Freshman nearly repeats career high

ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- Freshmen guards don't usually bring intangibles like this, but this is no ordinary freshman.\nFreshman guard Cyndi Valentin has been as solid as a rock this year, and it was no different on Sunday in IU's gut-wrenching loss to Michigan 71-68.\nValentin netted 21 points, only one point shy of her career-high. In addition, Valentin, who wears number 3, connected on 4-of-7 three-pointers in the game to help lead the Hoosiers (9-6, 2-3 Big Ten) back from a 16-point deficit in the second half.\nFor Valentin, a Bloomington native, it was just another game.\n"We just passed the ball around well today like the coaches said, and it made it easy for me," Valentin said. "We spread out the zone and did a good job of penetrating and kicking the ball out."\nPrior to the Michigan game, Valentin averaged 10.1 points per contest. If she could continue to average double-figures, she would become only the 15th player in school history to accomplish that feat in her freshman year and the first Hoosier player since Jill Chapman in 1998-1999. \n"Cyndi has had a lot on her shoulders," IU coach Kathi Bennett said. "But she has been really steady. We're asking her to score. We're asking her to defend, endline to endline. We're asking her to take big shots. She has been asked to do a great deal for this team. But she wants to do all that."\nBesides nearly recording a new career-high on Sunday, Valentin was a flawless 5-of-5 from the free throw line. She has converted on 22 consecutive free throws, the second most in IU women's basketball history, next to Kristi Green's 31 straight free throws in 1998. \nThe scrappy guard also added three assists and two steals in the loss to the Wolverines (10-5, 1-3) despite having six turnovers, only one of which was in the final half. \nMichigan coach Sue Guevara praised Valentin and her performance from behind the three-point arc.\n"I happen to have a scout, and that scout said that Valentin and DeMuth were very good at following their shots," Guevara said. "They can shoot the three very well, especially Valentin, and she showed that today, but she follows her shot too." \nValentin's career-high in points is 22 against Illinois State on Dec. 30. She was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in that game as well and added four steals.\nEven at the end of the game on Sunday when IU was trailing by three, they looked to Valentin to tie the game, but Valentin's three-pointer from the left wing was too strong.\nBennett said the Hoosiers tried to set up a double-screen for Valentin to come off of, but they just couldn't get the shot to go in. \nRegardless of how many points she scored or how many threes she nailed, her determination might be her biggest asset. A sequence on Sunday illustrates that point. \nIn the first half while Valentin was guarding her man at the top of the key, all of a sudden she was flattened by a screen. The crowd reacted with a collective "Oh'"as she hit the floor. After about two or three seconds on the floor, Valentin got to her feet and appeared to be dizzy. After a Hoosier rebound, Valentin was given an outlet pass and proceeded to dribble the ball the length of the floor and drove the ball hard to the basket. Even though Valentin missed the basket, she was not afraid of getting hit again. This no-fear attitude was present all day on Sunday from Valentin.\nWhen you take all this into consideration, remember she was the smallest player on the floor at 5-foot-8. \n"Cyndi has been big for us all season, and it was no different today," Bennett said. "She's been somebody we can definitely count on to get the job done"