Record breaking benefit

It might have been just like any other game for the women's basketball team on Friday if there wasn't $5,000 on the line. Instead, there was money on the line. Coach Kathi Bennett made a personal donation of $5,000 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation after the single-game attendance at a women's game was broken on Friday night at the Wisconsin game.\nIt only would have taken 5,504 fans to break the record, but 7,986 showed up instead and showed their support for the women's basketball team. But, the Hoosiers suffered a 69-58 loss to Wisconsin that leaves IU 2-5 in conference play and 9-8 overall.\n"I wish we could have given them a win like you wouldn't believe," Bennett said. "But I thought it was really neat for this team and these young women to have this opportunity."\nEven the visiting Wisconsin team said they were impressed with the crowd and support the community showed for the team.\nWisconsin's coach Jane Albright thanked the community and Bennett for providing such a great atmosphere for women's basketball.\n"Anytime a community comes together like this and sees a great women's basketball game it does nothing but strengthen the Big Ten," Albright said. "I would venture to say that I can't imagine that any one of these fans would not come back again to see a very well coached Indiana team play hard and make it tough on anybody that comes in here."\nPerhaps the crowd had its largest impact during a technical call on Bennett with 4:06 left to play in the second half. The Hoosiers were down only six points when the technical was called. Bennett and her team were never informed as to why the technical was called. It was apparent that the crowd didn't understand either.\n"During that technical you could really hear all the people that were here," Wisconsin guard Stephanie Rich said. "To come in here in this environment, you know, it was an awesome crowd."\nSophomore Jenny DeMuth said she enjoyed the support of the crowd and loved to run onto the court with so many screaming fans.\n"At the end of the fight song you could even hear the people say 'IU,'" DeMuth said laughing. "That's a first!"\nAlthough the team lost, Bennett said she wasn't disappointed with what her team did in front of all the fans. She hopes her team learns from the experience and makes the necessary changes to provide the rest of the season with good games.\nThe last time the attendance record was broken was in 1999 when the Hoosiers played Purdue in front of a crowd of 5,503. Before that it was once again against Purdue in 1998. An earlier attempt this season was when IU upset a ranked Ohio State team in front of 2,845 fans, a number that now ranks as the 7th highest single-game total ever at IU.\nSunday's game against Michigan State was more of a normal crowd for the Hoosiers when they lost 64-53 in front of a crowd of 1,117. Junior Jamie Gathing said the team appreciated the crowd on Friday night but that it didn't have an effect on how much effort the players put into their game.\n"It was a drastic difference, but regardless of how many people are in the stands we need to play hard and give it our best shot," Gathing said. "8,000 one day and 50 the next you know, it doesn't matter because we still play the same game."\nBennett said she too was thankful for the crowd at the game on Friday and hopes that they saw the heart her IU team played with.\n"I also hope they saw the effort and the good plays," Bennett said. "I thought there was some good play and I hope they come back because we're only going to get better"