Dec. 10, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Six of the eight Big Ten women's basketball games scheduled this week will appear on national television as the Big Ten Network will air coverage on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and Fox Sports Net will broadcast the Ohio State at Washington game on Sunday evening.
Big Ten on TV
Six Big Ten women's basketball matchups will be featured on national television this week as the Big Ten Network will pick up five contests and Fox Sports Net will air another. Coverage begins on Monday as Michigan hosts USC at 6 p.m. ET live on the Big Ten Network. TV action continues on Tuesday as Wisconsin welcomes in-state rival UW-Green Bay to the Kohl Center at 7 p.m. CT, and on Thursday as Penn State hosts Ole Miss at 8 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. The network will air two contests on Sunday as Michigan State welcomes Oklahoma to the Breslin Center at Noon ET, and Indiana plays host to Bowling Green at 2 p.m. ET. Television coverage for the week wraps up on Sunday evening as Fox Sports Net will air the live broadcast of the Ohio State at Washington contest at 4 p.m. PT.
Illinois Makes it a December to Remember
The Fighting Illini defeated Chicago State, 73-46, at the United Center in Chicago in the Lexus December to Remember Classic on Saturday. Illinois has won each of its last five games in the annual United Center event by an average of 33 points. Sophomore Jenna Smith led the Illini in the win with 24 points and eight rebounds while senior Danyel Crutcher contributed 20 points and 10 boards.
Big Ten Succeeds Against In-State Rivals
Big Ten teams have combined to go 13-4 when playing in-state rivals so far this season. With a win over Chicago State on Saturday, Illinois leads the way with a 4-0 mark when facing opponents from the Land of Lincoln. Penn State is 2-0 and Indiana is 1-0 against foes from their respective home states, while Iowa and Purdue both boast 2-1 records, and Northwestern and Wisconsin are each 1-1. Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin will each face one more in-state non-conference opponent this season as the Wildcats welcome DePaul on Dec. 20, the Buckeyes host Youngstown State on Dec. 19, Penn State travels to Bucknell this Saturday and Wisconsin welcomes UW-Green Bay on Tuesday.
Dynamic Duos
Nine of the Big Ten's 11 squads boast at least two players who average double-digit scoring, including Indiana who has three and Penn State with four. The Hoosiers' Jamie Braun averages 14.1 points per game while Whitney Thomas nets 12.6 and Amber Jackson scores 11.3. The Lady Lions' Tyra Grant leads her squad with 14.1 ppg, while Mashea Williams averages 13.0, Brianne O'Rourke nets 12.3 and Kamela Gissendanner scores 11.71 per contest. Wisconsin's Jolene Anderson (21.3 ppg) and Janese Banks (14.3) rank as the Big Ten's highest scoring duo, combining for an average of 35.6 points per game.
Big Ten Youth Movement
Underclassmen are currently sitting atop several of the Big Ten's individual statistical categories. Ohio State freshman Jantel Lavender leads the conference with 10.6 rebounds per game, while sophomores Jenna Smith of Illinois and Allyssa DeHaan of Michigan State rank second and third, respectively. DeHaan also leads the conference and the nation with 5.33 blocks per game. Wisconsin freshman Tara Steinbauer ranks first in the conference with a .688 field-goal percentage, just ahead of Smith and Michigan sophomore Krista Phillips. Badger sophomore Rae Lin D'Alie is tops in the Big Ten with 5.00 assists per game, while Spartan freshman Brittney Thomas is second. Illinois sophomore Lacey Simpson is first in the conference with 3.40 steals per game, while Ohio State sophomore Shavelle Little is second in that category and first with a 2.89 assists-to-turnover ratio.
Big Ten Among Nation's Elite
Several Big Ten teams and players rank among the NCAA's statistical leaders, including Michigan State's Allyssa DeHaan and Iowa's Wendy Ausdemore who lead the nation in two different categories. DeHaan ranks first in all of Division I with 5.3 blocks per game. Ausdemore is tops on the three-point field goal percentage list with a .581 average from beyond the arc. Purdue's Danielle Campbell recorded 11 blocked shots on Nov. 17, which ranks as the highest single-game total in the NCAA this season.
DeHaan Approaches Blocking Milestone
Michigan State sophomore Allyssa DeHaan owns 193 blocks in her career, putting her just one shy of the Spartans' school record of 194, set by Kristen Rasmussen from 1997-2000. The 6-9 center is just seven swats away from becoming the 10th member of the Big Ten's 200 career blocks club. DeHaan is on pace to become the youngest player in conference history to reach the milestone, as no other student-athlete has reached 200 blocks before entering her junior season.
Badger Senior Tracks UW Points Record
Wisconsin senior Jolene Anderson needs just 110 points to tie Wisconsin's all-time scoring record of 1,994, set by Barb Franke from 1991-96. With 1,884 career points to her name, Anderson is on pace to become the 12th player in Big Ten history to reach the 2,000-point milestone. The Port Wing, Wis., native has reached double-figure scoring in each of her last 37 games and in 97 of her 101 career contests.
Hoosiers Join Free-Throw Shooting Elite
Indiana went 19-for-20 at the free-throw line against Dayton on Dec. 5, tying for eighth in the Big Ten records book (minimum 15 attempts) with a .950 percentage for the game. The average is second in Indiana school history (minimum 14 attempts), bested only by the Hoosiers' 14-for-14 performance in 1987.
Badgers Battle the Elements
Wisconsin has had two games either canceled or postponed so far this season as its match with Air Force was pushed back from Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. to Sunday, Dec. 9 at 1:30 p.m. as weather conditions in Colorado forced the Falcons to leave a day later than originally scheduled. On Nov. 24, the Badgers were scheduled to play Texas-Arlington in the championship game of the Pepperdine Tournament, but the game was canceled due to wildfires in the Malibu, Calif., area.
