Sports

Lopsided loss is motivation

Throughout this week's practice, IU's wrestlers prepared for Sunday's dual at No. 9 Ohio State. A 39-0 loss to fifth-ranked Illinois one week ago serves as their motivation. What will it take for No. 20 Indiana to recover from Sunday's loss and upset the Buckeyes? For head coach Duane Goldman, the answer is simple.

Hoosiers hope for revenge

The odds are stacked against the women's basketball team when it takes on No. 15 Penn State 7:30 p.m. today in Assembly Hall. Not only are the Hoosiers 0-3 against ranked teams this season, that list includes Penn State. The Lady Lions handed IU its worst defeat of the season, 89-68, 11 days ago. "Penn State is the best team I've coached against," coach Kathi Bennett said after the loss. "We played hard, but their size really hurt us."

Jumper brings spirit, substance to IU

One thing was missing from IU's indoor track meet Saturday against visiting Ohio State. That missing factor was one of the biggest sparks the Hoosiers rely on to build momentum.

Hoosiers gear up for first dual meet

After a rigorous fall individual season, the men's tennis team will begin its spring season at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Notre Dame. It is the first dual meet of the year for the Hoosiers, ranked No. 25 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and the team is eager to begin competitive play.

Wrestlers look to tame conference

The wrestling team will carry an overall record of 10-2 into this weekend. It's a record with which even the most pessimistic of college athletes would be happy. But you won't find any Hoosiers gloating about their winning percentage. They know numbers mean nothing in the Big Ten, by far the top conference in college wrestling.

Runner named athlete of week

Hoosiers keep bragging rights

Mike Davis wasn't going to let it happen again. Saturday in Minnesota, the Hoosiers blew a 13-point lead with fewer than three minutes remaining. Tuesday night against Purdue, IU didn't fall apart. The result was a 66-55 victory for the Hoosiers. After junior guard Dane Fife missed a pair of free throws, Davis, the interim head coach, called a time out with the Hoosiers up 52-45. The Boilermakers (12-6, 4-3 Big Ten) were surging and 3:20 remained. He didn't have to remind the players about the Minnesota game. They watched the game film as soon as they returned from the airport.

Coaches, players excited by 1st IU-Purdue battle

Purdue coach Gene Keady stood with his hand on his hip, his mouth gaping. Fife to Jeffries. Dunk. Keady crossed his arms and scowled. Fife to Haston. Dunk. Keady screamed.

Team seeks turnaround

Sophomore Tom Coverdale is a basketball junkie from Noblesville, Ind., but the former Mr. Basketball couldn't bring himself to watch one game after Saturday's loss to Minnesota. And junior guard Dane Fife, who had his most productive offensive game against the Golden Gophers, said he never felt worse after a basketball game. Saturday's loss hit the Hoosiers hard.

Pacers need new plan of attack

The NBA season is nearing its halfway point, and the Indiana Pacers are barely staying afloat in the Eastern Conference. Heading into tonight's matchup against Atlanta, the defending conference champion Pacers have struggled to a 20-21 record, placing them only a half-game ahead of Cleveland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

Rivalry needs Knight

Raise your hand if you miss Bob Knight. If your hand is up, you're not the only one. Without the General, IU basketball is lacking something.

Hoosiers collapse in final three minutes

MINNEAPOLIS -- The disappearance of a 13-point lead against Minnesota wasn't a huge mystery after IU's 78-74 loss to the Gophers. The only question is who's to blame. Interim head coach Mike Davis said fingers should be pointed his way. "We did a great job except for the last three minutes of the game, when we fell apart, and I'll take full responsibility for that," Davis said. Freshman guard A.J. Moye said the blame lies on the players.

Club team searching for attention

Although many are familiar with IU's women's volleyball team, some might not be aware there is a men's team. The team is a B-level club sport, which means it receives minimal monetary support from the University, does not compete at the Division-I varsity level and does most of the financing on its own. The uniforms are provided by IU. "Nobody thinks that there is a men's team here, but this is it," team president and sophomore Jeremy Levy said.

Hockey splits with Miami

Many Hoosier hockey enthusiasts thought they would have a clearer picture of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League standings after the weekend's two-game series between Miami of Ohio and IU. But the only thing anyone could really determine from the weekend is that the two teams are bitter rivals, well-matched and anxious for a third game. After skating past Miami without much difficulty Friday, the Hoosiers found themselves in an all-out war Saturday, which ended with four players suspended and a last-minute Miami lead and victory.

Texans hire Capers as coach

HOUSTON -- It's not easy to get the kind of experience that Dom Capers has on his resume: successfully building an NFL franchise from the ground up. That was a big reason the expansion Houston Texans made him their first head coach. Capers, who took the Carolina Panthers from nothing to the playoffs in two years, officially signed a six-year contract with the Texans on Sunday. "We've visited with a number of qualified coaches that we think the world of and any one of those coaches could have coached this team and done a wonderful job," owner Bob McNair said.

Training shows in track team's win against Ohio State

The sprinters on the women's track and field team focused on Ohio State All-American Donica Merriman prior to the Hoosiers' dual meet against the Buckeyes Saturday at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse. Merriman showed up for the meet in street clothes and didn't run. But the Hoosiers didn't need to feel pressure from the sprinter and hurdler to meet five NCAA provisional qualifying marks in four events and win eight of 15 events to capture the meet 89-70.

Bennett's return draws crowd

MADISON, Wisc. -- Women's basketball packed the front pages of Wisconsin newspapers. The coverage shocked Wisconsin coach Jane Albright. Nine thousand fans flurried to the Kohl Center, a large crowd even for basketball-friendly Wisconsin. But the papers weren't covering the Wisconsin-IU women's basketball game. And a lot of the fans weren't there to see junior center Jill Chapman duel with UW sophomore center Nina Smith.

Big Badgers bury Hoosiers

MADISON, Wisc. -- Kathi Bennett walked to both of the edges of her bench, looking for an answer. She didn't find it. With the IU post game shredded by fouls, Wisconsin exploited the weakness consistently and purposely in a 69-62 Badger win Sunday in front of 9,100 fans at the Kohl Center. "Wisconsin really out-foxed us and played very well," Bennett said. "Their post players were dynamite and really hurt us."

Gophers dig up victory

MINNEAPOLIS -- The game appeared to be well in hand. IU held a 13-point lead with less than three minutes to go, and Minnesota wasn't threatening. But looks can be deceiving. Minnesota implemented a full-court press, and within those three minutes, the Golden Gophers tied the game and sent it to overtime, where they prevailed 78-74 Saturday in Williams Arena.

Hoosiers set sights on Golden Gophers

Minnesota guard Terrance Simmons said before the season started that the Gophers just wanted to have fun this year. They weren't interested in wins and losses because the team doesn't have a lot of talent.