THE OPENING TIP
Indiana will hit the road for the first time in 2015-16 to take on No. 19 DePaul in Chicago, Ill. at McGrath-Phillips Arena on Thursday, Nov. 19 in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT. The game will tip at 8 p.m. ET. The contest can be heard online at WHCC105.com with Greg Murray on the call and will be available as a live stream at DePaulBlueDemons.com.
Indiana (2-0) at No. 19 DePaul (2-0)
Preseason WNIT Semifinals
Thursday, Nov. 19 • 8 p.m. ET
McGrath-Phillips Arena • Chicago, Ill.
Live Web Broadcast: DePaulBlueDemons.com
Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM (Greg Murray)
Live Stats: DePaulBlueDemons.com
DID YOU KNOW?
• Indiana will play in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT for the second time in school history as the Hoosiers reached the semifinal round of the tournament in 1998. IU defeated Cincinnati and Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) that year to reach the semis before falling the Rutgers in that round.
• The Hoosiers are participating in the Preseason WNIT for the third time in program history (1998, 2008).
• IU and DePaul will meet for the fourth time ever, and for the first time since Nov. 28, 1981. Indiana leads the all-time series 2-1
• Indiana's win over No. 24 Chattanooga on Tuesday gave IU its first victory over a ranked non-conference opponent since the Hoosiers downed No. 24/19 Nebraska (prior to joining Big Ten) on Dec. 5, 2010.
• The victory over UTC gave Teri Moren her second win over a ranked foe as head coach at Indiana as the Hoosiers defeated No. 24 Michigan State, 70-51, on Dec. 31, 2014 in Assembly Hall.
• With Thursday's matchup against No. 19 DePaul, it'll mark the first time since 2009 that the Hoosiers will have faced ranked opponents in non-Big Ten play in consecutive games.
• IU sealed its win over Chattanooga with a strong fourth quarter as the Hoosiers outscored the Mocs 19-6 in the final stanza. The strong finish was started by six-straight points from Kym Royster at the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter that ignited a 12-0 run.
• Indiana outscored UTC 23-4 in points off turnovers as the Hoosiers forced 18 Chattanooga miscues, the most turnovers by the Mocs in a game this season.
• Through the first two games this year, Indiana has limited opponents to shoot just 31.7 percent from the field, holding both Tennessee State and UTC to an average of 49.5 points per game.
• In the win over TSU, Indiana collected 14 steals in the game as a team, marking the fourth time in the Moren era that IU has had 14 or more steals in a game.
• Sophomore Tyra Buss has led the Hoosiers in scoring and assists in both games so far as she is averaging 18.5 points and 6.5 assists per games to go along with seven steals through the first two contests.
• Sophomore Amanda Cahill has shot 57.9 percent overall and 66.7 percent from long distance in the first two games, averaging 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
THE COACHES
Indiana
Teri Moren
Career Record: 216-146 (13th year)
Indiana Record: 17-16 (2nd year)
DePaul
Doug Bruno
Career Record: 589-309 (30th year)
DePaul Record: 589-309 (30th year)
DEPAUL AT A GLANCE
DePaul entered 2015-16 as back-to-back BIG EAST regular season and tournament champions and has won convincingly in wins over Southern Illinois and St. Bonaventure to earn its spot in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT. The Blue Demons have averaged 91.0 points per game in the first two contests led by Jessica January's 17.0 points per game as she's also leading the team with nine steals so far. Megan Podkowa has had a double-double in each of the first two games for DePaul as Mart'e Grays has been an outside threat so far this year, hitting 5-of-11 3-point field goals to average 14.5 points per game. As a team, the Blue Demons are shooting 50 percent as a team and have limited opponents to shoot just 11.8 percent from 3-point range.
INDIANA IN PRESEASON WNIT FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2008
The Hoosiers open the 2015-16 season as part of the 16-team Preseason WNIT Field. This year marks the third time that IU has participated in the Preseason WNIT (2008, 1998).
Every team in the field is guaranteed three games in the tournament. Participating schools will host all games in campus facilities, including the semifinals and championship. The event began with round one on Nov. 13, and was followed by round two on Nov. 15-17. The semifinals will take place on Nov. 19 followed by the championship game on Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. ET live on CBS Sports Network.
The Preseason WNIT began in its modern form in 1994. Since its inception, over 200 teams representing all 32 conferences have competed in the tournament. It is organized and produced by Triple Crown Sports, a national sports event company based in Fort Collins, Colo. For more information on the WNIT visit: www.womensnit.com.
HOOSIERS IN PRESEASON WNIT SEMIFINALS FOR SECOND TIME
Indiana will play in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT for the second time in school history on Thursday as the Hoosiers also played in the semis of the tournament in 1998. That year, the Hoosiers defeated Cincinnati and Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) to reach the semifinals before falling to a top-10 team in Rutgers. In 2008, IU won its first round game of the Preseason WNIT against Ball State before falling to Xavier in round two.
DEFEATING THE RANKED ONES
With the 54-43 win over No. 24 Chattanooga on Tuesday, it marked Indiana's first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since downing No. 24/19 Nebraska (prior to joining Big Ten) on Dec. 5, 2010. Tuesday's victory also gave Teri Moren her second win over a ranked foe as head coach at Indiana as the Hoosiers defeated No. 24 Michigan State, 70-51, on Dec. 31, 2014 in Assembly Hall. With Thursday's matchup against No. 19 DePaul, it'll mark the first time since 2009 that the Hoosiers will have faced ranked opponents in non-Big Ten play in consecutive games.
TURN-OVER FOR WHAT?
Through two games, Indiana has forced opponents into 36 turnovers (18.0 per game) as both Tennessee State and Chattanooga each had 18 turnovers against the Hoosier defense. In game one, IU had 14 steals, marking the fourth time in the Teri Moren era that Indiana has had 14 or more steals in a game. Indiana scored 30 points off of those Lady Tiger miscues. In the win over UTC, the Hoosiers outscored the Mocs 23-4 in points off turnovers.
GET ON THE BUSS
Indiana's returning leader in scoring, steals and assists has started where she left off last year. Through two games, sophomore Tyra Buss leads IU with 18.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. She tallied 16 points in the win over No. 24 Chattanooga with six rebounds, five assists and a steal. In the season opener vs. Tennessee State, Buss led Indiana in scoring with 21 points, in assists with a career-high tying eight and in steals with six. It marked the third time in her career that she had six or more steals in game. She has scored in double figures in 24 career games.
Last year, Buss averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 steals and 3.2 assists per game to go along with 3.6 rebounds per contest in 2014-15. Her 65 steals last year were the most by an IU player since 2010-11, tied for the ninth most in a single season in program history and was the second most by a freshman ever at IU. Her steals total led all Big Ten freshmen and ranked sixth nationally among freshmen.
CLIMBING TO THE CA-HILL TOP
Amanda Cahill has caught fire early on in 2015-16 as the sophomore has shot 57.9 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from 3-point range through the first two games. Against Tennessee State, Cahill went 7-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from long distance on her way to 17 points. She also added a team-high tying eight rebounds, a career-high tying four assists and a pair of steals. In the victory over No. 24 Chattanooga, the Clyde, Ohio, native finished with 13 points and seven boards with a pair of assists while again nailing 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
Last year, Cahill was the only freshman in the Big Ten to average at least 10.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while hitting 77.5 percent from the free throw line. She finished the year ranked second among freshmen and 12th overall in rebounding in the conference. Cahill started in all 31 games in 2014-15 and connected on 50.2 percent (11th in B1G) of her field goal attempts to go along with 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. She had six double-doubles on the year, the most by an Indiana player since 2008-09. She scored in double figures in 18 contests and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 10 games.
HIT THE GASSION PEDAL
In IU's win over Chattanooga, junior Alexis Gassion scored in double figures for the 25th time in her career as she had 10 points with six rebounds, two assists and a steal. In the season opener vs. TSU, she tallied 12 points to go along with eight boards, a career-high tying four blocks and four assists.
Last season, Gassion played in all 31 games, starting in the final 16. She averaged 8.0 points per game and was second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest. Gassion tallied 10 or more points 10 times and double-digit rebounds four times with a pair of double-doubles. The Fairborn, Ohio, native shot 44.9 percent from the field, 77.0 percent from the free throw line and 34.8 percent from 3-point range.
THIS IS HER TOWN-ER
Tyshee Towner came to play in her Indiana debut on Nov. 13 vs. Tennessee State as the junior tallied 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, two steals and two assists. She also nailed both of her 3-point field goal attempts as she started in her first game in an IU uniform.
LEIKEM TO GRADUATE IN 2016
Lyndsay Leikem got her final season in Bloomington started in style as she just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds against Tennessee State on Nov. 13 to go along with a career-high three steals. The senior shot 4-of-7 from the field and added a pair of assists.
Leikem is entering her third year with Indiana women's basketball, but will graduate from IU in May 2016 with degrees in criminal justice and psychology. She plans to move to the Washington, D.C. area after graduating to pursue a career with the FBI.
Leikem appeared in 29 contests in 2014-15 as a sophomore. She connected on 83.3 percent of her free throw attempts and averaged 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. As a freshman, Leikem averaged 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the free throw line.
TERI MOREN BEGINS SECOND SEASON AT INDIANA
Indiana head coach Teri Moren begins her second year at the helm of the Hoosier program after completing her first full offseason in Bloomington prior to the 2015-16 season. Moren, a native of nearby Seymour, Ind., enters her 13th year as a head coach at the collegiate level including stops at Indiana State and the University of Indianapolis. Moren's complete bio can be found later in this notes packet.
HOOSIERS BOLSTER SCHEDULE FOR 2015-16
Head coach Teri Moren made it a priority to bolster the 2015-16 non-conference schedule, and Indiana did just that. IU will participate in three non-league tournaments, including the Preseason WNIT, and host a Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup in Assembly Hall. The non-Big Ten slate features seven opponents who played in the postseason a year ago (Tennessee State, Chattanooga, DePaul Ohio, Georgia Tech, Miami, West Virginia) with an opportunity to play against additional 2015 postseason teams as part of the Preseason WNIT field. IU will also participate in the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 27-28 in Nashville, Tenn. and the Florida Sunshine Classic near Orlando, Fla. on Dec. 20-21.
Indiana's 18-game Big Ten schedule will get started at Wisconsin Dec. 31. IU will host nine conference foes in Assembly Hall beginning with Michigan on Jan. 3. The Big Ten saw eight teams earn postseason berths last season, including seven into the NCAA Tournament.
Go Hoosiers!
http://www.iuhoosiers.com/news/2015/11/18/WBB_1118152524.aspx
Indiana will hit the road for the first time in 2015-16 to take on No. 19 DePaul in Chicago, Ill. at McGrath-Phillips Arena on Thursday, Nov. 19 in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT. The game will tip at 8 p.m. ET. The contest can be heard online at WHCC105.com with Greg Murray on the call and will be available as a live stream at DePaulBlueDemons.com.
Indiana (2-0) at No. 19 DePaul (2-0)
Preseason WNIT Semifinals
Thursday, Nov. 19 • 8 p.m. ET
McGrath-Phillips Arena • Chicago, Ill.
Live Web Broadcast: DePaulBlueDemons.com
Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM (Greg Murray)
Live Stats: DePaulBlueDemons.com
DID YOU KNOW?
• Indiana will play in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT for the second time in school history as the Hoosiers reached the semifinal round of the tournament in 1998. IU defeated Cincinnati and Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) that year to reach the semis before falling the Rutgers in that round.
• The Hoosiers are participating in the Preseason WNIT for the third time in program history (1998, 2008).
• IU and DePaul will meet for the fourth time ever, and for the first time since Nov. 28, 1981. Indiana leads the all-time series 2-1
• Indiana's win over No. 24 Chattanooga on Tuesday gave IU its first victory over a ranked non-conference opponent since the Hoosiers downed No. 24/19 Nebraska (prior to joining Big Ten) on Dec. 5, 2010.
• The victory over UTC gave Teri Moren her second win over a ranked foe as head coach at Indiana as the Hoosiers defeated No. 24 Michigan State, 70-51, on Dec. 31, 2014 in Assembly Hall.
• With Thursday's matchup against No. 19 DePaul, it'll mark the first time since 2009 that the Hoosiers will have faced ranked opponents in non-Big Ten play in consecutive games.
• IU sealed its win over Chattanooga with a strong fourth quarter as the Hoosiers outscored the Mocs 19-6 in the final stanza. The strong finish was started by six-straight points from Kym Royster at the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter that ignited a 12-0 run.
• Indiana outscored UTC 23-4 in points off turnovers as the Hoosiers forced 18 Chattanooga miscues, the most turnovers by the Mocs in a game this season.
• Through the first two games this year, Indiana has limited opponents to shoot just 31.7 percent from the field, holding both Tennessee State and UTC to an average of 49.5 points per game.
• In the win over TSU, Indiana collected 14 steals in the game as a team, marking the fourth time in the Moren era that IU has had 14 or more steals in a game.
• Sophomore Tyra Buss has led the Hoosiers in scoring and assists in both games so far as she is averaging 18.5 points and 6.5 assists per games to go along with seven steals through the first two contests.
• Sophomore Amanda Cahill has shot 57.9 percent overall and 66.7 percent from long distance in the first two games, averaging 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
THE COACHES
Indiana
Teri Moren
Career Record: 216-146 (13th year)
Indiana Record: 17-16 (2nd year)
DePaul
Doug Bruno
Career Record: 589-309 (30th year)
DePaul Record: 589-309 (30th year)
DEPAUL AT A GLANCE
DePaul entered 2015-16 as back-to-back BIG EAST regular season and tournament champions and has won convincingly in wins over Southern Illinois and St. Bonaventure to earn its spot in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT. The Blue Demons have averaged 91.0 points per game in the first two contests led by Jessica January's 17.0 points per game as she's also leading the team with nine steals so far. Megan Podkowa has had a double-double in each of the first two games for DePaul as Mart'e Grays has been an outside threat so far this year, hitting 5-of-11 3-point field goals to average 14.5 points per game. As a team, the Blue Demons are shooting 50 percent as a team and have limited opponents to shoot just 11.8 percent from 3-point range.
INDIANA IN PRESEASON WNIT FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2008
The Hoosiers open the 2015-16 season as part of the 16-team Preseason WNIT Field. This year marks the third time that IU has participated in the Preseason WNIT (2008, 1998).
Every team in the field is guaranteed three games in the tournament. Participating schools will host all games in campus facilities, including the semifinals and championship. The event began with round one on Nov. 13, and was followed by round two on Nov. 15-17. The semifinals will take place on Nov. 19 followed by the championship game on Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. ET live on CBS Sports Network.
The Preseason WNIT began in its modern form in 1994. Since its inception, over 200 teams representing all 32 conferences have competed in the tournament. It is organized and produced by Triple Crown Sports, a national sports event company based in Fort Collins, Colo. For more information on the WNIT visit: www.womensnit.com.
HOOSIERS IN PRESEASON WNIT SEMIFINALS FOR SECOND TIME
Indiana will play in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT for the second time in school history on Thursday as the Hoosiers also played in the semis of the tournament in 1998. That year, the Hoosiers defeated Cincinnati and Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) to reach the semifinals before falling to a top-10 team in Rutgers. In 2008, IU won its first round game of the Preseason WNIT against Ball State before falling to Xavier in round two.
DEFEATING THE RANKED ONES
With the 54-43 win over No. 24 Chattanooga on Tuesday, it marked Indiana's first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since downing No. 24/19 Nebraska (prior to joining Big Ten) on Dec. 5, 2010. Tuesday's victory also gave Teri Moren her second win over a ranked foe as head coach at Indiana as the Hoosiers defeated No. 24 Michigan State, 70-51, on Dec. 31, 2014 in Assembly Hall. With Thursday's matchup against No. 19 DePaul, it'll mark the first time since 2009 that the Hoosiers will have faced ranked opponents in non-Big Ten play in consecutive games.
TURN-OVER FOR WHAT?
Through two games, Indiana has forced opponents into 36 turnovers (18.0 per game) as both Tennessee State and Chattanooga each had 18 turnovers against the Hoosier defense. In game one, IU had 14 steals, marking the fourth time in the Teri Moren era that Indiana has had 14 or more steals in a game. Indiana scored 30 points off of those Lady Tiger miscues. In the win over UTC, the Hoosiers outscored the Mocs 23-4 in points off turnovers.
GET ON THE BUSS
Indiana's returning leader in scoring, steals and assists has started where she left off last year. Through two games, sophomore Tyra Buss leads IU with 18.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. She tallied 16 points in the win over No. 24 Chattanooga with six rebounds, five assists and a steal. In the season opener vs. Tennessee State, Buss led Indiana in scoring with 21 points, in assists with a career-high tying eight and in steals with six. It marked the third time in her career that she had six or more steals in game. She has scored in double figures in 24 career games.
Last year, Buss averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 steals and 3.2 assists per game to go along with 3.6 rebounds per contest in 2014-15. Her 65 steals last year were the most by an IU player since 2010-11, tied for the ninth most in a single season in program history and was the second most by a freshman ever at IU. Her steals total led all Big Ten freshmen and ranked sixth nationally among freshmen.
CLIMBING TO THE CA-HILL TOP
Amanda Cahill has caught fire early on in 2015-16 as the sophomore has shot 57.9 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from 3-point range through the first two games. Against Tennessee State, Cahill went 7-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from long distance on her way to 17 points. She also added a team-high tying eight rebounds, a career-high tying four assists and a pair of steals. In the victory over No. 24 Chattanooga, the Clyde, Ohio, native finished with 13 points and seven boards with a pair of assists while again nailing 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
Last year, Cahill was the only freshman in the Big Ten to average at least 10.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while hitting 77.5 percent from the free throw line. She finished the year ranked second among freshmen and 12th overall in rebounding in the conference. Cahill started in all 31 games in 2014-15 and connected on 50.2 percent (11th in B1G) of her field goal attempts to go along with 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. She had six double-doubles on the year, the most by an Indiana player since 2008-09. She scored in double figures in 18 contests and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 10 games.
HIT THE GASSION PEDAL
In IU's win over Chattanooga, junior Alexis Gassion scored in double figures for the 25th time in her career as she had 10 points with six rebounds, two assists and a steal. In the season opener vs. TSU, she tallied 12 points to go along with eight boards, a career-high tying four blocks and four assists.
Last season, Gassion played in all 31 games, starting in the final 16. She averaged 8.0 points per game and was second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest. Gassion tallied 10 or more points 10 times and double-digit rebounds four times with a pair of double-doubles. The Fairborn, Ohio, native shot 44.9 percent from the field, 77.0 percent from the free throw line and 34.8 percent from 3-point range.
THIS IS HER TOWN-ER
Tyshee Towner came to play in her Indiana debut on Nov. 13 vs. Tennessee State as the junior tallied 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, two steals and two assists. She also nailed both of her 3-point field goal attempts as she started in her first game in an IU uniform.
LEIKEM TO GRADUATE IN 2016
Lyndsay Leikem got her final season in Bloomington started in style as she just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds against Tennessee State on Nov. 13 to go along with a career-high three steals. The senior shot 4-of-7 from the field and added a pair of assists.
Leikem is entering her third year with Indiana women's basketball, but will graduate from IU in May 2016 with degrees in criminal justice and psychology. She plans to move to the Washington, D.C. area after graduating to pursue a career with the FBI.
Leikem appeared in 29 contests in 2014-15 as a sophomore. She connected on 83.3 percent of her free throw attempts and averaged 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. As a freshman, Leikem averaged 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the free throw line.
TERI MOREN BEGINS SECOND SEASON AT INDIANA
Indiana head coach Teri Moren begins her second year at the helm of the Hoosier program after completing her first full offseason in Bloomington prior to the 2015-16 season. Moren, a native of nearby Seymour, Ind., enters her 13th year as a head coach at the collegiate level including stops at Indiana State and the University of Indianapolis. Moren's complete bio can be found later in this notes packet.
HOOSIERS BOLSTER SCHEDULE FOR 2015-16
Head coach Teri Moren made it a priority to bolster the 2015-16 non-conference schedule, and Indiana did just that. IU will participate in three non-league tournaments, including the Preseason WNIT, and host a Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup in Assembly Hall. The non-Big Ten slate features seven opponents who played in the postseason a year ago (Tennessee State, Chattanooga, DePaul Ohio, Georgia Tech, Miami, West Virginia) with an opportunity to play against additional 2015 postseason teams as part of the Preseason WNIT field. IU will also participate in the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 27-28 in Nashville, Tenn. and the Florida Sunshine Classic near Orlando, Fla. on Dec. 20-21.
Indiana's 18-game Big Ten schedule will get started at Wisconsin Dec. 31. IU will host nine conference foes in Assembly Hall beginning with Michigan on Jan. 3. The Big Ten saw eight teams earn postseason berths last season, including seven into the NCAA Tournament.
Go Hoosiers!
http://www.iuhoosiers.com/news/2015/11/18/WBB_1118152524.aspx
