University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Women's Basketball Ready for Big Ten Tournament
2/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The No. 17-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-6 overall, 11-6 Big Ten) earned the No. 3 seed in this week's Big Ten Conference Tournament and will have a bye into the quarterfinal round. The Gophers will play on Friday at 8:30 p.m. (EST) against the winner of Thursday's game between No. 6 Wisconsin (17-10, 8-8) and No. 11 Northwestern (4-23, 0-16).
Big Ten Tournament Schedule
Following is the game schedule for the 2002 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament set for Feb. 28 - March 4, in Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse. All times are eastern.
Thursday, Feb. 28 Game 1 #8 Illinois vs. #9 Michigan 3 p.m. Game 2 #7 Ohio State vs. #10 Michigan State 5:30 p.m. Game 3 #6 Wisconsin vs. #11 Northwestern 8 p.m. Friday, March 1 Game 4 #4 Iowa vs. #5 Indiana 12 Noon Game 5 Game 1 winner vs. #1 Purdue 2:30 p.m. Game 6 Game 2 winner vs. #2 Penn State 6 p.m. Game 7 Game 3 winner vs. #3 Minnesota* 8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3 Game 8 Semifinal, Winner of Game 4/5 3:30 p.m. Game 9 Semifinal, Winner of Game 6/7 6 p.m. Monday, March 4 Game 10 Championship, Winner of Game 8/9 7 p.m. Big Ten Tournament Champions
Iowa is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion. The Hawkeyes are one of four teams to capture the crown in the eight-year history of the tournament. Iowa defeated Purdue, 75-70, to win the 2001 tournament title with Hawkeye guard Cara Consuegra named the tournament's most valuable player. Here's a list of the tournament champions and years they won:
School Championships Iowa 1997, 2001 Ohio State 1992 Purdue 1998, 1999, 2000 Penn State 1995, 1996 Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament
The Gophers enter the tournament with their best seed (third) by far. By virtue of the bye, Minnesota is in the Tournament quarterfinals for just the second time. The Gophers are 1-8 in Big Ten Tournament play, their only win coming over Wisconsin in 1997. Following is Minnesota's Big Ten Tournament history:
Year Result Round 1982 Ohio State 68, Minnesota 66 First Round 1995 (9) Iowa 57, (8) Minnesota 44 First Round 1996 (6) Ohio State 78, (11) Minnesota 64 First Round 1997 (11) Minnesota 80, (6) Wisconsin 75 First Round (3) Illinois 98, Minnesota 76 Quarterfinal 1998 (6) Wisconsin 65, (11) Minnesota 47 First Round 1999 (6) Michigan 74, (11) Minnesota 55 First Round 2000 (7) Wisconsin 56, (10) Minnesota 49 First Round 2001 (7) Indiana 78, (10) Minnesota 56 First Round The Big Ten Tournament Television Schedule
The 2002 Big Ten Tournament will have every game televised for the first time in its history. Fox Sports Chicago will broadcast the games on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. ESPN will televise the conference championship game on Monday. Dave Eanet and Toni Roesch will handle the play-by-play and color commentary throughout the tournament.
Locally, the games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net North. Minnesota's quarterfinal game will be shown on a tape-delayed basis on Friday, beginning immediately after the Gopher men's hockey game at approximately 9:30 p.m. If the Gophers advance to Sunday, Fox North will televise that game live in the Twin Cities.
Gophers Set History with Big Ten Sweep
The University of Minnesota women's basketball team set Big Ten Conference history on Tuesday, when the Golden Gophers swept the league's player, freshman and coach of the year awards. Sophomore Lindsay Whalen was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year, Janel McCarville was tabbed the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Brenda Oldfield was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. The trio were selected to these honors in both Big Ten head coaches and media balloting.
Whalen, a 5-8 point guard from Hutchinson, Minn., joins Ohio State's Tracey Hall (1986) and Minnesota's Laura Coenen (1983) as the only sophomores to earn the Big Ten's top honor. Whalen led the Big Ten's most potent offense by averaging 22.0 points per game and by shooting a 56.4 field goal percentage. There is much more to Whalen, however, than being just a scoring threat. The first player to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors five times in a single season, Whalen ranked among the Big Ten leaders in assists (5.3, third), steals (2.7, fourth) and rebounding by guards (5.4 , first). She adds her unanimous first-team All-Big Ten accolades to the honorable mention award she earned her rookie season.
Whalen is the third Minnesota player to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors, joining Coenen (the first Big Ten Player of the Year in 1983) and Carol Ann Shudlick (1994).
McCarville is the first Golden Gopher to be selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. A 6-2 center from Stevens Point, Wis., McCarville is also a second-team All-Big Ten honoree. The Gophers' second-leading scorer at 13.3 points per game and top rebounder at 7.5 boards an outing, McCarville make the paint her home in her rookie season. Of her six double-doubles this season, five came in Big Ten play. In conference games only, McCarville was ranked 14th in scoring average (15.1 ppg.), second in field goal percentage (.591), third in rebounding 8.2 rpg.) and tenth in blocked shots (1.00 bpg.).
Coach Oldfield is the mastermind behind the best single-season turnaround in Big Ten history. Oldfield, in her first season at Minnesota and the youngest Big Ten head coach at the age of 31, transformed a Golden Gopher program which had won just eight Big Ten games in the previous six seasons to a second-place finish with an 11-5 mark this season. The 10-win swing from 1-15 in 2000-01 to 11-5 in 2001-02 is the largest in Big Ten history. Minnesota captured the most wins (21) in school history during the NCAA era and its first top-20 national ranking in 19 years. Oldfield and her Gophers have been the talk of the Twin Cities this season, drawing the top four attendance figures in school history, including crowds of 12,142 versus Michigan State on Feb. 24 and 11,389 against Indiana on Jan. 27. Oldfield is the first Golden Gopher mentor to capture the Big Ten Coach of the Year award.
Gophers Continue Streak of Top 20 Rankings
Minnesota dropped three spots to No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll released Feb. 25, but continued a streak of six weeks among the top 25. The Gophers fell from a No. 14 ranking, which was the highest in school history. Minnesota dropped one position to No. 20 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll. No. 7/7 Purdue is the only other Big Ten school ranked in both polls. Wisconsin and Penn State received votes in both polls, while Iowa received votes in the AP poll only.
Whalen Hits 1,000 in Record Fashion
Sophomore Lindsay Whalen needed just 51 games to become the fastest Golden Gopher to collect 1,000 career points. Whalen currently has 1,020 points. She surpassed the milestone on a break-away lay-up in the second half of the win over Wisconsin (Feb. 21).
21 Wins Best in NCAA Era
Minnesota's 21 wins this season sets a new school record for total wins in the NCAA era. Overall, the school record for wins in a season is 28, prior to the NCAA, when Minnesota was 28-7 in 1980-81.
The Best Big Ten Finish Ever
The Golden Gophers' second-place tie in the Big Ten standings this season marks the highest conference placing in school history. Prior to this season, the best Minnesota had ever placed in the 20-year history of the Big Ten was third in 1982-83 (the first year of the conference) and 1984-85.
Whalen A Nominee for Point Guard of the Year Honors
Lindsay Whalen has been selected as one of 11 nominees for the Conseco Nancy Lieberman Step Up Award, honoring the nation's top collegiate point guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The award is presented by the Rotary Club of Detroit.
Whalen is among a talented group of nominees: Alana Beard (Duke), Sue Bird (Connecticut), Stacey Dales (Oklahoma), Sheila Lambert (Baylor), Kara Lawson (Tennessee), Brandi McCain (Florida), Ashley McElhiney (Vanderbilt), Tamara Moore (Wisconsin), Sara Nord (Louisville) and Lindsey Wilson (Iowa State).
The award will be presented at a noon luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center on April 20, 2002.
The criteria for the award is the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personify Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. The Associated Press sportswriters from across the country will determine the finalists and eventual winner.
Follow the Gopher Game Day on the Web
To find the latest on Golden Gopher women's basketball, check out the Game Day feature of the Gophers' athletic website: gophersports.com. Fans may click on Game Day to find audio internet broadcasts of every Minnesota home game and several road games of the 2001-02 season, as well as live stats as they happen and are imputed courtside. Game Day is also the place to find game notes from the Gophers and their opponents, and the latest release from the Big Ten Conference.
The Brenda Oldfield Show Airs Wednesdays on WMIN and Gophersports.com
The Brenda Oldfield Show, a 30-minute radio program featuring Minnesota head coach Brenda Oldfield, will air on WMIN Radio 740 AM every Wednesday at 4:03 p.m. during the 2001 Minnesota women's basketball season. Join host Tom Witschen, Oldfield, and Minnesota's student- athletes throughout the year as they talk about the latest happenings in the Minnesota women's basketball program. The show also airs simultaneously over the Internet on www.gophersports.com.
Oldfield a Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist
Minnesota's Brenda Oldfield is among the finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year award, announced by Jackie Bradford, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The winners of the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball, will be honored in Atlanta on April 5, 2002, at the Cobb Galleria Centre.
The finalists for the women's basketball Naismith College Coach of the Year are: Jane Albright, Wisconsin; Geno Auriemma Connecticut; Ceal Barry, Colorado; Leon Barmore, Louisiana Tech; Sherri Coale, Oklahoma; Tom Collen, Colorado State; Jody Conradt, Texas; Kristy Curry, Purdue; Bill Fennelly, Iowa State; Jim Foster, Vanderbilt; Gail Goestenkors, Duke; Cathy Inglese, Boston College; Kim Mulkey-Robertson, Baylor; Brenda Oldfield, Minnesota; Deb Patterson, Kansas State; Carol Ross, Florida; Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech; Pat Summitt, Tennessee; Tara VanDerveer, Stanford; Susan Walvins, South Carolina.
Oldfield has directed her Golden Gophers to a dramatic turnaround season. Minnesota earned a best-ever No 14 ranking in the AP poll (2/ 18) and a record of 21-6. Without a single Oldfield-recruited player on the squad, the Gopher have transformed a program that went 8-20 a year ago into one that has equaled the most single-season wins in school history during the NCAA era.
Excelling in the Classroom as Well
Sophomore Lindsay Whalen was named to the Verizon Academic All-District V Second Team. Whalen owns a 3.42 grade point average while majoring in sports management.
Williams Arena Magic
The Golden Gophers were forced to move to Williams Arena after the Sports Pavilion floor was damaged on Jan. 19, when a pipe burst and flooded the arena. Since the move, Minnesota is 4-1 in Williams with an average attendance of 8,828 per game.
A New Tradition Starts Here
Winning 11 Big Ten games this season has a touch of special significance considering the Gophers had won a total of eight Big Ten games over the last six years (1995-96 to 2000-01) while posting an 8- 88 record. The 11 conference wins is the most ever by Minnesota during a 16-game Big Ten schedule.
Gophers Set Big Ten Record for the Best Turnaround
The Golden Gophers won 10 more games in Big Ten play than they did a year ago, setting a conference record for the best one-year turnaround in Big Ten history.
Best Big Ten Turnaround Seasons - School-by-school School Turnaround Record/Year Record/Year Minnesota 10 1-15 / 2000-01 11-5 / 2001-02 Iowa 9 2-16 / 1992-93 11-7 / 1993-94 9 6-10 / 1994-95 15-1 / 1995-96 Northwestern 9 6-12 / 1988-89 15-3 / 1989-90 Purdue 8 8-10 / 1992-93 16-2 / 1933-94 Ohio State 7 9-9 / 1991-92 16-2 / 1992-93 Michigan 7 1-17 / 1984-85 8-10 / 1985/86 Wisconsin 7 7-11 / 1990-91 13-5 / 1991-92 Michigan State 6 7-11 / 1989-90 13-5 / 1990-91 Illinois 6 6-10 / 1995-96 12-4 / 1996-97 Indiana 5 5-13 / 1992-93 10-8 / 1993-94 Penn State 4 8-8 / 1997-98 12-4 / 1998-99 On the Bright Side
Three of Minnesota's six losses this season have come to nationally ranked teams; to No. 6 Stanford, No. 24 Penn State and No. 13 Purdue.
Enjoying Their Winning Ways
Minnesota is enjoying its first winning campaign since 1993-94. The Gophers have posted just five winning seasons in the last 20 years making up the NCAA era: 20-7 in 1982-93, 18-10 in 1984-85, 18-11 in 1993-94, 14-12 in 1992-93 and the final tally of the 2001-02 season. The Gophers made their one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 1993-94 season, until now Minnesota's last winning campaign.
Gophers' RPI Remains Strong
Minnesota is rated 15th in the Collegiate Basketball News power ratings index (RPI), with Purdue (5) the only Big Ten school ranked ahead of the Gophers. The top team in the RPI rating is Tennessee, followed by Connecticut and Oklahoma. Two other Big Ten teams, Wisconsin (26) and Penn State (28) are rated among the top 30.
The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. It does not consider things like margin of victory or where a game is played, only whether or not a team won. It is used by the NCAA as one of their factors in deciding which teams to invite to the NCAA tournament and where to seed them.
Talk about a quantum leap, Minnesota ended the 2000-01 season with a RPI of 197. In 1999-00, the Gophers' RPI was 176th.
Big Ten Rookie Coaches Produce Banner Seasons
After three new coaches broke into the Big Ten Conference in 2000-01, Minnesota's Brenda Oldfield stands alone as the only rookie coach in the conference this season. Iowa's Lisa Bluder was honored by as the 2001 Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. Here is how last year's class of coaches compares to Oldfield's impressive start to her Minnesota career.
2000- 1999- 2001 2000 Turnaround Lisa Bluder (Iowa) 21-10 9-18 +12 wins Kathi Bennett (Indiana) 20-11 10-18 +10 wins Joanne McCallie (Mich. St.) 10-18 19-12 -9 losses Brenda Oldfield (Minn.) 21-6 8-20 n/a +13 wins Can You Comprehend the Cinderella Story?
By looking at regular season records since 1993-94 (the Gophers' last winning season), it's easy to prove just how very much the Gophers' 2001-02 campaign is a Cinderella story:
Year 26 Games In Big Ten Final (Big Ten) 2001-02 21-6 11-5 tbd/11-5 (t2) 2000-01 8-19 1-15 8-20/1-15 (10) 1999-00 10-17 3-13 10-18/3-13 (t10) 1998-99 7-19 2-14 7-20/2-14 (t10) 1997-98 4-22 1-15 4-23/1-15 (11) 1996-97 3-23 1-15 4-24/1-15 (11) 1995-96 4-22 0-16 4-23/0-16 (11) 1994-95 12-14 7-9 12-15/7-9 (t7) 1993-94 17-10 10-8 18-11/10-8 (t4) Gopher Turnaround One of the Best in the Country
Minnesota is experiencing one of the best one-year turnaround seasons in the nation, according to information collected by Eric Goodwin, the Big Ten Conference Assistant Director of Communications and women's basketball contact. The list was compiled using a comparison of last season's final winning percentage to the team's current winning percentage in 2001-02.
School 2001-02 Record 2000-01 Final Diff. Valparaiso 21-6 .808 7-22 .241 +.567 Minnesota 21-6 .778 8-20 .286 +.492 South Carolina 22-5 .815 11-17 .393 +.422 Kansas State 22-6 .786 12-16 .429 +.357 West Virginia 14-12 .539 5-22 .185 +.354 Whalen Second on Single-Season Assist List
Lindsay Whalen notched her 100th assist of the season in the game at Ohio State and currently has 142 on the season. She became the 12th player in Minnesota history (NCAA era) to surpass 100 assists in a single season.
Whalen Third on Single-Season Scoring List
Lindsay Whalen is also ranked third on the Minnesota single-season scoring list with 595 points this season.
Single-season Scoring Leaders Points PPG 1. Laura Coenen (1984-85) 708 25.3 2. Carol Ann Shudlick (1993-94) 678 23.4 3. Lindsay Whalen (2001-02) 595 22.0 McCarville's Rookie Season Among Gopher Greats
For the second year in a row, Minnesota has a rookie come in to post one of the best first-year performances in school history. In 2000-01, it was Lindsay Whalen</ a>, who came to score 425 points in 25 games to rank fourth in rookie scoring. This season, Janel McCarville is on pace to finish with one of the top scoring totals for a first-year Gopher in school history.
All-Americans Shudlick and Coenen completed stellar Minnesota careers as the only Gophers to score over 2,000 points, scoring 2,097 and 2,044, respectively.
First-year Gopher Scoring 1. Linda Roberts (1977-78) 475 points 33 games 14.4 ppg. 2. Laura Coenen (1981-82) 456 points 28 games 16.3 ppg. 3. Laura Gardner (1978-79) 453 points 32 games 14.1 ppg. 4. Lindsay Whalen (2000-01) 425 points 25 games 17.0 ppg. 5. Janel McCarville (2001-02) 360 points 27 games 13.3 ppg. 6. Molly Tadich (1983-84) 305 points 27 games 11.3 ppg. 7. Carol Ann Shudlick (1990-91) 285 points 24 games 11.9 ppg. Finding Her Way to the Charity Stripe
One of Lindsay Whalen</ a>'s strengths is getting to the free throw line. This season, the Gopher point guard has visited the stripe 172 times, the most by any guard in Minnesota history. That is an average of over six trips to the free throw line per game. She has converted 129 free throws for 75.0 percent on the season.
The Word on Andersson - Steady
Kadidja Andersson (Stockholm, Sweden) has been one of the most consistent players on the Gophers' roster this season. Her overall and Big Ten statistics are quite similar. The 5-11 sophomore is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points per game, 10.1 in Big Ten games. She has scored in double figures in 20 of 27 games. Andersson also pulls down 5.0 rebounds an outing and ranks third on the team in assists with 59.
The Whalen Factor
Lindsay Whalen earned league player of the year honors with an all- around game that has fueled the Gophers' dream season. Here's a look at how she ranks in statistical categories reported by the Big Ten (as of Feb. 25). Lindsay Whalen in the Big Ten stats:
Scoring Second 22.0 ppg. Rebounding by Guards First 5.4 rpg. Assists Third 5.3 apg. Steals Fourth 2.7 spg. Field Goal Percentage Fourth 56.4 % Assist/Turnover Ratio 11th 1.21 Von Wald Quietly Putting Up Impressive Numbers
Guard/forward Corrin Von Wald (Hudson, Wis.) has a pretty good stat line of her own in her first season playing for the Gophers. Von Wald, a junior who transferred to Minnesota from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She ranks among the Big Ten leaders in four categories: scoring (24th), rebounding (18th), steals (2.4, ninth) and free throw percentage (76.5%, 14th).
Oldfield 50th Coaching Victory One to Remember
Minnesota head coach Brenda Oldfield quickly collected 50 coaching victories in just her third season as a head coach. Her 50th career win will go down with the fond memories of a 75-60 defeat of Indiana (Jan. 27) in front of a school-record crowd of 11,389 fans. Oldfield is now 56-28 in her young coaching career.
Balance, Balance and More Balance
Minnesota had five players score in double figures in the win over Iowa (Feb. 3). This is not an unusual occurrence for the Gophers. In fact this season, five Gophers have hit double digits in six games.
Here's an Indicator of Success
Minnesota has made as many free throws (453) as their opponents have attempted (453). In the Gophers' Big Ten games this season, that stat stood at 264 free throws made by Minnesota, 251 attempted by league opposition. The Gophers are shooting 73.1 percent from the line this season.
McCarville Thriving on Big Ten Competition
Gopher rookie Janel McCarville averaged 15.0 points per game against Big Ten competition this season, to rank 14th in the conference. She ranked third in rebounding, pulling down 8.2 boards per game, to become the only first-year player to rank among the conference's top 15 in scoring and rebounding. In her first Big Ten season, McCarville shot 59.1 percent from the field to rank second in the Big Ten.
McCarville posted five double-doubles in the Big Ten season with 23 points and 11 rebounds against Illinois (Jan. 3), 18 points and 13 rebounds versus Purdue (Jan. 10), 22 points and 10 rebounds in the second meeting with Illinois (Jan. 31), 14 points and 15 rebounds in the second meeting with Ohio State (Feb. 7) and 20 points and 10 rebounds versus Wisconsin (Feb. 21).
Her six total double-doubles on the season ranks sixth in the Big Ten, but tops the list for first-year players.
A Key Stat for Some More W's
A key stat leading to the Gophers' 21-6 record is field goal percentage, where the Gophers as a team are shooting an exceptional 50.0 percent. Minnesota is the only team in the Big Ten shooting better than 50 percent from the field as a team and ranks third nationally.
2001-02 Tops During NCAA Era
With 21 wins this season, the Gophers are enjoying success that hasn't come around often in Minnesota basketball history during the NCAA era.
Gophers Win Record Six Straight Home Big Ten Games
Minnesota's wins over Michigan on Jan. 17, Illinois on Jan. 3, Indiana on Jan. 27, Ohio State on Feb. 7, Purdue on Feb. 14 and Wisconsin on Feb. 21 marked the first six-game home Big Ten winning streak for the Gophers. A loss to Michigan State on Feb. 24, ended the streak. Minnesota is 11-2 at home in 2001-02.
A Pretty Smart Group of Starters
Four of the five Gopher starters (Kadidja Andersson, Lindsay Lieser, Corrin Von Wald, Lindsay Whalen) were nominated for Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. To be eligible for this prestigious awards, players must have a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be at least a sophomore. The award, recognizing the best student-athletes in the nation, is voted on by the nation's sports information directors.
Prince Playing a Major Role Off the Bench
Junior center Kim Prince (Montgomery, Ala./Carver) started 23 games in her sophomore season but is coming off the bench this year to contribute major minutes in the post. Prince sees 21.5 minutes a game, averaging 7.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Describe This Defense as Opportunistic
Sure Minnesota is scoring in bunches this season, but in several instances the Gophers' defense has led to golden opportunities on the offensive end of the court. Minnesota ranks fourth in the Big Ten in steals per game, averaging 10.6 steals per game. The Gophers have collected 287 steals in 27 games, up considerably from a year ago, when they had 189 in 28 games.
Winning Streak Best in 21 Years
Minnesota had its seven-game winning streak, the longest winning streak since a 12-game streak in the 1980-81 season, broken with an 88-83 loss to No. 24 Penn State on Dec. 28. Only three current Gophers (Kim Bell, Ozlem Piroglu, Kadidja Andersson) had been born when that streak in 1980-81 occurred.
Road Winning Streak Goes Back 21 Years as Well
The Gophers won six consecutive road games, from Nov. 24 to Jan. 7, a streak that was ended by Purdue on Jan. 10. Minnesota last won six consecutive road games in 1980-81, when the Gophers won seven consecutive. The record is 10 straight road wins in 1977-78, before the NCAA era.
Lighting Up the Scoreboard in the Oldfield System
Minnesota is averaging 81.0 points per game this season, an average that leads the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers have scored 80 or more points in 15 of 27 games, posted 90 or more points seven times and a season-high of 114 points in the season opener versus Butler. The 114 points against Butler is the highest scoring game in the Big Ten this season.
Hemberg Earning More Court Time with Inspired Play
Sophomore Ebba Hemberg</ a> (Stockholm, Sweden) has provided a spark off the bench at point guard this season. Hemberg, one of the best defensive players on the Gopher roster, is averaging 12.7 minutes a game compared to a total of 57 minutes of action during her entire rookie season.
The Brooms Came Out of Storage
Minnesota's 79-76 overtime victory over Illinois gave the Gophers their first season sweep of a Big Ten opponent since sweeping Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin during the 1993-94 season. It was also the first sweep of Illinois since the 1984-85 season.
Minnesota also swept Wisconsin this season, marking the first time since 1993-94 that the Gophers won both meetings with the Badgers in a season.
Lieser Owns Minnesota Career Trifecta Record
Junior guard Lindsay Lieser broke the Minnesota career three-point field goal record in the Dayton game (12/1) and now has 184 treys in her Gopher career. The former record was held by Shannon Loeblein, who set the record with 133 treys from 1992-95. Lieser shoots 86 percent of her field attempts from behind the arc. This season, she has drained 67 treys in 162 attempts to rank second in the Big Ten in percentage (41.4) and fourth in three-pointers per game (2.48).
Gophers Sixth in the Nation in Scoring Average (as of Feb. 25)
When head coach Brenda Oldfield took over the helm of the Gopher program last June, she promised a high-energy and exciting offense. Her Gophers have delivered, leading the Big Ten Conference scoring 81.0 points per game, an average that ranks sixth in the nation behind Connecticut (87.9), Duke (85.2), Eastern Kentucky (81.7), Stanford (81.6) and North Carolina (81.5).
A major reason the Gophers' scoring average has skyrocketed from the 67.9 points per game they averaged a year ago is field goal percentage. Minnesota is third in the nation converting 50.0 percent of their field goal attempts. Only Vanderbilt (53.2) and Connecticut (52.0) have better percentages. Not all of the Gophers' field goal attempts are lay-ups either. Minnesota ranks 17th in three-point field goal percentage at 38.1 percent.
The Fans are Catching the Fever
Home attendance has improved as much as the Gophers' record this season. Minnesota's home attendance has improved by 301 percent up to 4,360 fans per game from 1,087 a year ago. In Big Ten contests, Minnesota's attendance improved from 1,201 fans per game to an average crowd of 6,371 this season. That is an increase of 530 percent.
All-Time Attendance Record Broken Again
After shattering the all-time Minnesota attendance record on Jan. 27, when 11,389 fans gathered in Williams Arena to watch a 75-60 victory over Indiana, a crowd of 12,142 reset the mark once again on Feb. 24 versus Michigan State.
Season Attendance Shadows Team's Turnaround
With the top four home crowds in the books, Minnesota has easily posted its highest single-season attendance figure in 2001-02. Minnesota is ranked 19th in the nation in average attendance.
Year Total Attendance Games Average 2001-02 56,677 13 4,360 1994-95 27,428 13 2,110 1993-94 25,633 13 1,972 1992-93 24,745 13 1,903 1997-98 23,553 13 1,812 The Irony of the Move to Williams
Minnesota averaged an attendance of 8.828 in the five games the Gophers played in Williams Arena after the flood of Jan. 19 forced the move from the Sports Pavilion. If Minnesota were able to use that figure as its average attendance for the year, the Gophers would rank seventh in the nation.
Up Next for the Gophers
Minnesota awaits word of an NCAA Tournament invitation on Sunday, March 10. The NCAA Selection Show releasing the 64-team field begins at 4 p.m. Gophers Earn No. 3 Seed in Big Ten Tourney Field
The No. 17-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-6 overall, 11-6 Big Ten) earned the No. 3 seed in this week's Big Ten Conference Tournament and will have a bye into the quarterfinal round. The Gophers will play on Friday at 8:30 p.m. (EST) against the winner of Thursday's game between No. 6 Wisconsin (17-10, 8-8) and No. 11 Northwestern (4-23, 0-16).
Big Ten Tournament Schedule
Following is the game schedule for the 2002 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament set for Feb. 28 - March 4, in Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse. All times are eastern.
Thursday, Feb. 28 Game 1 #8 Illinois vs. #9 Michigan 3 p.m. Game 2 #7 Ohio State vs. #10 Michigan State 5:30 p.m. Game 3 #6 Wisconsin vs. #11 Northwestern 8 p.m. Friday, March 1 Game 4 #4 Iowa vs. #5 Indiana 12 Noon Game 5 Game 1 winner vs. #1 Purdue 2:30 p.m. Game 6 Game 2 winner vs. #2 Penn State 6 p.m. Game 7 Game 3 winner vs. #3 Minnesota* 8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3 Game 8 Semifinal, Winner of Game 4/5 3:30 p.m. Game 9 Semifinal, Winner of Game 6/7 6 p.m. Monday, March 4 Game 10 Championship, Winner of Game 8/9 7 p.m. Big Ten Tournament Champions
Iowa is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion. The Hawkeyes are one of four teams to capture the crown in the eight-year history of the tournament. Iowa defeated Purdue, 75-70, to win the 2001 tournament title with Hawkeye guard Cara Consuegra named the tournament's most valuable player. Here's a list of the tournament champions and years they won:
School Championships Iowa 1997, 2001 Ohio State 1992 Purdue 1998, 1999, 2000 Penn State 1995, 1996 Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament
The Gophers enter the tournament with their best seed (third) by far. By virtue of the bye, Minnesota is in the Tournament quarterfinals for just the second time. The Gophers are 1-8 in Big Ten Tournament play, their only win coming over Wisconsin in 1997. Following is Minnesota's Big Ten Tournament history:
Year Result Round 1982 Ohio State 68, Minnesota 66 First Round 1995 (9) Iowa 57, (8) Minnesota 44 First Round 1996 (6) Ohio State 78, (11) Minnesota 64 First Round 1997 (11) Minnesota 80, (6) Wisconsin 75 First Round (3) Illinois 98, Minnesota 76 Quarterfinal 1998 (6) Wisconsin 65, (11) Minnesota 47 First Round 1999 (6) Michigan 74, (11) Minnesota 55 First Round 2000 (7) Wisconsin 56, (10) Minnesota 49 First Round 2001 (7) Indiana 78, (10) Minnesota 56 First Round The Big Ten Tournament Television Schedule
The 2002 Big Ten Tournament will have every game televised for the first time in its history. Fox Sports Chicago will broadcast the games on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. ESPN will televise the conference championship game on Monday. Dave Eanet and Toni Roesch will handle the play-by-play and color commentary throughout the tournament.
Locally, the games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net North. Minnesota's quarterfinal game will be shown on a tape-delayed basis on Friday, beginning immediately after the Gopher men's hockey game at approximately 9:30 p.m. If the Gophers advance to Sunday, Fox North will televise that game live in the Twin Cities.
Gophers Set History with Big Ten Sweep
The University of Minnesota women's basketball team set Big Ten Conference history on Tuesday, when the Golden Gophers swept the league's player, freshman and coach of the year awards. Sophomore Lindsay Whalen was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year, Janel McCarville was tabbed the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Brenda Oldfield was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. The trio were selected to these honors in both Big Ten head coaches and media balloting.
Whalen, a 5-8 point guard from Hutchinson, Minn., joins Ohio State's Tracey Hall (1986) and Minnesota's Laura Coenen (1983) as the only sophomores to earn the Big Ten's top honor. Whalen led the Big Ten's most potent offense by averaging 22.0 points per game and by shooting a 56.4 field goal percentage. There is much more to Whalen, however, than being just a scoring threat. The first player to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors five times in a single season, Whalen ranked among the Big Ten leaders in assists (5.3, third), steals (2.7, fourth) and rebounding by guards (5.4 , first). She adds her unanimous first-team All-Big Ten accolades to the honorable mention award she earned her rookie season.
Whalen is the third Minnesota player to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors, joining Coenen (the first Big Ten Player of the Year in 1983) and Carol Ann Shudlick (1994).
McCarville is the first Golden Gopher to be selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. A 6-2 center from Stevens Point, Wis., McCarville is also a second-team All-Big Ten honoree. The Gophers' second-leading scorer at 13.3 points per game and top rebounder at 7.5 boards an outing, McCarville make the paint her home in her rookie season. Of her six double-doubles this season, five came in Big Ten play. In conference games only, McCarville was ranked 14th in scoring average (15.1 ppg.), second in field goal percentage (.591), third in rebounding 8.2 rpg.) and tenth in blocked shots (1.00 bpg.).
Coach Oldfield is the mastermind behind the best single-season turnaround in Big Ten history. Oldfield, in her first season at Minnesota and the youngest Big Ten head coach at the age of 31, transformed a Golden Gopher program which had won just eight Big Ten games in the previous six seasons to a second-place finish with an 11-5 mark this season. The 10-win swing from 1-15 in 2000-01 to 11-5 in 2001-02 is the largest in Big Ten history. Minnesota captured the most wins (21) in school history during the NCAA era and its first top-20 national ranking in 19 years. Oldfield and her Gophers have been the talk of the Twin Cities this season, drawing the top four attendance figures in school history, including crowds of 12,142 versus Michigan State on Feb. 24 and 11,389 against Indiana on Jan. 27. Oldfield is the first Golden Gopher mentor to capture the Big Ten Coach of the Year award.
Gophers Continue Streak of Top 20 Rankings
Minnesota dropped three spots to No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll released Feb. 25, but continued a streak of six weeks among the top 25. The Gophers fell from a No. 14 ranking, which was the highest in school history. Minnesota dropped one position to No. 20 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll. No. 7/7 Purdue is the only other Big Ten school ranked in both polls. Wisconsin and Penn State received votes in both polls, while Iowa received votes in the AP poll only.
Whalen Hits 1,000 in Record Fashion
Sophomore Lindsay Whalen needed just 51 games to become the fastest Golden Gopher to collect 1,000 career points. Whalen currently has 1,020 points. She surpassed the milestone on a break-away lay-up in the second half of the win over Wisconsin (Feb. 21).
21 Wins Best in NCAA Era
Minnesota's 21 wins this season sets a new school record for total wins in the NCAA era. Overall, the school record for wins in a season is 28, prior to the NCAA, when Minnesota was 28-7 in 1980-81.
The Best Big Ten Finish Ever
The Golden Gophers' second-place tie in the Big Ten standings this season marks the highest conference placing in school history. Prior to this season, the best Minnesota had ever placed in the 20-year history of the Big Ten was third in 1982-83 (the first year of the conference) and 1984-85.
Whalen A Nominee for Point Guard of the Year Honors
Lindsay Whalen has been selected as one of 11 nominees for the Conseco Nancy Lieberman Step Up Award, honoring the nation's top collegiate point guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The award is presented by the Rotary Club of Detroit.
Whalen is among a talented group of nominees: Alana Beard (Duke), Sue Bird (Connecticut), Stacey Dales (Oklahoma), Sheila Lambert (Baylor), Kara Lawson (Tennessee), Brandi McCain (Florida), Ashley McElhiney (Vanderbilt), Tamara Moore (Wisconsin), Sara Nord (Louisville) and Lindsey Wilson (Iowa State).
The award will be presented at a noon luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center on April 20, 2002.
The criteria for the award is the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personify Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. The Associated Press sportswriters from across the country will determine the finalists and eventual winner.
Follow the Gopher Game Day on the Web
To find the latest on Golden Gopher women's basketball, check out the Game Day feature of the Gophers' athletic website: gophersports.com. Fans may click on Game Day to find audio internet broadcasts of every Minnesota home game and several road games of the 2001-02 season, as well as live stats as they happen and are imputed courtside. Game Day is also the place to find game notes from the Gophers and their opponents, and the latest release from the Big Ten Conference.
The Brenda Oldfield Show Airs Wednesdays on WMIN and Gophersports.com
The Brenda Oldfield Show, a 30-minute radio program featuring Minnesota head coach Brenda Oldfield, will air on WMIN Radio 740 AM every Wednesday at 4:03 p.m. during the 2001 Minnesota women's basketball season. Join host Tom Witschen, Oldfield, and Minnesota's student- athletes throughout the year as they talk about the latest happenings in the Minnesota women's basketball program. The show also airs simultaneously over the Internet on www.gophersports.com.
Oldfield a Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist
Minnesota's Brenda Oldfield is among the finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year award, announced by Jackie Bradford, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The winners of the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball, will be honored in Atlanta on April 5, 2002, at the Cobb Galleria Centre.
The finalists for the women's basketball Naismith College Coach of the Year are: Jane Albright, Wisconsin; Geno Auriemma Connecticut; Ceal Barry, Colorado; Leon Barmore, Louisiana Tech; Sherri Coale, Oklahoma; Tom Collen, Colorado State; Jody Conradt, Texas; Kristy Curry, Purdue; Bill Fennelly, Iowa State; Jim Foster, Vanderbilt; Gail Goestenkors, Duke; Cathy Inglese, Boston College; Kim Mulkey-Robertson, Baylor; Brenda Oldfield, Minnesota; Deb Patterson, Kansas State; Carol Ross, Florida; Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech; Pat Summitt, Tennessee; Tara VanDerveer, Stanford; Susan Walvins, South Carolina.
Oldfield has directed her Golden Gophers to a dramatic turnaround season. Minnesota earned a best-ever No 14 ranking in the AP poll (2/ 18) and a record of 21-6. Without a single Oldfield-recruited player on the squad, the Gopher have transformed a program that went 8-20 a year ago into one that has equaled the most single-season wins in school history during the NCAA era.
Excelling in the Classroom as Well
Sophomore Lindsay Whalen was named to the Verizon Academic All-District V Second Team. Whalen owns a 3.42 grade point average while majoring in sports management.
Williams Arena Magic
The Golden Gophers were forced to move to Williams Arena after the Sports Pavilion floor was damaged on Jan. 19, when a pipe burst and flooded the arena. Since the move, Minnesota is 4-1 in Williams with an average attendance of 8,828 per game.
A New Tradition Starts Here
Winning 11 Big Ten games this season has a touch of special significance considering the Gophers had won a total of eight Big Ten games over the last six years (1995-96 to 2000-01) while posting an 8- 88 record. The 11 conference wins is the most ever by Minnesota during a 16-game Big Ten schedule.
Gophers Set Big Ten Record for the Best Turnaround
The Golden Gophers won 10 more games in Big Ten play than they did a year ago, setting a conference record for the best one-year turnaround in Big Ten history.
Best Big Ten Turnaround Seasons - School-by-school School Turnaround Record/Year Record/Year Minnesota 10 1-15 / 2000-01 11-5 / 2001-02 Iowa 9 2-16 / 1992-93 11-7 / 1993-94 9 6-10 / 1994-95 15-1 / 1995-96 Northwestern 9 6-12 / 1988-89 15-3 / 1989-90 Purdue 8 8-10 / 1992-93 16-2 / 1933-94 Ohio State 7 9-9 / 1991-92 16-2 / 1992-93 Michigan 7 1-17 / 1984-85 8-10 / 1985/86 Wisconsin 7 7-11 / 1990-91 13-5 / 1991-92 Michigan State 6 7-11 / 1989-90 13-5 / 1990-91 Illinois 6 6-10 / 1995-96 12-4 / 1996-97 Indiana 5 5-13 / 1992-93 10-8 / 1993-94 Penn State 4 8-8 / 1997-98 12-4 / 1998-99 On the Bright Side
Three of Minnesota's six losses this season have come to nationally ranked teams; to No. 6 Stanford, No. 24 Penn State and No. 13 Purdue.
Enjoying Their Winning Ways
Minnesota is enjoying its first winning campaign since 1993-94. The Gophers have posted just five winning seasons in the last 20 years making up the NCAA era: 20-7 in 1982-93, 18-10 in 1984-85, 18-11 in 1993-94, 14-12 in 1992-93 and the final tally of the 2001-02 season. The Gophers made their one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 1993-94 season, until now Minnesota's last winning campaign.
Gophers' RPI Remains Strong
Minnesota is rated 15th in the Collegiate Basketball News power ratings index (RPI), with Purdue (5) the only Big Ten school ranked ahead of the Gophers. The top team in the RPI rating is Tennessee, followed by Connecticut and Oklahoma. Two other Big Ten teams, Wisconsin (26) and Penn State (28) are rated among the top 30.
The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. It does not consider things like margin of victory or where a game is played, only whether or not a team won. It is used by the NCAA as one of their factors in deciding which teams to invite to the NCAA tournament and where to seed them.
Talk about a quantum leap, Minnesota ended the 2000-01 season with a RPI of 197. In 1999-00, the Gophers' RPI was 176th.
Big Ten Rookie Coaches Produce Banner Seasons
After three new coaches broke into the Big Ten Conference in 2000-01, Minnesota's Brenda Oldfield stands alone as the only rookie coach in the conference this season. Iowa's Lisa Bluder was honored by as the 2001 Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. Here is how last year's class of coaches compares to Oldfield's impressive start to her Minnesota career.
2000- 1999- 2001 2000 Turnaround Lisa Bluder (Iowa) 21-10 9-18 +12 wins Kathi Bennett (Indiana) 20-11 10-18 +10 wins Joanne McCallie (Mich. St.) 10-18 19-12 -9 losses Brenda Oldfield (Minn.) 21-6 8-20 n/a +13 wins Can You Comprehend the Cinderella Story?
By looking at regular season records since 1993-94 (the Gophers' last winning season), it's easy to prove just how very much the Gophers' 2001-02 campaign is a Cinderella story:
Year 26 Games In Big Ten Final (Big Ten) 2001-02 21-6 11-5 tbd/11-5 (t2) 2000-01 8-19 1-15 8-20/1-15 (10) 1999-00 10-17 3-13 10-18/3-13 (t10) 1998-99 7-19 2-14 7-20/2-14 (t10) 1997-98 4-22 1-15 4-23/1-15 (11) 1996-97 3-23 1-15 4-24/1-15 (11) 1995-96 4-22 0-16 4-23/0-16 (11) 1994-95 12-14 7-9 12-15/7-9 (t7) 1993-94 17-10 10-8 18-11/10-8 (t4) Gopher Turnaround One of the Best in the Country
Minnesota is experiencing one of the best one-year turnaround seasons in the nation, according to information collected by Eric Goodwin, the Big Ten Conference Assistant Director of Communications and women's basketball contact. The list was compiled using a comparison of last season's final winning percentage to the team's current winning percentage in 2001-02.
School 2001-02 Record 2000-01 Final Diff. Valparaiso 21-6 .808 7-22 .241 +.567 Minnesota 21-6 .778 8-20 .286 +.492 South Carolina 22-5 .815 11-17 .393 +.422 Kansas State 22-6 .786 12-16 .429 +.357 West Virginia 14-12 .539 5-22 .185 +.354 Whalen Second on Single-Season Assist List
Lindsay Whalen notched her 100th assist of the season in the game at Ohio State and currently has 142 on the season. She became the 12th player in Minnesota history (NCAA era) to surpass 100 assists in a single season.
Whalen Third on Single-Season Scoring List
Lindsay Whalen is also ranked third on the Minnesota single-season scoring list with 595 points this season.
Single-season Scoring Leaders Points PPG 1. Laura Coenen (1984-85) 708 25.3 2. Carol Ann Shudlick (1993-94) 678 23.4 3. Lindsay Whalen (2001-02) 595 22.0 McCarville's Rookie Season Among Gopher Greats
For the second year in a row, Minnesota has a rookie come in to post one of the best first-year performances in school history. In 2000-01, it was Lindsay Whalen</ a>, who came to score 425 points in 25 games to rank fourth in rookie scoring. This season, Janel McCarville is on pace to finish with one of the top scoring totals for a first-year Gopher in school history.
All-Americans Shudlick and Coenen completed stellar Minnesota careers as the only Gophers to score over 2,000 points, scoring 2,097 and 2,044, respectively.
First-year Gopher Scoring 1. Linda Roberts (1977-78) 475 points 33 games 14.4 ppg. 2. Laura Coenen (1981-82) 456 points 28 games 16.3 ppg. 3. Laura Gardner (1978-79) 453 points 32 games 14.1 ppg. 4. Lindsay Whalen (2000-01) 425 points 25 games 17.0 ppg. 5. Janel McCarville (2001-02) 360 points 27 games 13.3 ppg. 6. Molly Tadich (1983-84) 305 points 27 games 11.3 ppg. 7. Carol Ann Shudlick (1990-91) 285 points 24 games 11.9 ppg. Finding Her Way to the Charity Stripe
One of Lindsay Whalen</ a>'s strengths is getting to the free throw line. This season, the Gopher point guard has visited the stripe 172 times, the most by any guard in Minnesota history. That is an average of over six trips to the free throw line per game. She has converted 129 free throws for 75.0 percent on the season.
The Word on Andersson - Steady
Kadidja Andersson (Stockholm, Sweden) has been one of the most consistent players on the Gophers' roster this season. Her overall and Big Ten statistics are quite similar. The 5-11 sophomore is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points per game, 10.1 in Big Ten games. She has scored in double figures in 20 of 27 games. Andersson also pulls down 5.0 rebounds an outing and ranks third on the team in assists with 59.
The Whalen Factor
Lindsay Whalen earned league player of the year honors with an all- around game that has fueled the Gophers' dream season. Here's a look at how she ranks in statistical categories reported by the Big Ten (as of Feb. 25). Lindsay Whalen in the Big Ten stats:
Scoring Second 22.0 ppg. Rebounding by Guards First 5.4 rpg. Assists Third 5.3 apg. Steals Fourth 2.7 spg. Field Goal Percentage Fourth 56.4 % Assist/Turnover Ratio 11th 1.21 Von Wald Quietly Putting Up Impressive Numbers
Guard/forward Corrin Von Wald (Hudson, Wis.) has a pretty good stat line of her own in her first season playing for the Gophers. Von Wald, a junior who transferred to Minnesota from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She ranks among the Big Ten leaders in four categories: scoring (24th), rebounding (18th), steals (2.4, ninth) and free throw percentage (76.5%, 14th).
Oldfield 50th Coaching Victory One to Remember
Minnesota head coach Brenda Oldfield quickly collected 50 coaching victories in just her third season as a head coach. Her 50th career win will go down with the fond memories of a 75-60 defeat of Indiana (Jan. 27) in front of a school-record crowd of 11,389 fans. Oldfield is now 56-28 in her young coaching career.
Balance, Balance and More Balance
Minnesota had five players score in double figures in the win over Iowa (Feb. 3). This is not an unusual occurrence for the Gophers. In fact this season, five Gophers have hit double digits in six games.
Here's an Indicator of Success
Minnesota has made as many free throws (453) as their opponents have attempted (453). In the Gophers' Big Ten games this season, that stat stood at 264 free throws made by Minnesota, 251 attempted by league opposition. The Gophers are shooting 73.1 percent from the line this season.
McCarville Thriving on Big Ten Competition
Gopher rookie Janel McCarville averaged 15.0 points per game against Big Ten competition this season, to rank 14th in the conference. She ranked third in rebounding, pulling down 8.2 boards per game, to become the only first-year player to rank among the conference's top 15 in scoring and rebounding. In her first Big Ten season, McCarville shot 59.1 percent from the field to rank second in the Big Ten.
McCarville posted five double-doubles in the Big Ten season with 23 points and 11 rebounds against Illinois (Jan. 3), 18 points and 13 rebounds versus Purdue (Jan. 10), 22 points and 10 rebounds in the second meeting with Illinois (Jan. 31), 14 points and 15 rebounds in the second meeting with Ohio State (Feb. 7) and 20 points and 10 rebounds versus Wisconsin (Feb. 21).
Her six total double-doubles on the season ranks sixth in the Big Ten, but tops the list for first-year players.
A Key Stat for Some More W's
A key stat leading to the Gophers' 21-6 record is field goal percentage, where the Gophers as a team are shooting an exceptional 50.0 percent. Minnesota is the only team in the Big Ten shooting better than 50 percent from the field as a team and ranks third nationally.
2001-02 Tops During NCAA Era
With 21 wins this season, the Gophers are enjoying success that hasn't come around often in Minnesota basketball history during the NCAA era.
Gophers Win Record Six Straight Home Big Ten Games
Minnesota's wins over Michigan on Jan. 17, Illinois on Jan. 3, Indiana on Jan. 27, Ohio State on Feb. 7, Purdue on Feb. 14 and Wisconsin on Feb. 21 marked the first six-game home Big Ten winning streak for the Gophers. A loss to Michigan State on Feb. 24, ended the streak. Minnesota is 11-2 at home in 2001-02.
A Pretty Smart Group of Starters
Four of the five Gopher starters (Kadidja Andersson, Lindsay Lieser, Corrin Von Wald, Lindsay Whalen) were nominated for Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. To be eligible for this prestigious awards, players must have a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be at least a sophomore. The award, recognizing the best student-athletes in the nation, is voted on by the nation's sports information directors.
Prince Playing a Major Role Off the Bench
Junior center Kim Prince (Montgomery, Ala./Carver) started 23 games in her sophomore season but is coming off the bench this year to contribute major minutes in the post. Prince sees 21.5 minutes a game, averaging 7.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Describe This Defense as Opportunistic
Sure Minnesota is scoring in bunches this season, but in several instances the Gophers' defense has led to golden opportunities on the offensive end of the court. Minnesota ranks fourth in the Big Ten in steals per game, averaging 10.6 steals per game. The Gophers have collected 287 steals in 27 games, up considerably from a year ago, when they had 189 in 28 games.
Winning Streak Best in 21 Years
Minnesota had its seven-game winning streak, the longest winning streak since a 12-game streak in the 1980-81 season, broken with an 88-83 loss to No. 24 Penn State on Dec. 28. Only three current Gophers (Kim Bell, Ozlem Piroglu, Kadidja Andersson) had been born when that streak in 1980-81 occurred.
Road Winning Streak Goes Back 21 Years as Well
The Gophers won six consecutive road games, from Nov. 24 to Jan. 7, a streak that was ended by Purdue on Jan. 10. Minnesota last won six consecutive road games in 1980-81, when the Gophers won seven consecutive. The record is 10 straight road wins in 1977-78, before the NCAA era.
Lighting Up the Scoreboard in the Oldfield System
Minnesota is averaging 81.0 points per game this season, an average that leads the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers have scored 80 or more points in 15 of 27 games, posted 90 or more points seven times and a season-high of 114 points in the season opener versus Butler. The 114 points against Butler is the highest scoring game in the Big Ten this season.
Hemberg Earning More Court Time with Inspired Play
Sophomore Ebba Hemberg</ a> (Stockholm, Sweden) has provided a spark off the bench at point guard this season. Hemberg, one of the best defensive players on the Gopher roster, is averaging 12.7 minutes a game compared to a total of 57 minutes of action during her entire rookie season.
The Brooms Came Out of Storage
Minnesota's 79-76 overtime victory over Illinois gave the Gophers their first season sweep of a Big Ten opponent since sweeping Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin during the 1993-94 season. It was also the first sweep of Illinois since the 1984-85 season.
Minnesota also swept Wisconsin this season, marking the first time since 1993-94 that the Gophers won both meetings with the Badgers in a season.
Lieser Owns Minnesota Career Trifecta Record
Junior guard Lindsay Lieser broke the Minnesota career three-point field goal record in the Dayton game (12/1) and now has 184 treys in her Gopher career. The former record was held by Shannon Loeblein, who set the record with 133 treys from 1992-95. Lieser shoots 86 percent of her field attempts from behind the arc. This season, she has drained 67 treys in 162 attempts to rank second in the Big Ten in percentage (41.4) and fourth in three-pointers per game (2.48).
Gophers Sixth in the Nation in Scoring Average (as of Feb. 25)
When head coach Brenda Oldfield took over the helm of the Gopher program last June, she promised a high-energy and exciting offense. Her Gophers have delivered, leading the Big Ten Conference scoring 81.0 points per game, an average that ranks sixth in the nation behind Connecticut (87.9), Duke (85.2), Eastern Kentucky (81.7), Stanford (81.6) and North Carolina (81.5).
A major reason the Gophers' scoring average has skyrocketed from the 67.9 points per game they averaged a year ago is field goal percentage. Minnesota is third in the nation converting 50.0 percent of their field goal attempts. Only Vanderbilt (53.2) and Connecticut (52.0) have better percentages. Not all of the Gophers' field goal attempts are lay-ups either. Minnesota ranks 17th in three-point field goal percentage at 38.1 percent.
The Fans are Catching the Fever
Home attendance has improved as much as the Gophers' record this season. Minnesota's home attendance has improved by 301 percent up to 4,360 fans per game from 1,087 a year ago. In Big Ten contests, Minnesota's attendance improved from 1,201 fans per game to an average crowd of 6,371 this season. That is an increase of 530 percent.
All-Time Attendance Record Broken Again
After shattering the all-time Minnesota attendance record on Jan. 27, when 11,389 fans gathered in Williams Arena to watch a 75-60 victory over Indiana, a crowd of 12,142 reset the mark once again on Feb. 24 versus Michigan State.
Season Attendance Shadows Team's Turnaround
With the top four home crowds in the books, Minnesota has easily posted its highest single-season attendance figure in 2001-02. Minnesota is ranked 19th in the nation in average attendance.
Year Total Attendance Games Average 2001-02 56,677 13 4,360 1994-95 27,428 13 2,110 1993-94 25,633 13 1,972 1992-93 24,745 13 1,903 1997-98 23,553 13 1,812 The Irony of the Move to Williams
Minnesota averaged an attendance of 8.828 in the five games the Gophers played in Williams Arena after the flood of Jan. 19 forced the move from the Sports Pavilion. If Minnesota were able to use that figure as its average attendance for the year, the Gophers would rank seventh in the nation.
Up Next for the Gophers
Minnesota awaits word of an NCAA Tournament invitation on Sunday, March 10. The NCAA Selection Show releasing the 64-team field begins at 4 p.m.
