Hoosiers to kick off tournament

The last time IU faced Minnesota, the Hoosiers defeated the Golden Gophers by 29 points.\n"We beat Minnesota twice, but it is hard to beat a team three times in a season," senior forward Rachael Honegger said. "I feel we do have an advantage over them because we know what it takes to beat them."\nBut when the two teams meet for the third time at 6 p.m. today, the atmosphere is going to be completely different. It is the first round of the Big Ten tournament, and the teams are on neutral ground, the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.\nCoach Kathi Bennett said being on neutral ground is better, because it doesn't give one team an advantage over the other.\n"It all depends on where you play, because the crowd can be a big factor," Bennett said.\nBut crowd or not, the Golden Gophers (8-19, 1-15 Big Ten) have created headaches for the Hoosiers (18-9, 9-7).\nThe first time the two teams met, Minnesota gave IU a scare, and the Hoosiers barely got away Jan. 4 with a 79-76 win. The Golden Gophers managed to keep junior center, and IU's leading scorer, Jill Chapman scoreless in the first half, and had a last minute run that almost cost the Hoosiers the game.\n"I felt that, defensively, we struggled and had no one stopping the ball," Bennett said after the first game. "Thank goodness we could keep scoring with them." \nThe second time the two teams met, strong shooting from IU helped give them a boost. Junior guard Heather Cassady scored a career-high 27 points, and overall the team shot more than 57 percent.\nMinnesota has been plagued with injuries all season, but has managed to pull a few tricks out of the bag.\nBennett said Minnesota freshman Lindsay Whalen has been a problem because of her ability to get around the defense.\n"Heather (Cassady) has been in foul trouble both times we've played them because of Lindsay," Bennett said.\nWhalen leads the Golden Gophers in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game. Whalen was a Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate -- an award that went to Penn State's Kelly Mazzante.\nBut Whalen isn't Minnesota's only weapon. The Golden Gophers have began finding a spot for junior Kim Bell, a 6-foot-7 center, and according to Bennett, they have new high-low plays which create more difficulty for defenses.\nDespite these threats, IU remains confident.\n"Going into the Big Ten (tournament) this year, I feel like we have had more of a drive to win because we have more confidence in ourselves and in each other," Cassady said.\nThe Hoosiers had a successful ending to their regular season with a 69-52 win over Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Three players shot in the double-figure range, and it was the first time in a long time that IU didn't experience foul trouble.\nThe team had a light practice Wednesday before heading to Grand Rapids. As for the team's morale, Bennett said the team is very excited, and it hasn't taken much to get the team's confidence high for this weekend. She said it also helps that the Hoosiers are coming off a win.\n"The key to winning the Big Ten crown would have to be playing well on a consistent basis whether it be home or away," Cassady said.\nBut for now, IU is just happy where it is.\n"We finished tied for sixth in the conference which is a great turnaround and accomplishment," Bennett said after the Northwestern win. "We feel good about ourselves"