2012-13 BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BIG TEN TOURNAMENT RELEASE Contact: Sarah Andreychik, Big Ten Communications • Office: 847-696-1010 ext. 129 • E-mail: [email protected] • Twitter: @B1GWBBall 2012-13 OVERALL AND BIG TEN STANDINGS TOP STORIES Conference Games All Games Top Last W-L PCT H A Streak W-L PCT H A N 25# 10 Stk • Penn State enters Big Ten Tournament as No. 1 1. Penn State^ 14-2 .875 8-0 6-2 W1 24-4 .857 14-0 9-4 1-0 4-1 8-2 W1 seed after winning outright conference crown 2. Nebraska 12-4 .750 5-3 7-1 L1 22-7 .759 13-4 9-3 0-0 2-4 9-1 L1 3. Michigan State 10-6 .625 6-2 4-4 W2 22-7 .759 13-2 7-5 2-0 1-4 6-4 W2 • Five conference teams reach 20-wins mark, one Purdue 10-6 .625 5-3 5-3 W1 21-8 .724 10-3 9-4 2-1 2-3 5-5 W1 within one victory of landmark 5. Michigan 9-7 .562 5-3 4-4 L1 20-9 .690 13-4 7-5 0-0 1-4 4-6 L1 Illinois 9-7 .562 4-4 5-3 L2 16-12 .571 9-7 6-4 1-1 3-3 6-4 L2 • Four Big Ten teams receiving votes in the latest 7. Iowa 8-8 .500 4-4 4-4 W2 19-11 .633 11-5 6-6 2-0 7-2 4-6 W2 Associated Press rankings 8. Minnesota 7-9 .438 4-4 3-5 W2 18-12 .600 13-5 3-6 2-1 1-4 5-5 W2 Ohio State 7-9 .438 4-4 3-5 W3 17-12 .586 13-4 4-7 0-1 0-4 6-4 W3 • Six Big Ten teams rank in the top 40 of the latest 10. Northwestern 5-11 .313 2-5 3-5 L2 13-16 .448 8-8 4-8 1-0 1-3 4-6 L2 NCAA RPI 11. Wisconsin 3-13 .188 3-5 0-8 L5 11-18 .379 9-6 1-12 1-0 1-4 2-8 L5 12. Indiana 2-14 .125 2-6 0-8 L3 11-18 .379 9-8 2-10 0-0 1-4 1-9 L3 • Big Ten student-athletes appear in the nation’s top 25 in various statistical categories # - AP or USA Today Polls ^ - clinched Big Ten Championship BIG TEN. BIG NEWS. THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE Tip Off Down to the Wire MARCH All 12 Big Ten women’s basketball teams head to The Big Ten Tournament has proved to be highly 7 #7 Iowa vs. # 10 Northwestern 11:30 a.m. Hoffman Estates, Ill., and the Sears Centre Arena competitive in its history. Fifteen of the 18 title BTN for the annual Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tourna- games have been decided by 10 points or less and #6 Illinois vs. #11 Wisconsin 2 p.m.* ment, where the tournament champion will earn eight of the last 11 have been decided by four BTN the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA points or less, including last year’s double-overtime #8 Minnesota vs. #9 Ohio State 6 p.m. Championship. Penn State clinched the top overall thriller when Purdue edged Nebraska. BTN seed after earning the Big Ten Championship #5 Michigan vs. #12 Indiana 8:30 p.m.* for the second consecutive season and seventh Pulling the Double BTN time overall. Nebraska, which enters the field Six times in the tournament’s history, the Big Ten as the No. 2 seed, looks to make a return trip to Champion during the regular season has gone on 8 #2 Nebraska vs. IOWA/NU 11:30 a.m. the tournament final. For the sixth consecutive to win the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State was BTN season, every game of the Big Ten Tournament will the first to achieve the feat in the tournament’s #3 Purdue vs. ILL/WIS 2 p.m.* be televised to a national television audience. The inaugural year (1995), Purdue pulled the double in BTN first 10 games of the tournament will be televised 1999, Michigan State won both in 2005 and Ohio #1 Penn State vs. MINN/OSU 6 p.m. by BTN, while ESPN2 will carry the tournament State won the 2006, 2009 and 2010 tournaments BTN final at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday. after winning the regular season crown. #4 Michigan State vs. MICH/IND 8:30 p.m.* BTN Roaring to the Top Back Home in Chicago With its 82-67 win over Nebraska on Sunday A number of conference student-athletes will be 9 Semifinal 1 4 p.m. afternoon, Penn State secured sole possession of returning to the Chicagoland area for the Big Ten BTN the Big Ten Championship, the Lady Lions’ second Tournament. Fourteen Big Ten players hail from the Semifinal 2 6:30 p.m.* consecutive outright title. It marks the seventh Big city or surrounding areas, including nine who play BTN Ten title in Lady Lion history. With a 14-2 record for in-state schools Illinois and Northwestern. The in conference play, Penn State also earned the top complete list of Chicagoland natives includes: 10 Championship Game 3 p.m. overall seed in the Big Ten Tournament, where ESPN2 it will play its first game on Friday at 6 p.m. CT Ivory Crawford, Illinois (Proviso East) against the Minnesota-Ohio State winner from Adrienne GodBold, Illinois (Marshall) All Times CT * tip times are approximate Thursday. Kersten Magrum, Illinois (Lincoln-Way East) Kierra Morris, Illinois (Morgan Park Academy) Anybody’s Ballgame Taylor Tuck, Illinois (Bolingbrook) In the 18-year history of the Big Ten Tournament, Sam Arnold, Michigan (Lake Park) LAST WEEK’S RESULTS nine conference teams have advanced to the Kiana Johnson, Michigan State (Whitney Young) tournament championship game. The No. 9 seed Anna Morrissey, Michigan State (Stevenson) FEBRUARY is the lowest seed to advance to the championship Tessa Haldes, Northwestern (Whitney Young) 28 Michigan State (rv/-) at #25/22 Purdue MSU, 68-61 game when Illinois accomplished the feat in 2008, Maggie Lyon, Northwestern (New Trier) Northwestern at Michigan MICH, 55-50 while the No. 5 seed is the lowest seed to earn the Meghan McKeown, Northwestern (Loyola Academy) Ohio State at Illinois OSU, 64-53 Indiana at Iowa IOWA, 75-70 tournament crown (Purdue, 1998; Indiana, 2002; La’Terria Taylor, Northwestern (Von Steuben) #20/25 Nebraska at Wisconsin NEB, 55-53 Ohio State, 2011). Jacki Gulczynski, Wisconsin (Bartlett) #7/7 Penn State at Minnesota MINN, 89-81 Michala Johnson, Wisconsin (Montini) MARCH 3 Michigan at Ohio State OSU, 66-55 Minnesota at Indiana MINN, 59-53 Wisconsin at Michigan State (rv/-) MSU, 54-48 FOLLOW THE BIG TEN Iowa at Northwestern IOWA, 62-45 Illinois at #25/22 Purdue PUR, 76-65 Followers of Big Ten women’s basketball have several ways to keep track of the conference this season. #7/7 Penn State at #20/25 Nebraska PSU, 82-67 Updates can be found at the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Blog (www.bigten.org/blog/womens-basketball), and real-time alerts can be seen by logging on to Twitter and following @BigTenConf and @B1GWBBall. HONORING LEGENDS. BUILDING LEADERS. BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT RELEASE 2 BIG TEN. BIG NEWS. BIG TEN PLAYERS OF Where We Rank To The Point THE WEEK Four Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the latest Through Sunday’s games, the Big Ten boasts five Player of the Week Associated Press (AP) and USA Today Coaches players in the top 45 in the nation in points per Micaëlla Riché, Minnesota polls. In the AP vote, Penn State leads the way at game, the most of any conference. Minnesota’s 6-2, Jr., F, Gloucester, Ontario/Louis Riel No. 8, followed by Nebraska at No. 22. The Lady Rachel Banham is 12th in the country at 21.0 • Averaged a double-double with 20.5 points and Lions check in at No. 8 in the coaches poll, while points per game, while Ohio State’s Tayler Hill is the Huskers are ranked No. 24 and Purdue comes 10.0 rebounds per game in victories over No. 7 13th with 20.9 points per outing. Penn State’s Penn State and Indiana last week in at No. 25. Michigan State and Purdue are receiv- Maggie Lucas is 15th (20.5 points per game), Il- ing votes from the AP. • Posted a team-high 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting linois’ Karisma Penn is 26th (19.4) and Nebraska’s from the field in the Gophers’ win over the Lady Reppin’ in the RPI Jordan Hooper is 42nd (17.9). Lions Six Big Ten teams appear among the top 40 • Tallied her fifth career double-double with 17 squads in the latest RPI Report released by the Statistically Speaking points and 15 rebounds in Minnesota’s defeat of NCAA on Monday, tied for the second most of In addition to scoring leaders, numerous Big Ten the Hoosiers any conference in the nation. Entering the week, standouts appear among the NCAA statistical lead- • Wins her second Big Ten Player of the Week award three Big Ten squads appear among the top 20, ers, which were released on Monday. Penn State’s and second this season with Penn State leading at No. 5, followed by No. Maggie Lucas is fourth in the country in three-point • Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Rachel 15 Nebraska and No.