Nebraska @ Iowa State

[Bball Girl]

early
NU 13
ISU 7

[Bball Girl]

ISU is on a 14-4 run.

ISU 22
NU - 17

[Bball Girl]

Hardy with 2 fouls sat on the bench most of the 1st half.
Griffin sick with the stomach flu has 3 fouls

Medders with 20 pts

ISU 39
NU 27
halftime

[swok34]

wow....Medders with 30 points. Glad someone finally fed that kid some chicken soup :D

ISU leading 73-51 with about 3 minutes left.

[sybarite]

This will teach me to pick against Iowa State in Ames.

[YCN]

Apparently the Sooners got them at exactly the right time, the first conference game, before they started to put it together.

Big 12, please. In two years, please let us play our conference opener in Ames again!

Thank you for your consideration.

[Bball Girl]

Final ISU 79 NU 57

[CyRox98]

I have not been so happy to see my girls get back on track as I was tonight in a long time. Plus, it was also nice that I STILL have not seen NU win in Ames since I started going to games here (they last won in '97, the season before we began going).

NU tried using full-court pressure in the first half and racked up a bunch of fouls. Yori probably let them do it too long because it put their main scorers on the bench early and they never really developed any rhythm. We took full advantage and things started going our way. The lid FINALLY came off the basket and our ball handling improved greatly.

Lyndsey was incredible, especially considering how bad her back was for the Texas game. On the radio post-game show, she said she hadn't even practiced since Wednesday. 31 points isn't too bad for someone not actively taking part in practicing for Nebraska the last three days (although she was on the sidelines for every minute). Britt had another great game with 17 points, 10 boards (if I am recalling that right). Heather and Lisa also played really well. Nicky did not score and didn't even take any shots (she was fouled on her only attempt, I should add), so I'm not sure what happened there. Did not hear the beginning of the radio show after the game that said anything about her. Megan played all 40 minutes, did not score a great deal, but it's everything else she does on the floor that makes her essential for the team - defense, ball-handling, you name it.

The crowd was FANTASTIC tonight! It was a Hilton season-high 10,800+. Our pep band was back for the first time since winter break began and they were especially noisy, which was great too. The thing I like about our crowds, especially for NU, is that we don't run promotions for this game or offer free or tons of discounted tickets (although I honestly wish we would do some of these things once in a while to get the huge crowds we USED to have), and we still get 10,000 to show up.

I was really surprised at how NU almost looked like they didn't want to be playing. Hardy, while admittedly saddled with foul trouble, didn't seem to get into the game until the end of the second half, when it was basically over. She hit a couple of late shots to boost her point total to 6 for the game. Gerhart was the only player able to get open consistently and score some points. Her usual cheering section from Fenton, Iowa wasn't really there this year for the first time. If there were some, their numbers must have been small, because we couldn't hear them where we were. I was just very surprised that NU played that poorly overall against us. Their shots were not falling, but they didn't take it to the basket very much and never drew fouls. Not that I'm complaining about it at all... :)

All-in-all, a very good effort by ISU. We're on the right track again with a 2-2 record and 11 total wins. After the way we were throttled by Texas, I now have hope that we can actually win some more conference games again. On to Boulder next weekend...

[BenEClone]

I had to work this evening and couldn't attend or even hear the game. The last thought I had before the game was that Medders might not even play and if that happened . . . . Wieben, frosh like, did well in non-conference, but, is pretty much a no-show, so far, in conference play. Ezell is tough and consistent for a frosh. The pre-season thinking was that the NIT would be the best they could do. Every so often, they show more - typical I suppose of a young, thin, team. :ISU:

[ChipperF1]

The only good thing about last night is Lyndsey was a proud member of Team Novosibirsk Kosomolyets! Nice game LM, 31 points, 7 assists. Meds did some Seneca Wallace type stuff at QB last night.

On the other side, last night started out well but Meds got ISU going and Nebraska's so-called All Big-12 guard for the second straight game got frustrated and quit on her team. Kiera Hardy still has not seemed to gain the focus to fight through a difficult game, and until she get that focus, she will be at a good level, but at the elite level that I think she can achieve.

But it wasn't just Hardy. The whole team played half-a-game. Jessica Gerhart was getting open on offense, but was horrid on the boards and on defense. As usual.

Chelsea Aubry was solid on the boards, for a change, but it doesn't make up for the fact that Wilkins and Bilodeaux got the rebounds that mattered most and and in the second half really took control inside.

We wasted a game where LaToya Howell was working on offense. She had 10 assists, but her defense? Never mind.

Kelsey Griffin did her best, but that stomach flu must have been really bad. She just couldn't do much against ISU's inside game.

But the most glaring thing is we have a coach who after the game says, "We were hoping Medders wouldn't play."
That sounded like last year after Kansas State, when Connie Yori tried to sell a 25-point loss as a positive.

What happened to the ballclub that won 8-in-a-row? Where has the passion and the effort been?

I'm seeing the last three years of Nebraska women's basketball in the last two games. I've seen lethargy. I've seen lack of effort. I've seen poor execution.

And with Bevo feeling his oats and thundering into Lincoln on Wednesday? OY VEY! :(

[mred]

I was at the game. A few random comments:

1. Nebraska plays tight, clean defense. They know how to cause trouble by being physical without fouling. That said, ...

2. Nebraska got lost over and over on picks and backdoors. Iowa State got several open layups when ISU players found themselves under the basket completely unguarded.

3. Medders and Ezell handled the pressure very well. Ezell dribbled the ball into traps a few too many times, but overall she handled the defense well.

4. Medders had one of those games where everything was falling. Nebraska had trouble locating her on the perimeter at times, and she made them pay.

5. Nebraska didn't appear to have much of a cohesive offense. Maybe I just didn't understand the offense, and maybe it was just ISU's defense playing very well (they forced Nebraska into several shotclock-running-down shots) but other than times where they did a good job of finding open perimeter shooters, they didn't really run much of an effective offense.

6. ISU needs to rebound better. Nebraska did a good job on the offensive glass, although they had trouble taking advantage of it (Nebraska had 14 offensive rebounds to ISU's 9, but ISU had 15 second-chance points to Nebraska's 10).

7. Wilkins was called for an offensive foul early in the game, and sat for several minutes immediately following. She finally went back in and had a great game the rest of the way. Bildeaux had a great game as well, playing excellent defense and doing things that don't show up on the boxscore (although she did score 11). I thought Wieben played good defense, but I think she sat half the game because Fennelly was playing the hot hands, and Wilkins and Bildeaux were playing very well. Wieben did get two blocks, giving her 32 on the season (an ISU freshman record).

8. ISU had 29 field goals. Medders scored 11 of them and assisted on 7 more. That means she wasn't directly involved on only 11 of them (and at least one came after she left the game for good near the end).

9. Play of the game: (This is how I remember it, at least.) ISU had the ball, but they lost it and it started bouncing into the corner. Ezell ran after it and heaved it high in the air toward the basket as she was falling out of bounds. It actually bounced off the rim, and Bildeaux picked up the weak-side offensive board and put it in as she was fouled.

10. CyRox mentions that there weren't discounted tickets, but there actually were for this game. The ISU Alumni Association was selling tickets (to everyone, not just members, I think) for $2 apiece. (EDIT: It was for ISU AA members and their family only.) I doubt it affected the overall attendance that much, though. I was there with a group of 9 people, 8 of whom had the 8 ISU AA tickets I ordered (EDIT: and only one of them wasn't actually a member of our family). I estimate that there were around 9,000 people actually there, a good crowd that was enthusiastic at times but never got really loud since the game never got close in the second half.

[mred]

One more note on Medders. The Des Moines Register article on the game says Medders told Bill on Saturday morning she didn't think she'd be able to play. She got a shot in her back at 6 pm, and she said she felt she was at 85%-90% as a result. She then played the game at an all-big-12 first-team level.

[mred]

A couple more things:

The Ames Trib has another description of my "Play of the game" here (http://www.zwire.com/site/tab6.cfm?newsid=15932738&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554517&rfi=6) . After the game, Fennelly said "We practiced that this morning."

Re: Yori saying she was hoping Medders wouldn't play: According to this article (http://www.zwire.com/site/tab6.cfm?newsid=15932736&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554517&rfi=6), Yori was joking when she said that, if it makes any difference.

Another thing I just remembered: Fennelly said after the game that despite Hardy only scoring 6 points, ISU did not play any defensive schemes that keyed on her.

[swok34]

What a great game to be able to watch, mred. Hope you've enjoyed your time there in Iowa.

[BenEClone]

A forty point swing home/home isn't unheard of in this match-up. This is relatively late in the season and we still don't know for sure who are the contenders and pretenders for top half finish in the conference. Every team has games that show promise and some that foretell a bad season. I suspect it reflects the relative youth in the conference.

[CyRox98]

10. CyRox mentions that there weren't discounted tickets, but there actually were for this game. The ISU Alumni Association was selling tickets (to everyone, not just members, I think) for $2 apiece. (EDIT: It was for ISU AA members and their family only.) I doubt it affected the overall attendance that much, though. I was there with a group of 9 people, 8 of whom had the 8 ISU AA tickets I ordered (EDIT: and only one of them wasn't actually a member of our family). I estimate that there were around 9,000 people actually there, a good crowd that was enthusiastic at times but never got really loud since the game never got close in the second half.

Ok, so the discounted tickets were not available to the general public like what NU has done in the past - either State Farm giving away 15,000 free tickets state-wide or the university having a 'buy one, get however many free.' Guess that's why I never heard about them - not an AA member. I figure ISU got enough of my money when I went there and still continues to get plenty out of me for various things - they don't need anymore, so I'm not on their mailing list. :) But I think offering discounted tickets to a limited group of people doesn't serve much of a purpose. The discount should be made available to everyone and they should trouble themselves to advertise better that these tickets are out there. I have a feeling most of the people that heard of this AA promotion were either already planning on going or had no intention of going at all.

The only game that was louder this season was the Iowa game because, well, it was Iowa.

[ISU 40]

Okay just got to a computer and going to put my 2 cents in.

WOW! I'm so happy that the old ISU team showed up. Medders was great, hitting shots left and right and if she wasn't shooting she was assisting. Ezell was doing a great job handling the ball as well as Ronhovde. Megan may not be scoring but gosh she is doing everything else and well. Brit, I am so glad that she is having a steller senior year. Lets keep that up.

As for my friend Jess Gerhart. I thought she had a great "home" game. She was leading scorer for NU and to go against what some else said earlier, she did have a lot of her family there last night and in section 1 there were some more of her 'fans'. I think that she has grown so much since High School and it is great to she her play, even if it is for the 'enemy'. ;)
:ISU:

[CyRox98]

Glad to hear that Gerhart's cheering section WAS there. I just couldn't hear them like I have in the past. Always nice to see Iowans come to Hilton to support one of their own - no matter which team they're on (oh, unless it's the Hawks). :)

[Row6Seat10]

The thing I like about our crowds, especially for NU, is that we don't run promotions for this game or offer free or tons of discounted tickets (although I honestly wish we would do some of these things once in a while to get the huge crowds we USED to have), and we still get 10,000 to show up.Why belittle Nebraska for trying to create a passion and enthusiasm for Big 12 women's basketball among it's fans? :confused: Women's basketball plays 6th fiddle behind football, baseball, volleyball, men's basketball and softball. The university marketing department does what it can to promote the so-called lesser sports to get people to attend. State Farm working with the University has been doing a pre-selected women's basketball game once a year since the late 80's. Iowa St happened just happened to be the game last year and Fennelly said something about it on his post game radio show.

Ok, so the discounted tickets were not available to the general public like what NU has done in the past - either State Farm giving away 15,000 free tickets state-wide or the university having a 'buy one, get however many free.' Thank God, State Farm is a huge supporter of women's athletic's in Nebraska. The National headquarters for State Farm is located in Lincoln and employees tons and tons of people. State Farm supplies specially marked tickets to their employees and area agents and these agents can pass out tickets to their clients if they so desire. When these people come into the Devaney Center their tickets are deposited into a separate box, counted, dollar amount is figured up and sent to State Farm, State Farm cuts a check. Yes they're free to who's using them but the University still gets paid. These tickets are only good for general admission. State Farm and the University negotiate a pre-determined price for these tickets. A regular GA ticket is 5$.

I have never heard of a "buy one get however many free".

The Marketing department has a "Pack the Devaney--dollars days" thou where you can by 1 GA ticket for a dollar. And then after you get in you can buy a 12 ounce Pepsi product for a dollar and a hot dog for another dollar. Family's come to this because a family of four can get in for 4 dollars but where they make their money is at the concession stand because everything else sold is regular price.

[swok34]

I think it's an excellent idea to get fans in the door however you have to get them there. Sheri's believed that if she can at least get some people in the door to watch, some (if not many) will stay.

OU used to offer "free" tickets, if you listened and heard where to go pick them up, (i.e. Carl Alberts..ok, I'm at a loss) it's been a really long time since they've had companies "pick up the tab" so to speak and I can't remember some of the other companies.

When you are trying to build a fan base, it's crucial.

Hat's off to State Farm, that's an incredible donation.

[Bball Girl]

The thing I like about our crowds, especially for NU, is that we don't run promotions for this game or offer free or tons of discounted tickets

Aahh...but you used to.

Just a few years ago, Coach Sharp used to joke about going to a packed Hilton on "bring your church program and get in free night".

There's nothing wrong with it, we've all done it and frankly it gets people in the door who might not come otherwise. If they like what they see, they'll be back.

[CyRox98]

The church progam promotion happened one season (as far as I remember) and maybe only for that one game. I couldn't even tell you for sure, it was so many seasons ago. If it was for more than one game, no one I know ever heard of it or took advantage of it. Though, this was also when we were trying to build attendance while the program was getting it's first taste of big-time success and once season ticket sales had reached 10,000, the promotions dried up and have not resumed (although they need to for ALL games) to any degree that is making any difference in the number of butts in seats.

We have been to Lincoln for the ISU game probably six times since we started going to women's games and every time, there is a promotion of some sort. I check the attendance of other schools off and on and find that usually the ISU game is one of the most attended, if not THE most attended game in Lincoln by far each season. This may not always be the case, just the way it seems to me. Don't mean to offend Husker fans at all, just stating what I view as a curiosity.

[Matt Coatney]

Of Nebraska's 10 all-time largest crowds at the Devaney Center, three have been for Iowa State, two each for Kansas, K-State and Texas Tech and one for Colorado. From what I hear out and around, the $1 hot dogs and $1 sodas draw people more than the $1 admission. As a father of four kids ages 11, 12, 12 and 15 who never miss home games, I am a "huge" fan of dollar hot dog and dollar pepsi night!

Nebraska’s Top 10 Single-Game Attendance Figures
No. Attendance Opponent Date Result
1. 13,226 Kansas State Feb. 26, 2000 W, 65-56
2. 13,135 #15 Iowa State Feb. 7, 1999 W, 68-67
3. 13,023 #17 Kansas State Feb. 23, 2005 L, 69-94
4. 12,429 #14 Iowa State Feb. 12, 2005 W, 88-59
5. 12,181 #22 Iowa State Feb. 28, 1998 W, 78-53
6. 11,465 Colorado Feb. 22, 1998 W, 68-60
7. 10,221 #11 Texas Tech Feb. 21, 1999 L, 62-75
8. 8,637 #13 Texas Tech Feb. 9, 1997 W, 62-57
9. 7,901 #23 Kansas Feb. 13, 2000 W,75-72
10. 7,114 Kansas Jan. 7, 2006 W, 73-61

[CyRox98]

Thanks for digging that up, Matt. I was thinking about doing it, but just couldn't talk myself into pulling the trigger (lazy day off from work).

[mred]

The #2 game on that list was a State Farm giveaway -- around 15,000 free tickets were given out for that game. I went to that game (for free, since there was an ISU fan on the Cyclone boards who lived in Nebraska and was mailing out free tickets to any ISU fans who wanted them).

I, too, am not being critical of this. State Farm has always been a huge supporter of women's sports in general (they are one of the biggest LPGA sponsors) and it's great that Nebraska can get them to buy up so many tickets and get a LOT of people in the stands.

The last "church bulletin" game at ISU was probably in the 97-98 season (definitely no later than 98-99). I wish ISU did do more promotions, especially since the gen adm tickets are in such bad places -- corners and ends of the balcony. I'm surprised they don't have more discounts on them.