Sports

Hoosier Coach Versyp gets 100th career victory with win over Belmont

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Nov. 30,2005 8 p.m.

With her second victory at IU, women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp reached 100 career wins. In the team's first road game of the season, the Hoosiers (2-3) defeated Belmont University 68-51 Tuesday night. After struggling with poor shooting in a loss to Bowling Green State University in the championship game of the Hampton Inn Classic Saturday, the Hoosiers responded by shooting 44.9 percent from the field in handing Belmont its first loss of the season.

In honor of IU's newly acquired top 20 ranking, the IDS presents 17 storylines to watch for when No. 1 Duke squares off with No. 17 Indiana

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Nov. 30,2005 7:58 p.m.

No. 1: The battle inside between IU's Marco Killingsworth and Duke's Shelden Williams Between IU's Marco Killingsworth and Duke's Shelden Williams, the paint of Branch McCracken court will be weighed down by more than 500 pounds tonight. Both perennial All-American candidates average more than 18 points and eight rebounds a game, and neither shoot below 60 percent. The 6-foot-9 Williams has an inch of height on Killingsworth, but the 268-pound Alabama native brings an additional 18 pounds to the post. A key factor in tonight's game will be which player forces the other into foul trouble first.

STILL PERFECT

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Marot · Tuesday, Nov. 29,2005 6:26 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pittsburgh's gamble to start the second half failed, and the Indianapolis Colts made them pay for it as they took a 23-7 lead after the third quarter, earning the undefeated Colts their 11th win in a row, 26-7. The Steelers opened the second half by trying an onside kick, but rookie Matt Giordano recovered for the Colts at the Pittsburgh 37. Seven plays later, Peyton Manning hooked up with tight end Bryan Fletcher on a 12-yard touchdown pass, Manning's second of the game. That gave Indy a 23-7 lead and forced the Steelers to abandon their powerful ground game.

Versyp seeking win No. 100

By Tim O Brien and Tim O'Brien · Tuesday, Nov. 29,2005 5:40 p.m.

After suffering a tough loss in the Hampton Inn Classic championship game this weekend, the IU women's basketball team will play Belmont University at 7 p.m. tonight in Nashville, Tenn. In the championship game of the Hampton Inn Classic, IU lost to Bowling Green, 68-50. Senior co-captains Cyndi Valentin and Jenny DeMuth led the way in the loss with 21 and 18 points, respectively. The other eight Hoosiers who saw the court scored only 11 points on 5-of-25 shooting.

Tar Heels, Illini sequel not as intriguing as last year's title

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Nov. 29,2005 5:39 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- As far as sequels go, this one probably is destined to be a flop -- North Carolina versus Illinois II. Think of it along the lines of "Speed 2," or perhaps "Grease 2." Either way, the rematch of last season's NCAA championship game should have a tough time equaling the original. "But it's still a big game," Illini coach Bruce Weber said Monday. "It's a good early season test for us. We'll learn more about our team." His counterpart, Roy Wiliams, certainly can say the same.

Hoosiers go to 3-0; Duke on horizon

By Brian Janosch · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:53 a.m.

MACOMB, Ill. -- For the third straight game, the IU men's basketball team topped 50 percent shooting and 99 points in its 102-79 victory against Western Illinois University Saturday night. After only five minutes, No. 20 IU (3-0) owned a double-digit lead, making seven of its first nine shots, including three three-pointers. On the night, IU drained 16 total long balls, the second highest three-point total in school history.

Artest, O'Neal lead Indiana as Pacers clip Los Angeles, 97-92

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:37 a.m.

LOS ANGELES -- Ron Artest scored 22 points, Jermaine O'Neal had 16 points and 13 rebounds and the Indiana Pacers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 97-92 on Sunday. Elton Brand had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost consecutive games for the first time this season after a franchise-best 9-2 start and were beaten at home for the first time.

IU closes out season on 10-match losing streak

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:36 a.m.

The IU volleyball team wrapped up its season with a pair of losses at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats and the No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers this weekend, ending the season on a 10-match losing streak to finish 2-18 in Big Ten play and 9-23 on the season. The Hoosiers looked to avoid the season sweep in Friday's match against Northwestern but came up short, falling to the Wildcats 3-1 (30-25, 35-33, 23-30, 30-27).

Hoosiers score 179 points, take 1st at Mat Town Invitational

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:34 a.m.

Senior Joe Dubuque began the defense of his National Championship title Saturday with an individual title in the 125-pound division at the Mat Town Invitational in Lock Haven, Pa. Junior Matt Cooper and sophomore Brandon Becker each also came away with titles in the 149- and 157-pound divisions for the Hoosiers. A total of 13 Hoosiers placed in the event, leading No. 16 IU to a first place finish in the tournament.

Women fall to 1-3 with losses to Irish, Bowling Green

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:33 a.m.

The IU women's basketball team fell to 1-3 for the season during Thanksgiving break -- dropping two of three games. During the first contest, against No. 15 Notre Dame Wednesday at Assembly Hall, IU played solid defense and senior guard Jenny DeMuth led the team in scoring with 20 points, but the Hoosiers fell to the Irish 74-61. Trailing by nine late in the first half, the Hoosiers went on a 7-0 run to enter the locker room. With 13 minutes remaining in the game, IU claimed its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

Outside shooting pushes IU past Florida A&M

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:32 a.m.

The Hoosiers are looking to beat opponents on the inside this year, but they showed that wasn't a necessity in their 100-63 routing of Florida A&M Monday night at Assembly Hall. With senior forward Marco Killingsworth blanketed by a thick zone all night, IU's perimeter players responded, hitting 16 three-pointers -- one shy of the school record set against Illinois in January 2003.

Third time no lucky charm for IU in NCAA tourney

By Chris Engel · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:31 a.m.

There will be no three-peat for the IU men's soccer team. Not only did the No. 3 Hoosiers' season end while the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard in a 2-0 loss to Notre Dame last Tuesday, so did IU's 10-game NCAA tournament winning streak.

Irish end Hoosier 3-peat hopes

By Chris Engel · Monday, Nov. 28,2005 10:31 a.m.

The IU men's soccer team bowed out of the NCAA tournament with a 2-0 loss against in-state rival Notre Dame Tuesday night. "Soccer is an honest game," IU coach Mike Freitag said. "It is a cruel game at times, but an honest game. I thought tonight we played a very good opponent who worked hard. I thought my team played well, but not well enough to win."

IU football season ends in tears

By Eamonn Brennan · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:56 a.m.

When Terry Hoeppner's first season as IU coach ended Saturday, he didn't want to leave the field. Instead, the coach snuck a glance at the Old Oaken Bucket -- just as it was raised skyward by a group of Boilermakers.

2 runners head to national meet

By Ryan Goode · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:48 a.m.

While most IU students are only thinking about Thanksgiving break, two members of the IU women's cross country team have a much different focus. All Jessica Gall and Lindsay Hattendorf can think about is the NCAA Cross Country Championships. When many students are already on their way home, Gall and Hattendorf will be traveling to Terre Haute to race early Monday afternoon.

Hoosiers head to Terre Haute for NCAAs

By Rob DeWitte and Rob eWitte · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:48 a.m.

Monday's NCAA Cross Country Championships mark the end of an era in IU men's cross country. The race, set to begin at noon in Terre Haute, will be the final collegiate cross country race for the athletes who spearheaded IU's return to national prominence. For seniors Sean Jefferson, Stephen Haas, Eric Redman and Charlie Koeppen, toeing the line will bring both a hint of sadness and a rush of exhilaration.

Team snags 16 championship

By Steve Harris · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:47 a.m.

The No. 15 IU women's swimming and diving team played host to an elite contingent of athletes during the IU Open Invitational this weekend at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Hoosiers faced contestants from several universities, including Arkansas, Cincinnati, Hawaii, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Toledo. This year, the IU Invitational was altered to eliminate the naming of a team champion and given "open" status in order for more swimmers and divers to participate in the meet.

IU Invite given 'open' status

By Joel Sanders and Joel Sansers · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:46 a.m.

The No. 10 IU men's swimming and diving team played host to the IU Invitational this weekend at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center, racking up four titles and many individual honors. This is the first season the IU Invitational did not have a team champion because the meet changed into an open format to include more swimmers and divers in the event. Sophomore Todd Patrick led the Hoosiers, earning seven titles overall and climbing into the record books in several categories.

Hoosiers fall to No. 6 Baylor

By Steve Brennan · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:46 a.m.

For 20 minutes, the unranked IU and No. 6-ranked Baylor women's basketball teams appeared to be equals. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers (0-1), they had to play a second half where the defending national champions pulled away for a 74-62 victory Saturday at Assembly Hall. In the first half, the lead changed four times. Sophomore guard Nikki Smith contributed to the lead changes when she hit two key three-pointers to tie or give IU the lead.

Hoosiers fall on road; streak extends to 8

By Jake Brown and Jacob Brown · Monday, Nov. 21,2005 11:45 a.m.

The IU volleyball team extended its losing streak to eight matches this weekend with road losses at the hands of the Illinois Fighting Illini and the No. 18 Purdue Boilermakers. The Hoosiers have lost 15 of their last 16 matches and finish winless on the road in conference play. The pair of losses drops IU's record to 2-16 in Big Ten play this weekend and 9-21 overall with two matches left in the season.