2013-14 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY RELEASE - FEBRUARY 7, 2014 Contact: Dan Mihalik, Assistant Director, Communications • Office: 847-696-1010 ext. 146 • E-mail: [email protected] • Cell: 219-688-9981 • Twitter: @B1GWBBall 2013-14 STANDINGS TOP STORIES Conference Games All Games Top Last • Michigan State and Penn State lead the W-L PCT H A Streak W-L PCT H A N 25# 10 Stk conference race with a 8-2 records in Big Ten play 1. Penn State 8-2 .800 3-2 5-0 L1 17-5 .773 9-4 6-1 2-0 3-3 8-2 L1 Michigan State 8-2 .800 3-2 5-0 W4 16-7 .696 9-3 6-3 1-1 3-3 8-2 W4 • Eleven conference squads rank among the top 85 3. Nebraska 6-3 .667 3-1 3-2 W3 16-5 .762 12-2 4-3 0-0 1-2 7-3 W3 in the latest RPI report released by the NCAA 4. Iowa 6-4 .600 3-3 3-1 W1 18-6 .750 10-3 5-3 3-0 3-4 6-4 W1 Michigan 6-4 .600 2-3 4-1 W1 15-8 .652 6-5 7-1 2-2 1-3 6-4 W1 • Nine Big Ten teams claim victories against top 25 6. Purdue 6-5 .545 4-2 2-3 W1 16-7 .696 8-2 7-4 1-1 2-3 6-4 W1 teams this season 7. Northwestern 4-6 .400 3-3 1-3 L2 14-9 .609 11-4 2-4 1-1 3-4 4-6 L2 Ohio State 4-6 .400 2-3 2-3 L2 14-12 .538 11-5 3-6 0-1 2-6 4-6 L2 • Nine Big Ten freshmen appear among the confer- 9. Indiana 3-6 .333 2-2 1-4 W1 16-6 .727 9-2 7-4 0-0 1-2 4-6 W1 ence’s top 30 scoring leaders Minnesota 3-6 .333 2-2 1-4 W1 14-9 .609 10-3 2-6 2-0 0-2 4-6 W1 11. Wisconsin 3-7 .300 2-3 1-4 L1 10-12 .455 6-5 3-7 1-0 0-2 3-7 L1 • Conference teams scoring more than four points 12. Illinois 2-8 .200 0-6 2-2 L4 9-14 .391 6-6 2-6 1-2 0-7 2-8 L4 per game higher than the national average # - AP or USA Today Polls THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE LAST WEEK’S RESULTS BIG TEN. BIG NEWS. FEBRUARY JANUARY Tipoff: Entering the second half of the conference 5 #24/rv Michigan State at Illinois MSU, 69-53 29 Iowa (rv/-) at Minnesota IOWA, 64-56 season, four teams are within three games of confer- ence leaders Michigan State and Penn State, which #22/21 Nebraska at Wisconsin NEB, 71-70 Michigan (rv/-) at #rv/23 Nebraska NEB, 84-51 carry matching 8-2 marks in Big Ten play. The confer- ence has shown its collective strength this season 6 Iowa at #9/10 Penn State IOWA, 73-70 30 #12/13 Penn State at #19/16 Purdue PSU, 75-72 with 11 teams appearing among the top 85 of the lat- Ohio State at #25/24 Purdue PUR, 74-58 Illinois at Ohio State OSU, 90-64 est RPI report, including nine squads among the top Michigan (rv/-) at Northwestern MICH, 70-68 Northwestern at Indiana NU, 58-52 60. Nine conference programs have at least one tri- Wisconsin at Michigan State (rv/rv) MSU 71-67 umph against a ranked opponent, with four teams 8 Wisconsin at Indiana 1 p.m. carrying three such wins this season, while numerous BTN FEBRUARY conference freshmen continue to leave their mark in #24/rv Michigan State at #22/21 Nebraska 3 p.m. their first year of competition. This weekend, all six BTN 1 Minnesota at Michigan (rv/-) MINN, 85-69 contests will be available to a national audience, with #rv/23 Nebraska at Iowa (rv/-) NEB, 80-67 games televised by either BTN or ESPN2 or streamed 9 #25/24 Purdue at Michigan (rv/-) Noon by the Big Ten Digital Network. BTN 2 #19/16 Purdue at Michigan State (rv/rv) MSU, 89-73 #9/10 Penn State at Ohio State 2 p.m. Indiana at Illinois IND, 77-58 A Look at the Standings: Now past the halfway point ESPN2 #12/13 Penn State at Northwestern PSU, 79-75 of the Big Ten season, Michigan State and Penn State are tied for the conference lead with matching 8-2 Big Illinois at Minnesota 3 p.m. Ohio State at Wisconsin WIS, 82-71 Ten records, with each hitting the road for contests BTDN this weekend. Nebraska is third in the conference Rankings: AP/USA Today standings at 6-3 and will host the conference-leading 10 Northwestern at Iowa 7 p.m. Spartans on Saturday afternoon. Following their victo- BTN ries on Thursday, Iowa and Michigan remain tied for fourth in the conference race, each with 6-4 Big Ten Rankings: AP/USA Today ledgers, with Purdue rounding out the top half of the standings with a 6-5 mark and Northwestern and All times are ET Ohio State tied for seventh at 4-6 in Big Ten play. Up in the RPI: Eleven Big Ten teams appear in the top 85 of the latest RPI report released by the NCAA on Monday afternoon, including nine teams among the top 60, which is tied for the most of any confer- BIG TEN MEDAL OF HONOR 100TH ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT ence in the nation. Two conference squads rank Northwestern’s Michele Ratay among the top 11 in the latest rating, with Purdue Michele Ratay was named an honorable mention All-American and appearing at No. 10, followed immediately by No. 11 Academic All-American in 1997, the same year she earned the Big Penn State, which climbed six spots from a week ago. Ten Medal of Honor. The Buffalo Grove, Ill., native ranks in the top Iowa moved up two spots from last week and is now 10 of various Northwestern categories, including first in three-point No. 31, followed by No. 37 Indiana, No. 39 Minnesota, field goals (244), third in points (1,798) and free throws made (442), No. 42 Ohio State and No. 44 Michigan State among fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.388), fifth in free throw the top 50. No. 54 Nebraska and No. 58 Northwestern percentage (.811) and ninth in assists (368). Ratay holds the Wildcat round out the group of nine Big Ten teams among the record for most three-pointers in a season, netting 85 in 1996. She top 60 of the RPI. was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (1995-96) and four-time aca- demic All-Big Ten honoree (1994-97). Ratay led Northwestern to the WNIT final in 1996 and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1997. HONORING LEGENDS. BUILDING LEADERS. Almost 1,400 Big Ten student-athletes and coaches have participated in the Olympics, winning at least 460 medals, including nearly 250 gold. BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY RELEASE 2 BIG TEN. BIG NEWS. BIG TEN PLAYERS Playing the Best: Six conference teams have Piling Up the Wins: Ten conference teams OF THE WEEK won multiple games against top 25 foes this enter the weekend carrying at least 14 victo- Player of the Week season, including four squads that have won ries this season, with seven having won 15 or Jordan Hooper, Nebraska three such contests. Iowa, Michigan State, more contests. Iowa leads the way with 18 Sr., F, Alliance, Neb./Alliance Northwestern and Penn State each hold three victories and Penn State boasts 17 triumphs, • Recorded two double-doubles on the week, turning in two wins over nationally ranked foes, including the while Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska and 25-point games and averaging 11.5 rebounds in victories Hawkeyes’ victory over nationally ranked Penn Purdue have 16 triumphs. Michigan carries 15 against Michigan and Iowa State on Thursday. Ohio State and Purdue triumphs on the season, while three squads, • Finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds in just 27 minutes each carry two top 25 wins this season, while Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State, against Michigan, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten Indiana, Michigan and Nebraska each have have 14 victories this season. history with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds one triumph over a ranked foe. In total, • Turned in her 10th double-double of the season against Buckeyes have faced eight top 25 teams, fol- Where We Rank: Four Big Ten teams appear Iowa on Saturday, posting 25 points and 13 rebounds, while lowed by Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern, who among the latest Associated Press (AP) or USA adding three assists and two steals against the Hawkeyes has faced seven top 25 squads. Michigan State Today Coaches polls. Penn State checks in the • Claims her eighth career Player of the Week honor and and Penn State have each faced six ranked top 10 for the second time this season, jump- second this season opponents this season. ing three spots in both polls to No. 9 in the AP • Last Nebraska Player of the Week: Jordan Hooper (Dec. 31, rankings and No. 10 in the coaches poll. 2013) Point By Point: With its teams averaging Nebraska returns to the AP poll at No. 22 this nearly 72 points per game, more than four week and jumps to No.