12 minutes to go. IU finally seized their first lead of the game at 60-59 when freshman guard Cyndi Valentin connected on a three-pointer from the left wing with 8:18 left. Illinois extended the lead to three again before IU answered back. With 1:15 left in regulation, freshman center Angela Hawkins made two free throws to tie the score 72-72. \nIU had a few opportunities to possibly win the game in regulation, but two missed shots by sophomore guard/forward Jenny DeMuth, including a layup that rolled around and out, ensured the game would go to overtime. \nIn the extra period, with the score knotted at 82-82 with just over a minute left, freshman guard/ forward April Williams hit a shot from the right wing that gave IU a two-point advantage, 84-82, and proved to be the game winner. \n"I just wanted to help the seniors out," Williams said. "They have done so much for this program, so to be able to give something back to them was nice."\nBennett highlighted the team's success in overtime.\n"I felt we could attack them in overtime," Bennett said. "Get the ball inside, run, and be more aggressive. That worked to our advantage in overtime."\nWith 23 seconds left after a missed three-pointer by Illinois which was blocked by Gathing, Illinois grabbed the rebound but also missed a put-back two-point attempt. After that, the Illini had to foul to prolong the game. But it was too late. \nSenior guard Kristen Bodine described her experience at the charity strip near the end of the game.\n"It was nice. I wish I could of hit all four though," Bodine said. "At that point I wasn't too worried about the game. I felt comfortable with our lead and the time remaining. But I just hit a cold spell midway through the second half, and it affected my free throw shooting."\nThe Hoosiers were paced by senior forward Lisa Eckart, who recorded a season-high 26 points. She also netted 4-of-6 from three-point range and added nine rebounds. Bodine chipped in 19 points, including 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. It was both Eckart's and Bodine's last game at Assembly Hall.\nEckart was excited for all of the seniors and described what it took in the extra session.\n"We did a great job of getting the ball inside," Eckart said. "We were able to draw fouls on them and get their big players in foul trouble. That was a key in the game."\nThe Hoosiers begin the Big Ten Tournament Thursday in Indianapolis at Conseco Fieldhouse. They will take on Wisconsin at 3 p.m. Thursday.\n"Our focus is on the tournament now," Bennett said. "Wisconsin hurt us on a few sets, which I'm picturing right now, so we are going to have to prepare for them. We also have to stop their big people."\nBodine responded to the question of whether she thought the Hoosiers could be playing any better, despite IU's recent struggles.\n"I don't think so," Bodine said. "Our defense wasn't as well as we liked today, but our offense has been a long time since we've clicked, but today we really did. We have improved and that is encouraging and that's something we can take into the Big Ten Tournament"
(02/28/03 6:06am)
WEST LAFAYETTE -- One IU player who will never give up regardless of the score is sophomore guard/forward Jenny DeMuth. Even though the IU women's basketball team (11-14, 4-11 Big Ten) dropped a 74-48 game against Purdue (22-5, 11-4) on Thursday in West Lafayette, DeMuth again displayed her determination and never say die attitude. \nDeMuth recorded 15 points but only made three field goals. She made her living from the free throw line where she drained 8-of-12. The 5-foot, 10-inch Hoosier did all of this in only 23 minutes of action. She was limited because of foul trouble. \n"I've been struggling the past few games, so I had my mind made up that I was going to be aggressive offensively," DeMuth said. "I know I can help this team very much, and that's what I tried to do tonight."\nDeMuth has tallied 14 games in double-figure scoring this year.\nBesides her scoring success, DeMuth had to guard Purdue's best player, junior forward Shereka Wright. IU coach Kathi Bennett said she was impressed with DeMuth's defense and her ability to limit Wright, who finished the game five points below her average.\n"I felt like we did a better job to fight through a lot of back screens and to keep her from getting the ball in the post and keep her from getting shots," Bennett said. "Because that's where she really got us the last time, and I think Jenny did a nice job of defending her."\nDeMuth was humble about her performance on defense and said you have to approach the challenge with confidence.\n"(Wright's) a great player," DeMuth said. "Nine out of 10 times she is going to score when she has the ball. You just have to have a defensive mentality when you guard her. You have to know that she will attack the basket at any time." \nOther IU players said they noticed DeMuth's hustle and the intangibles she brings to the court as well.\n"She has a very positive attitude," freshman forward April Williams said. "She motivates the underclassmen and has a very high energy level. When players are on the floor and see how hard she plays, that only makes the other players want to work that much harder." \nDeMuth was not the lone IU guard to have scoring success Thursday. Freshman guard Cyndi Valentin added 10 points in 29 minutes of play.\n"The guards had screens set up for them," Williams said. "We got them open on the perimeter and got some good looks from the outside. We really wanted to win this game, and Jenny showed it with her play tonight."\nJust a sophomore, DeMuth is asserting herself as a leader on this team, and there is no turning back. She said she wants to be the go-to player for this team next season and for the year after that. \n"Overall, I think we played hard tonight, and that's what we wanted to do," DeMuth said. "For me I want to continue my success in the next game and establish myself as a quality player on this team. Also I hope other players can feed off of my intensity and attitude"
(02/27/03 5:52am)
A long-standing rivalry adds another storied chapter tonight in West Lafayette. \nThe IU women's basketball team squares off with the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers at 7 p.m. at Mackey Arena. The Hoosiers (11-13, 4-10 Big Ten) will look to spring the gigantic upset when they travel north in the state to take on their old conference nemesis.\nIU has struggled away from Assembly Hall this year, compiling a 1-6 conference record on the road.\nPurdue (21-5, 10-4) is positioning itself to make another run at a Big Ten title. The Boilermakers are currently tied for second in the conference with Minnesota with 10 wins. Penn State is in first place with a mark of 12-3, and they are 22-7 overall.\nThe Boilermakers have won seven of their last nine contests. \nIU coach Kathi Bennett said she is optimistic and elated to have an opportunity at knocking Purdue out of the Big Ten title race. \n"It's going to be exciting," Bennett said. "They are vying for a Big Ten Championship, and we are traveling to their place. This group has never won at Purdue, so they are out to prove something."\nThe Hoosiers enter this contest after losing to Michigan, 75-64, in Bloomington on Sunday. Meanwhile, Purdue is coming off a 56-51 loss at Ohio State on Sunday, their first defeat since Feb. 13 when they lost at Penn State. Last year, IU outlasted Purdue, 55-41, in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, but the Boilermakers have controlled the series recently, having won 10 of the past 11. Purdue won last year in West Lafayette by 24 points.\nThis game marks another chance for half of a Titan Point. The Titan Series is an all-sports competition between IU and Purdue that lasts throughout the school year. The Hoosiers won the inaugural Titan Series last year. Going into tonight's matchup, IU owns a 5.5-4.0 lead over Purdue in the Titan Series.\n"We're excited to play," said senior forward Lisa Eckart, who scored 22 points against Michigan on Sunday. "It brings out the best in both of us. Purdue is considered by most people as the premier women's basketball program in the state, so we want to prove those people wrong." \nEckart has been a powerful force lately for IU. She has drained 10 of her last 15 three-pointers over the last two games. She was 5-of-7 against Northwestern and 5-of-8 against Michigan from behind the three-point line.\nEckart has taken the scoring accomplishments in stride however.\n"I've had confidence in myself," Eckart said. "I've got the confidence back in my shot, and I feel I'm capable of hitting all of my shots. I know where I'm at on the court and where my defender is at all times."\nEarlier this year, the two conference foes met in a non-conference game in Indianapolis at the RCA Dome with Purdue claiming a 53-51 victory on Dec. 14. As a result, the Boilermakers claimed half of a Titan point. Bennett said the IU players have not completely forgot about that intense contest. \n"It's in the back of their minds," Bennett said. "But we need to address things that have happened in recent games. When things don't go well, we tend to let that bother us, instead of just playing through it."\nIU's most glaring problem recently has been its shooting from the field. The Hoosiers have had shooting difficulties sporadically this season. They have shot below 34 percent from the field in the last two games, both losses. \nIn IU's last three losing efforts, they have dropped those games by an average of six points per contest, including a three-point loss to then No.15 Minnesota.\n"If we play hard, we can handle losing," Eckart said. "If we don't play hard, that's another story. Everybody has to be on the same page in terms of playing hard."\nIU leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal defense, limiting the opposition to 39 percent shooting from the field. In addition, the Hoosiers rank third in the conference in scoring defense, limiting opponents to a mere 61.5 points per game.\nMeanwhile, Mackey Arena is one of the toughest places to play, not only in the Big Ten, but in the country as well. Freshman center Angela Hawkins will experience the environment in West Lafayette, Ind., for the first time in her career.\n"It's going to be rowdy, noisy and packed with fans," Hawkins said. "It's something we'll have to see when we get there. The atmosphere should be incredible."\nEckart said the team is finally beginning to come together.\n"It has taken a while to come together," Eckart said. "We have had trouble mixing in the younger talent with the veteran players. It's just a matter of time before we click, and you'll be able to tell a difference when we do. Right now, we just don't have five players working hard out there at the same time. When that happens, you'll see a difference."\nFor IU, they are hoping the difference clicks tonight at Purdue.
(02/24/03 5:54am)
Despite a good fight and over 20 points from an IU senior, the IU women's basketball team dropped a 75-64 decision to Michigan on Sunday at Assembly Hall. The contest set the single-season attendance record for women's basketball at 23,449 fans, which was set in 11 games. The previous record was set in 16 games in 1997-1998.\nThe Wolverines have now won six of the past eight meetings between the two schools. \nThe Hoosiers (11-13, 4-10 Big Ten) came out of the gates strong and scored the first eight points of the contest and led 11-4 before Michigan answered with a run of their own. The Wolverines (12-13, 3-11) answered with a mini 6-0 run to cut the lead to one with 10:30 to play in the first half. IU's eight-point advantage early on would be their biggest lead of the game as they trailed by seven at half, 33-26, and never led in the second. \nIU coach Kathi Bennett highlighted what it is going to take to earn a victory in the Big Ten.\n"We need to accept that we need to out-work, out-hustle and out-intangible other teams," Bennett said. "We have to accept it. But their physical strength was evident in today's game." \nIU struggled from the field again, a reoccurring problem for the team this season. The Hoosiers shot 33.9 percent (20-59) from the field for the contest. At the same time, Michigan shot 50 percent (24-48) for the game. IU shot a mere 29 percent from the field in a loss against Northwestern on Thursday. \nThe Hoosiers were paced by senior forward Lisa Eckart, who scored 22 points, including 5-for-8 from three-point range. Eckart nailed four three-pointers in the first stanza and recorded 14 points in the first 20 minutes. Eckart was disappointed after the team's second straight loss. She detailed the year so far.\n"We have to learn from the losses," Eckart said. "It's been a tough season, but it builds character off the court. People on this team need to learn what it means to be on a team."\nOn the other side, Michigan junior center Jennifer Smith was a presence in the low post in the first half. She tallied 13 points in the first on 6-for-8 shooting. Bennett described how IU prepared for the 6-foot-4 Smith.\n"We worked for two days on keeping the ball out of her hands," Bennett said. "(Freshman forward) Brigett (Branson) went down in the first six minutes of the game, and she is 6-foot-2. It was a very physical game and if they are allowed to play that way, we are at a disadvantage. Brigett is probably also our best defensive rebounder."\nAlthough it was an IU loss, a bright spot was freshman and Bloomington native Cyndi Valentin. The 5-foot-8 guard eclipsed the freshman scoring mark on Sunday with 11 points. She became the first IU freshmen to record 250 points in a single season. She also has compiled over 25 three-pointers this season and at least 30 steals. \n"It's a great honor," Valentin said. "I try to do whatever I can to help the team out. Whatever I can do, I try and do. It's truly an honor though."\nAnother factor in the outcome of the game was rebounds. The Wolverines grabbed 14 more rebounds than the Hoosiers for the game, 42-28, and they consistently nabbed offensive rebounds to give themselves opportunities at second chance points. As a result, Michigan recorded more points in the paint in the second than IU. \nDespite the loss, Bennett has not lost faith in her team.\n"It was a four-point game with like four or five minutes to go, and I thought we could pull it off," Bennett said. "But then we give them a put-back right at the shot-clock buzzer. That hurt us."\nIU was able to scrap to within five points twice within the last 30 seconds as they fouled to prolong the game, but Michigan sealed the win at the free throw line.\nIU has two regular season games remaining. The Hoosiers next travel to Purdue to battle with the Boilermakers at 7 p.m. Thursday.\n"I thought we played pretty well defensively," Bennett said. "We are not shooting well at all though, and we need to get some help from the offense. We just need to shoot better"
(02/17/03 5:15am)
MADISON, Wis. -- It has almost been like a broken record for freshman guard Cyndi Valentin this season. She just keeps having good games over and over again. Valentin, typically the smallest player on the floor, has been doing this the whole season. But this time it was in a Big Ten road victory, IU's first such victory of the season. Valentin netted a career-high 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting, including two three-pointers to lead the Hoosiers (11-11, 4-8 Big Ten) to a 49-48 win over Wisconsin (7-17, 5-8 Big Ten) Sunday at the Kohl Center. \n"She (Cyndi) has to be a scorer for us and she has to be very aggressive," IU coach Kathi Bennett said. "Her shot selection the last few games has been better for us. That's something that's very important. She just has to keep taking it to the rim and making good decisions when she's out there. I think that she has been more effective because her shot selection has been better."\nValentin's previous career scoring high came in a win against Illinois State on Dec. 30 when she tallied 22 points. \nOn Sunday, Bennett was not the only coach who noticed Valentin's scoring outburst and her hustle in the first half. Wisconsin coach Jane Albright said she was thoroughly impressed with the 5-foot-8 inch guard's performance.\n"Valentin single-handedly was on a mission in the first half," Albright said. "We didn't find her in the first. She wasn't really running off screens. She was just finding a way to get open. But we did a better job in the second half against her. We held them to 23 points in the second half, and we did a better job on Valentin."\nValentin recorded a mere six points in the second period, compared to 17 in the first, when she only missed two field goals. In addition, she buried all five of her free throws that she attempted, which was very crucial in a game that was decided by one point.\nValentin is learning to become a leader on the floor. She said patience has been the key to her success. \n"I knew just to be patient," Valentin said. "If I'm patient, good things will happen."\nValentin, who has notched 11 double-figure scoring games in her freshman year, gave the credit to her teammates.\n"Throughout the game my teammates did a good job of penetrating and getting me open shots," Valentin said. "That was important for me and our team today."\nSenior guard Kristen Bodine said she feels this team is a guard-oriented team and knows a great deal of the scoring pressure falls on Valentin and herself. Bodine added this team can compensate for its lack of size with a solid transition offense, which starts with the guards. \nValentin was effective in the open court as IU led the Badgers in fast-break points for the contest.\nThe guard was humble in summing up her performance, crediting her teammates for her success.\n"You just have to be confident in your play, and I'm confident in my play right now," Valentin said. "I did receive some great help from teammates though"
(02/14/03 5:23am)
Behind red-hot shooting and four double-figure scorers, the IU women's basketball team defeated Iowa 89-68 Thursday night at Assembly Hall. It snapped a seven-game losing skid, which began on Jan. 16. The Hoosiers last win came against then No. 23 Ohio State on Jan. 12. \n"It felt good and I thought we played really well," IU coach Kathi Bennett said. "Our transition game was working extremely well. We got transition going and ran the floor hard, and that led to some easy baskets."\nThe 89 points was the most points by IU in a Big Ten game since Jan. 11, 2001, when they put up 92 against Minnesota.\nThe Hoosiers (10-11, 3-8 Big Ten) finished the contest with four players scoring in double-figures, including two players who each tallied at least 20 points. Sophomore guard/forward Jenny DeMuth led the way with 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting, while senior guard Kristen Bodine poured in 23 points. Freshman guard Cyndi Valentin chipped in 16 points. \nBennett said she felt this is the best game IU has played offensively since the Purdue game exactly two months ago. She added that the Hoosiers played very aggressively versus Minnesota on Sunday, but she said they failed to execute the offense as well as they did Thursday night.\nThis marked the first game this season where IU has had two players score 20 or more points in a regulation game. \nBennett was proud of both DeMuth's and Bodine's performances.\n"I've been really hard on them in practice, and they responded in a positive way," Bennett said. "That was nice to see."\nThe Hoosiers started out the game on a roll, opening the game with a 16-9 lead over Iowa (12-10, 4-7). A big reason was the fact that IU was getting out in transition and running.\n"I want to get easy shots," Bennett said. "If you have a break and an opening, go for it. But in our half-court offense, we can't take quick shots. That's something we have to work on."\nBodine described her success, especially in transition.\n"That's how I'm best, in the open court," Bodine said. "I think this team is best in the open court. We're not a good half-court team. We have to run the floor to make up for that."\nIU lead 44-34 at half, thanks to a buzzer-beater by Bodine.\n"Coach got on both of us this week," DeMuth said. "She basically told us to shape up or ship out. I think we rebounded tonight, and we need to continue playing this way for the next game."\nAfter a three by Bodine, IU had their biggest lead of the game at 20 points at 69-49 with 10 minutes to play, but the Hawkeyes would not go away. Iowa responded with a 10-0 run to cut the IU lead to 10. \nBut Bodine connected on another three to give IU a 10-point advantage with four minutes left, and timely free throw shooting by DeMuth would preserve the victory.\nThe Hoosiers next play at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Wisconsin. \n"We've got to stay hungry and can't let up," Bennett said. "It's very important for us to do that"
(02/13/03 5:36am)
An oft-heard phrase in any aspect of life is, "If you just keep fighting things will get better." The IU women's basketball team is taking that philosophy to heart, and they are indeed fighting. IU (9-11, 2-8 Big Ten) has lost its last seven games, the longest losing streak since 1994 when they lost ten straight. \nBut two of those losses in the current skid were by three points. IU will look to snap their losing streak when they battle with Iowa tonight at 7 p.m. in Assembly Hall. \nIU dropped a hard-fought contest to No.15 Minnesota by three points at home on Sunday. Despite the loss, IU is taking the positives from that game. \nCoach Kathi Bennett said it means everything to carry over that same intensity from last game to this game. She said that intensity translates to the outcome of the game, good or bad. \n"It (intensity) has to be the same, if not better than the last game," Bennett said. "Our defensive intensity is crucial for success."\nIn the last game, the Hoosiers shut down Minnesota, the nation's best field goal percentage team and held them to just 59 points for the game. In addition, they limited them to just under 40 percent for the game, 12 percentage points below their average field goal percentage.\n"It showed we can play with anybody in the Big Ten because they are one of the best teams in the conference," senior guard/forward Jill Hartman said. "We did a number of things well against Minnesota, and hopefully we can use confidence for the Iowa game." \nAt this point in the season last year, IU held an identical 9-11 overall mark, and they were 3-6 in the conference before they went on to win five of their final seven regular season games. After that, the Hoosiers captured the Big Ten Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. \nBennett said there is no reason why the Hoosiers cannot make a run in the regular season and have success in the Big Ten Tournament again. \nThat possible run starts with Iowa tonight. The Hawkeyes (12-9, 4-6) are led by junior forward Jennie Lillis and junior guard Kristi Faulkner. Lillis leads the team with an average of 15.9 points per game and averages nearly eight rebounds per contest and last year was a Big Ten honoree as a sophomore. Faulkner poured in 29 points in a victory over IU on Jan. 30 in Iowa City, Iowa. She ranks right behind Lillis in team scoring average.\n"They are awesome offensively. They score a lot of points," Bennett said. "They've scored the most points on us than any other team since I've been coach here."\nIowa ranks fifth in the conference in scoring offense with an average of 72.7 points per game in their 21 games.\n"They cut without the ball so well," Bennett said. "They make hard cuts. Also, their guards are very explosive. We have to stop their guards from cutting and not let them pass where they want to."\nLately, IU has been led by its seniors. Hartman and senior guard Kristen Bodine have combined to lead the team in scoring. They have averaged 13 and 14 points respectively in the last three games, and they both are shooting at least at a 50 percent clip in those contests.\nWhile Iowa has won 12 of the last 14 meetings between the two teams, the Hoosiers won last year in the Big Ten Tournament by two points on their way to the Tournament Championship. \nMeanwhile, it has been no secret that IU has played much better at home this year versus away from Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are winless on the road in the Big Ten, but hold a 2-3 conference mark at home.\n"With the crowd cheering for us at home, that gives us confidence," freshman forward Brigett Branson said. "It's an uplift at home. On the road we have to fight the crowd and try to play through it. But right now we just feel more comfortable at home."\nBoth Iowa and IU rank near the top of the conference in rebounding offense.\n"They are not a very big team, so rebounding will be even more important," Branson said. "Rebounding is such a big defensive factor. Games come down to rebounding a lot of the time, so we have to make sure we do the job on the boards."\nThe Hoosiers have six games remaining this year in the regular season. After Iowa, they hit the road to take on Wisconsin and Northwestern before returning home on Feb. 23. \nBennett said she relishes the opportunity and has a tremendous amount of confidence in her team. \n"These next four games are huge. I'm glad this next one is at home," Bennett said. "There's no reason why we can't win the rest of our games this season, and I truly believe that"