Hoosiers take it on the offensive

While struggling through a difficult 2004-05 season, the IU women's basketball team finished dead last in the Big Ten in scoring average (51.7 ppg) and field goal percentage (.352 overall).\nThis season, under first year coach Sharon Versyp, the Hoosiers have moved up two spots into the 9-hole in the Big Ten with an average of 62.9 points per game. In comparing the two seasons, the jump in conference ranking might not seem like a major difference, but the increase in points has led to a jump in another important category -- wins.\nWith the season barely past the halfway point, Versyp's Hoosiers have matched their win total from last season, 10, heading into tonight's game against Illinois. \nWhen Versyp was hired, she set a goal of turning IU into an offensive team to be reckoned with.\n"Offensively, I have a different type of system," said Versyp. "My philosophy isn't about one player; it's about the whole team. They've really caught onto the system a little bit quicker than I thought."\nVersyp's plan has worked so far, as the Hoosiers have shown marked improvement on offense. This season's team is averaging 11.2 more points per game -- 62.9 compared to 51.7 -- and shooting five percentage points higher from the floor (.417 this season as opposed to .352 last season).\n"Us scoring some points has enabled us to win some games that we haven't won in the past," Versyp said. "They really have committed to being a team."\nVersyp instilling confidence in her team is not the only reason the Hoosiers have improved offensively this season. IU's success has corresponded with the return of senior forward Jenny DeMuth.\nDeMuth's numbers are down from her junior year (18.3 to 13.8 points per game), but her presence on the court has benefited the Hoosiers. IU struggled to put points on the board with senior guard Cyndi Valentin the Hoosiers' lone offensive threat.\nWith DeMuth back on the court, opposing teams can no longer focus solely on Valentin. Getting her running mate back has benefited Valentin the most, which is evident in her stats.\n"We definitely look for each other in the offense," DeMuth said. "If we get a steal, we know we're looking for the other."\nValentin's scoring average is up 2.4 points while her shooting percentage has jumped almost four points.\n"She requires the defense's attention so they have to close in on her," Valentin said. "That allows us to get a lot more open shots."\nIU's offense will be put to the test tonight against an Illinois team that is at the top in the Big Ten in field goal percentage allowed. The Hoosiers have struggled in Assembly Hall with a 4-5 record, yet have had no trouble putting the ball in the basket with an average of 63.2 points in their nine home games.\n"We have to execute our game plan," Versyp said. "We've got to be aggressive and physical. They're a great team, and we'll have our hands full"