Top spots elusive as last round looms
After the first day of play at the Xavier Invitational in Mason, Ohio the Hoosiers are in contention for a shot at the top place during the third and final round today.
After the first day of play at the Xavier Invitational in Mason, Ohio the Hoosiers are in contention for a shot at the top place during the third and final round today.
Senior quarterback Gibran Hamdan was named co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week along with Minnesota running back Terry Jackson for his performance against Wisconsin on Saturday. Hamdan led the Hoosiers from a 19-point deficit to a 32-29 victory over the Badgers.
John Elway led one. Joe Montana had one too. Now senior Gibran Hamdan has a drive that produced late-game heroics and capped off a remarkable come-from-behind victory, his coming over No. 23 Wisconsin. Hamdan led the Hoosiers on a ten play, 76-yard drive that finished with a 20-yard pass to junior Glenn Johnson. Hamdan and Johnson hooked up again on a two-point conversion that gave the Hoosiers a 32-29 lead and erased a 19 point deficit with just 2:16 remaining in the game.
IU lost a hard fought match against Big Ten leader Michigan Sunday evening at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The Hoosiers gave up their first home loss of the season to the No. 9 Wolverines in a 2-0 shutout. In the first half, both team's defenses controlled the attacking, and IU was able to prevent the Big Ten's points leader, senior forward Abby Crumpton, from doing any damage. Right from the beginning of the second period, Michigan loaded the guns and started to fire. IU looked vulnerable for the first five minutes but calmed down and got the ball into their attacking third. Yet, that worked in favor of the Wolverines because in the 57th minute Michigan forced a fast break off an errant throw in and took advantage of IU's off balance defense. Freshman Wolverine forward Therese Heaton put the ball past junior goalkeeper Shaunna Daugherty off an assist from Crumpton.
Women's volleyball ends four-game skid, Field hockey falls to Michigan State.
Heading into their last tournament of the fall season, the Hoosier men's golf team is looking for a breakthrough performance -- finally. That opportunity will come at the hands of the 17 other teams on Monday and Tuesday at the Xavier Invitational at the Grizzly Tournament Course at the Golf Center at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. The par 71, 6,550-yard PGA and Senior PGA caliber course has hosted tournaments for both associations in the last 30 years. "If (the course is) compared to Wisconsin, it's not long, and it's not tree-lined," coach Mike Mayer said. "But it does have holes that demand positioning and accuracy is the key."
The IU men's soccer team capped a three-game homestand Sunday with a pair of wins against Big Ten rivals Wisconsin and Northwestern. The wins increased the Hoosiers' Big Ten regular season win streak to 35 games heading into its final conference game against Ohio State (8-3-0, 2-0-0 in Big Ten), and could possibly decide the number one seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State must travel to Michigan and Northwestern to finish out its conference schedule after facing IU. The Hoosiers have outscored conference foes 15-3, and sophomore goalkeeper Jay Nolly has notched two of his seven shutouts against Big Ten opponents. IU (10-1-2, 5-0-0 in Big Ten) entered this weekend's games in very good position to take the conference crown riding sophomore Ned Grabavoy's hot streak and the defense's stifling play, but IU's season took a sudden turn for the worse before the Northwestern game. Sophomore Danny O'Rourke collided with a teammate during pregame warm-ups, fracturing his jaw in two places, leaving a huge void in the backfield. "He's been so crucial to the whole team," coach Jerry Yeagley. "He provides energy to everyone. We'll be a completely different team without Danny."
In perhaps its biggest weekend of soccer this season, the IU men's soccer team came up big with a pair of victories over Wisconsin and Northwestern. The two victories extended IU's Big Ten conference game winning streak to 35 and put them in position to once again claim the bye for the first round of the Big Ten soccer tournament. The No. 4 ranked Hoosiers routed Wisconsin (7-5, 1-2 Big Ten) 5-1 Friday night to extend IU's winning streak over the Badgers to eight. IU (10-1-2, 5-0) downed Northwestern (5-7, 0-3) 1-0 Sunday as IU is now 19-0 all-time against the Wildcats.
Whether it was being introduced in front of a vivacious crowd, competing in one of the various events or judging the men's slam dunk contest, the women's basketball team was rewarded at Midnight Madness Saturday morning for all of the hard work they have put in during individual workouts the past month. "To see all the people, it's amazing," coach Kathi Bennett said. The players were looking to feed off the energy the crowd provided and their goal was to have the best time they could. Junior Jamie Gathing said she wasn't nervous about the crowd. Instead, she said she was excited just to be a part of the event. "Last year ended on a really good note so I'm excited to come back and let people know we're here," Gathing said. "My freshman year we weren't included. Midnight Madness is so much better than it used to be years ago." Before Midnight Madness, senior Jill Hartman said a woman player needed to win the three-point shootout this year. Freshman Cyndi Valentin delivered. She won the shootout by knocking down 12 three-pointers in 45 seconds. It was a basket at the buzzer that clenched her win over sophomore Ryan Tapak. Valentin forced a playoff in the finals after she connected on her last four shots. The women's bench cheered louder after each Valentin three went through the net, as she defeated the defending three-point champion.
Assembly Hall sounded like a New York City street on New Year's Eve Friday night. When the countdown clock hit two minutes before the official start of the IU basketball season, it was like Dick Clark and his ball were at center court. With the more than 10,000 fans filling both sides of the stadium, the basketball-crazy students, faculty and public went wild at the first sight of their NCAA runner-up men's team and the Big Ten tournament champions women's team at the 2002 Midnight Madness. "We kept peeking out, looking up and seeing how many people were here," freshman guard Bracey Wright said. "Then they darkened the lights, and everybody started screaming. When they called my name, I ran out, and the place went wild. It was great." One-by-one, each member of both the men's and women's squad got their place under that single spotlight. Following the introductions, the competitions that mark the first "practice" kicked off.
Vanderjagt powers Colts to victory, Hoosiers ousted from tournament and novices take first at regatta.
Sometimes, football's greatest performances come in unexpected packages. The greatest comeback in football history, a playoff rally from a 35-3 deficit, was led by a backup quarterback, Frank Reich of the Buffalo Bills. For IU, a great performance blossomed in the form of senior quarterback Gibran Hamdan, who went from a backup on opening day to a hero Saturday. In just his fourth career start as quarterback, Hamdan proved his mettle as a comeback artist, leading IU back from a 19-point deficit to stun No. 23 Wisconsin, 32-29. The victory represents the Hoosiers' biggest comeback since they erased a 21-point deficit against Illinois in 1999. It was also the third-largest comeback in school history. Hamdan put up career-highs in every statistical category, completing 24 of 36 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns. It was the first 300-yard passing performance by an IU quarterback since Antwaan Randle El threw for 329 yards against Purdue in 1999.
The Hoosiers wrapped up a solid weekend at the Head of the Rock Regatta highlighted by the first place finish of the novice 4 at the time of 19:38. The boat was rowed by freshmen Laura Wharen, Kati Peiss, Lauren Anderson, Barret Belstra, Laura Teskoski. They beat out two strong Loyola Academy crews that finished second (19:52) and third (20:29). In the double race, the Hoosiers placed third (19:36), seventh (21:28), and eighth (21:33).
A second half scoring frenzy propelled the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans to a 5-1 victory over the IU field hockey team (3-9, 1-2 Big Ten) Saturday. The Spartans (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) tallied all five of their goals in the second half, including three in the final nine minutes of regulation. Despite the final score, the Hoosiers stayed close for much of the game with the more experienced and talented Spartans.
The storm has subsided. After losing four straight games against Big Ten opponents, the Hoosier volleyball team has lurched back to life with an upset win against the No. 15 ranked Wisconsin Badgers Saturday. But, Saturday's win came with a price as the Hoosiers fell to the unranked Northwestern Wildcats just 24 hours earlier.
IU scored 22 unanswered points late in the second half Saturday to mount an improbable come-from-behind victory over No. 22 Wisconsin, 32-29. The victory represents the Hoosiers' biggest comeback since they erased a 21-point deficit against Illinois in 1999. It is also IU's first win over a ranked opponent since an Oct. 21, 2000 victory over Minnesota.
The fortunes of the IU field hockey squad took a turn for the better Saturday afternoon as the Hoosiers ended their four-game losing skid with a winning performance against No. 20 Ohio State. The victory was IU's first ever against a Big Ten opponent.
Last year, IU President Myles Brand wrote a guest editorial for the NCAA about the need to slow down the "arms race" in college athletic departments. Apparently they liked what he wrote. Brand, now the president-elect of the NCAA, criticized big time athletics and called for "academics before athletics." The message the NCAA sent in luring Brand from higher education is that they agree.
Every year, the men's and women's basketball seasons kick off with Midnight Madness. The event marks the beginning of regular season practices and the end of off-season conditioning. For the admission price of one can of food, fans will get a first glimpse of the 2002-03 teams at Assembly Hall.
The 2002 Hoosier volleyball season began with spectacular results as the team bolted out to an 11-2 record. But three road losses and two ranked teams later, the IU women's volleyball team is looking to turn its young Big Ten season around. This will be no easy task as the squad faces a two match weekend against the Northwestern Wildcats tonight and the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday.