IU drops road contest at Iowa

After a week of good practices, the women's basketball team was still unable to pull off a win at Iowa. They lost the game 78-62 and are left with the record of 9-9, 2-6 in the Big Ten. The Iowa Hawkeyes improve to 11-7 (3-4). \nAlso going on in the Big Ten last night was a battle for the top of the conference. Penn State defeated Ohio State 68-53 to lead the Big Ten. Penn State's (17-5, 7-1) next game is at home against the Hoosiers.\nIt will be senior forward Lisa Eckart's first trip to Penn State, but said she has seen them on television and thinks they are a talented team.\n"I think we are going to have to be a strong team to beat them," Eckart said. "I think we can compete with them though, and we have no reason to go in there and hang out heads or be scared."\nFreshman forward Brigett Branson has heard from the upperclassman about what it's like to play at the Bryce Jordan Center and said she looks forward to seeing what the crowd is like.\n"I've heard it's pretty intimidating," Branson said. "They bring in a big crowd, and that's something we're not used to playing in front of."\nPenn State and IU will meet for the 17th time in Big Ten play as the Hoosiers look for only its third win against Penn State in the regular season. The last time these two teams met was at the Big Ten tournament when the Hoosiers won it by three, 75-72.\nCoach Kathi Bennett said the team has been working hard in practice and what has stood out the most is that they've gotten some transition baskets.\n"We're running the floor very hard consistently," Bennett said. "That was real good to see. I do feel good about all our practices this week."\nBranson said she thinks she and all her teammates have really stepped up in practice and have been working extra hard.\nOn a personal level, Branson has stepped up her defense, she said. \n"Not only to help me out," Branson said, "but also to help out our offensive players. I'm also running the floor harder."\nIt will take a major team effort for the Hoosiers to beat the Penn State Lady Lions. Their only loss has come to Purdue when they were defeated 73-66.\nBennett's biggest concerns with the Lady Lions are guards junior Kelly Mazzante and sophomore Tanisha Wright, she said. But Bennett also said the other players on Penn State's team are stepping up.\n"They surround Mazzante with four other players that can also score," Bennett said. "It's not just her anymore."\nWright is one of the best players in the conference, Bennett said, because of her powerful shots off the dribble. \n"We've got to stop their guards," Bennett said. "They are a very good team"