WBB: Golden Gophers Host Purdue Sunday in ESPN2 Broadcast

12/13 MINNESOTA GOPHERS (18-5, 8-3 Big Ten)
vs.
Purdue Boilermakers (13-9, 6-5 Big Ten)
LOCATION Minneapolis, Minn. - Williams Arena (14,625)
DATE / TIME: Sunday, Feb. 13 / 4 p.m.
TELEVISION: ESPN2
Dave Barnett (play-by-play), Bob Wenzel (color)
RADIO / WEBCAST: WFMP 107.1 FM / gophersports.com
Tom Witschen (play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (analyst)

Golden Gopher Watch List - Feb. 13, 2005
Gophers Host Boilermakers in ESPN2 Contest - Minnesota plays host to Purdue on Sunday with an ESPN2 audience watching. The game is part of ESPN's February Frenzy in which the network televises several games around the country as a tune-up for broadcasting every game of the NCAA Tournament in March. The Minnesota/Purdue matchup is one of four games starting around the 4 p.m. hour, the others being Connecticut at Rutgers, New Mexico at Utah and Texas Tech at Texas. Only the states of Minnesota and Indiana will receive the Gophers/Boilermakers game exclusively. Most of the country will receive "whirlaround" coverage, switching from game to game.

What Can't Shaq Do Anyway? - Janel McCarville is three assists from joining Minnesota's top five career assist leaders. Shaq is already sixth in scoring, third in rebounding and steals, and second in blocked shots in Golden Gopher history. She is the only player to be listed in the top six of this many career statistics.

McCarville Adds Another Big Ten Honor - Janel McCarville was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week, earning her third conference weekly honor of the season and sixth of her career.

Roysland Sets Free Throw Record - Kelly Roysland added two more makes to her school-record 33 consecutive free throws before missing an attempt and ending the streak against Michigan State on Thursday.

Applebee's Sunday Ticket Pack, Feb 13 - 4 general admission tickets, 4 Cokes (16 oz.), 4 boxes of candy, and a $10 Applebee's gift certificate. All for only $40.00.

GOPHERS HOST PURDUE ON SUNDAY
No. 12/13 Minnesota looks to rebound from a tough loss at home to Michigan State on Thursday, when the Golden Gophers play host to Purdue on Sunday. The Gophers own a record of 18-5 overall, 8-3 in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are coming off a bye on Thursday and own a record of 13-9 and 6-5 in conference play.

FEBRUARY FRENZY COMES TO WILLIAMS
Sunday's Minnesota/Purdue game will be televised live on ESPN2 as part of the network's February Frenzy. ESPN is using Sunday as a tune-up for broadcasting every game of the upcoming NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. The Gophers/Boilermakers game is one of four games televised around the nation with tipoff times around the 4 p.m. hour. The other games are Connecticut at Rutgers, New Mexico at Utah and Texas Tech at Texas. The home markets will see their games exclusively, while most of the nation will see ESPN's "whirlaround coverage" going from game to game. The state of Minnesota and Indiana are considered the home markets for the Minnesota/Purdue contest.

PUTTING ON A GREAT SHOW
Minnesota has hosted five ESPN-broadcasted games over the last four seasons, with the Golden Gophers posting a 4-1 record. The Gophers defeated No. 7/9 Purdue (73-64) on Feb. 14, 2002, No. 12/13 Penn State (73-57) on Feb. 23, 2003, unranked UCLA (92-81) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21, 2004; and No. 8/9 Kansas State (80-61) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 23, 2004. Minnesota's only loss in an ESPN home game was to No. 1/1 LSU (75-67) earlier this season on Dec. 14, 2004.

SIMPLY ONE OF THE GREATEST
All-America center Janel McCarville is in the home stretchof of simply one of the finest all-around careers in Golden Gopher history. On Minnesota career lists, McCarville already ranks sixth in scoring with 1,663 points (43 from the top five), third in rebounds (1,091), second in blocks (180) and third in steals (252). Shaq is just three assists away from adding a 6-2 center's name to the Minnesota career list for assists. She enters the Purdue game with 273. Nikki Coates (1989-94) is fifth on the list with 276 assists.

McCarville is the only player listed among the top six in all the statistical category of points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The only other player listed in four of the categories is Laura Coenen (1981-95), who is third in scoring (2,044), fourth in rebounds (1,029), fifth in blocks (102) and second in steals (290).

ROYSLAND'S STREAK ENDS AT 33
Sophomore Kelly Roysland made her first two free throws against Michigan State on Thursday to extend her school-record consecutive free throw streak to 33, before finally missing an attempt. Roysland's streak way back on Nov. 28, versus Creighton, when she hit her last three attempts. She leads the Gophers hitting 89.7 percent from the line, vastly improved from her 68.3 percentage as a freshman. The former school record for consecutive free throws made was 26 by Jodi Olson at the end of the 1988-89 season and the beginning of the 1989-90 season.

SHAKING IT OFF
Minnesota has done a great job of shaking off losses this season and avoiding back-to-back defeats. In the four previous games played after a loss this season, the Gophers have turned up the offense and the defense to gather resounding victories. Minnesota has averaged 77.5 points in those four games, while the defense has allowed only 50.3 points in wins over Arkansas State (after Washington), Drake (after LSU), Michigan (after Michigan State) and then-nationally ranked Iowa (after Penn State).

PODOMINICK OUT INDEFINITELY, WILLIAMS SET TO RETURN
Sophomore Liz Podominick is out indefinitely with mononucleosis. Freshman Natasha Williams, who has missed the last four games due to illness, should be back in uniform Sunday against Purdue.

McCARVILLE THE CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Janel McCarville added her sixth Big Ten weekly award to her resume when she was honored as this week's Co-Big Ten Player of the Week. McCarville, who has won the award three times this season, shares this week's accolade with Michigan State's Liz Shimek.

McCarville led the Golden Gophers to two wins last week, over No. -/25 Iowa and Michigan. She averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 73.9 percent making 17-of-23 field goal attempts. Versus Iowa, McCarville scored 16 points (8-11 FGs) and pulled down eight rebounds. Sunday at Michigan, McCarville dominated the paint with 21 points on 9-12 field goals and 15 rebounds.

McCarville's six Player of the Week citations is second only to Lindsay Whalen (nine) for the most in a Gopher career.

SHAQ NEARING SCHOOL RECORD FOR CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Janel McCarville scored 21 points and pulled down 15 rebounds against Michigan on Feb. 3 to record her 43rd career double-double. The record for career double-doubles in Golden Gopher history is 48 by Molly Tadich, who played from 1983-87. McCarville also leads the Big Ten in double-doubles this season with 10. The Michigan State game marked McCarville's 82nd career game scoring in double figures, second only to Lindsay Whalen's 108.

IN A CLASS OF HER OWN...McCARVILLE TIES CLASS RECORD FOR TOTAL WINS
Minnesota owns an 87-27 record in games that senior All-American Janel McCarville has played in, tying the senior class of 1981 (1977-81) and the school record for the most wins by a class with 87. The senior class of 1983 gathered 84, while last year's seniors finished with 80 career wins. McCarville is one win from holding the record in a class of her own.

GOPHERS RANKED NO. 12/13 IN POLLS
The Golden Gophers jumped two spots to No. 12 in this week's Associated Press Poll. The Gophers are ranked No. 13 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. LSU holds the No. 1 spot in both polls.

MINNESOTA HITS WEEK 59 IN AP POLL
Minnesota has been ranked in the AP National Poll's top 25 for the last 59 polls, dating back to Jan. 21, 2002, and is building upon the longest streak in Golden Gopher history. The Gophers spent a record stretch of eight weeks in the AP's top 10 from Dec. 1 - Jan. 19, nine weeks in the ESPN/USA Today poll (Nov. 24-Jan. 19) during the 2003-04 season. The Gophers spent one week at the No. 10 spot in the AP poll this season.

MINNESOTA RATED 14TH IN RPI
With two wins last week, Minnesota jumped up two spots to No. 14 in the latest WBCA/Summerville RPI. Tennessee is ranked No. 1 in RPI, followed by LSU and Duke. The Gophers are one of four Big Ten teams ranked in the top 20 in RPI with Ohio State at No. 5, Michigan State at No. 7 and Penn State at No. 22. The RPI rankings released by Collegiate Basketball News has Minnesota at No. 14.

McCARVILLE MAKES WOODEN CUT
Janel McCarville was selected as one of 20 players named to the Wooden Award Midseason All-American Team.

A national poll was conducted by the John R. Wooden Women's Award National Advisory Board to determine the Top 20 Midseason Candidates for the 2004-05 Wooden Award Player of the Year and All-American Team. The Top 20 Candidates have been selected based on individual performance and team records thus far in the 2004-05 season. Players who did not make this list are still eligible for consideration for the national ballot, which will be released in early March.

In late March, the five-player Women's Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced. One member of the All-American Team will be selected as the recipient of the John R. Wooden Award Trophy, presented annually to the most outstanding female collegiate basketball player. The event will be televised on April 9 live from The Los Angeles Athletic Club on CBS Sports. For more information please visit WoodenAward.com.

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