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Iowa Upsets No. 11 Wisconsin 72-65

Sports

December 31st, 2011 by Jim Field

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Much is made — and rightly so — of Wisconsin’s defense. When the Badgers’ offense misfires, their defense suffers, too.

Freshman Aaron White scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and fellow reserve Bryce Cartwright added 17 as the Hawkeyes stunned No. 11 Wisconsin 72-65.

The Badgers (12-3, 1-1 Big Ten) had their second-worst shooting game of the season (34.8 percent), including a dismal 3-for-28 performance on 3-pointers, on the same day their top-ranked defense allowed a season-high for points. Wisconsin hadn’t allowed more than 61 points in its first 14 games and came in leading the nation in scoring defense, yielding an average of 44.4 points.

“If you hit shots, it’s amazing how much better your defense looks,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said after his team had its six-game winning streak ended.

Sophomore Melsahn Basabe pitched in with 14 points for the Hawkeyes (9-6, 1-1), who snapped the Badgers’ 23-game home winning streak against unranked opponents — the last unranked team to beat Wisconsin at the Kohl Center was Illinois, a 63-56 winner on Feb. 9, 2010.

“Any time you win on the road in this league, there’s a celebration, there’s an incredible sense of accomplishment,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said after his team beat the Badgers for just the third time in the past 15 meetings. “(But) this is the 11th-ranked team in the country, on the road, with a fabulous winning percentage here. I think our players know and understand what they had to overcome to make this happen.”

Cartwright, a senior who came in averaging 5.9 points and has been coming off the bench as he returns from a hamstring injury, said: “We just came in with a definite mindset today to defy all the odds.”

Cartwright scored 10 points in the second half, the last two a layup with 1:55 remaining that put Iowa ahead 68-60 and sent many in the crowd of 17,230 to the exits.

Wisconsin (12-3, 1-1), though, made one last surge.

Senior Jordan Taylor hit a 3-pointer and sophomore Ben Brust had a steal and layup that pulled the Badgers within 68-65 with 47 seconds to go.

The Hawkeyes worked the shot clock on their next possession and sophomore Roy Devyn Marble hit a jumper from the right of the lane with 21 seconds remaining, and Jared Berggren missed a 3 on the other end to seal Iowa’s surprising victory.

“All we needed to do was get a stop,” said Taylor, who had 17 points to lead four players in double figures for Wisconsin. “We had them where we wanted … and Marble made a tough runner-floater right there off the right side. That was a tough shot, and he made it.”

The Badgers, meanwhile, didn’t make nearly enough shots.

“Our guys made a comeback that probably should have never happened, by all percentages. But you also say, percentages (say) we’re not going to shoot like this,” said Ryan, whose team came in shooting 46 percent. “But the percentages don’t always go that way.

“I guess the Big Ten’s going to be like this the whole year. I just think there’s so many teams that are kind of equal, and if you have a cold night, you’re not going to walk away (with a win) on the left-hand side.”

Iowa raced out to a 10-2 lead and led throughout the first half before Wisconsin used a 9-0 run spanning halftime to take a seven-point lead. White ended the Hawkeyes’ barren stretch with a 3-pointer and went on to score 11 of Iowa’s first 15 points of the second half. His output was double that of his season average and he scored his 18 points in just 20 minutes.

“He was a little bit sideways in the first half, I thought,” McCaffery said of White. “He came in and he got tired quick and he got a foul and he didn’t get a rebound when he should have. He put his head down, and that’s what freshmen do. So we just said, ‘Play through it, be ready, and you’ll get your shot in the second half.’ He’s just a really good basketball player.”

This is Your Nishna Valley 12-31-2011

Podcasts, This is Your Nishna Valley

December 31st, 2011 by admin

w/ Jim Field and Guest Host Janet Westphalen

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Insight Bowl Camera incident…more

Sports

December 31st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Flying cameras have been providing unique perspectives on everything from golf to college and professional football for more than a decade, becoming so commonplace that fans rarely notice the whizzing remote-controlled devices. At the Insight Bowl on Friday night, no one could miss the overhead camera when it came crashing down to the field late in the fourth quarter, nearly taking out one of the players. The ESPN camera narrowly missed Iowa receiver Martin McNutt Jr., who became entangled in the guide wire but wasn’t hurt.

“First, I looked: What is it that fell from the sky?'” McNutt said after Iowa’s 31-14 loss to No. 19 Oklahoma. “The next thing I know, the camera kind of scratched me a little bit. It was just pulling me and I knew I didn’t want to keep going with it.” ESPN has consistently used the cameras for football coverage, making it a staple of “Monday Night Football.” The cameras also have been used occasionally in the NBA, NHL, NASCAR, NCAA basketball, baseball and at the island-green 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass during The Players Championship.

The cameras, despite flying over the playing field, have rarely interfered with the action. In 2007, a cable camera was forced to make a controlled decent during an NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks from what was called human error. At the 2009 Las Vegas bowl between BYU and Oregon State, the overhead camera reportedly had to be taken down due to wind gusts of around 40 mph. The incident at the Insight Bowl occurred with Iowa trying to rally from a 10-point deficit in the closing minutes.

While lining up for a play near the 20-yard line at the south end of Sun Devil Stadium, two Hawkeyes had to jump out of the way when the camera fell when the wire appeared to snap with 2:22 left. McNutt dodged the camera as it fell behind him, but became entangled in the guide wire after it thudded to the ground. McNutt suffered only a minor scratch, but the game was delayed for about five minutes as crews dragged the camera off the field and made sure the wire was out of the way. McNutt was able to joke about the incident.

“I fell like somebody was trying to kill me on their (Oklahoma’s) staff,” he said. “If you are looking, I’m looking for you. No. It was lucky it didn’t hit me.”

8AM Newscast 12-31-2011

News, Podcasts

December 31st, 2011 by admin

w/ Chris Parks

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Skyscan Forecast 12-31-2011

Weather

December 31st, 2011 by admin

Here is the Skyscan Forecast for Saturday, December 31st of 2011:

  • Wind Advisory until 3am Sunday for SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE counties.
  • High Wind Warning in effect from 6pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday for GREENE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-CRAWFORD-CARROLL counties.

Today: Isolated showers after 3pm. Cloudy.  S @ 15-20 then W @ 25-30 w/ gusts up to 35.  H 54.

Tonight: Rain in the evening, then a chance of snow between 9pm and Midnight.  NW @ 25-30 w/ gusts up to 50. L 27.  Less than half inch snow possible.

New Years Day: Sunny.  NW @ 20-30 w/ gusts up to 50.  H 36.

Monday: Sunny. NNW @ 15-20. H 29.

Tuesday: Sunny. H 36.

7AM Sportscast 12-31-2011

Podcasts, Sports

December 31st, 2011 by admin

w/ Chris Parks

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7AM Newscast 12-31-2011

News, Podcasts

December 31st, 2011 by admin

w/ Chris Parks

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Hawkeye Grapplers Win 22nd Midlands Title

Sports

December 31st, 2011 by admin

EVANSTON, Ill. — University of Iowa junior Matt McDonough earned his second Midlands title in three years to help the Hawkeyes win their tournament record 22nd team title at the 49th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championship. McDonough pinned eighth-seeded Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech in the 125-pound finals. Iowa piled up 152 points, 46.5 more than tournament host Northwestern (105.5). Oklahoma (94.5), Virginia Tech (76.5) and Edinboro (74.5) rounded out the top five.

The Hawkeyes finished the 49th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships with 11 place-winners and a combined 60-26 record.

The top-ranked Hawkeyes return to the mat Friday, Jan. 6, at Indiana. Iowa will put its 83-dual unbeaten streak on the line against the Hoosiers at 6 p.m. (CT) inside University Gym. The Hawkeyes then host Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 7. The Cowboys visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, contact the UI Ticket Office at 800-IA-HAWKS or online at hawkeyesports.com. Admission is $13 for adults, $7 for children, and $2 for kids five and under.

Iowans battle tornadoes, flooding and drought in 2011

News, Weather

December 31st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Mother Nature took Iowans on another wild ride in 2011. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the summer long flooding along the Missouri River certainly topped the year’s weather news, but strong spring storms and drought conditions also garnered headlines. The tornado season started early, with eight twisters touching down on March 22nd. “The biggest outbreak of the season came on April 9,” Hillaker said. “We had 20 tornadoes on that afternoon and evening. The most damaging one hit Mapleton that evening.” Around 100 homes in Mapleton were destroyed while 14 residents were injured. An even 50 tornadoes touched down in Iowa this year – the last one on July 7.

“We had the earliest end to our tornado season since 1962,” Hillaker said. Following four straight years of extremely wet weather, 2011 was marked by a lack of significant rain across much of the state. Hillaker said sections of eastern Iowa had above normal precipitation, but it was very dry elsewhere. “Especially northwestern sections of the state where a pretty big part of Iowa is classified right now as (having) severe drought conditions,” Hillaker said.

On average, Iowa received 32-inches of precipitation in 2011. That’s about three inches below normal. Dubuque recorded the most precipitation over the year with 46 inches. Much of city was pounded with roughly 12 inches of rain in a 24-hour period between July 27 and 28. Ida County in northwest Iowa had the least amount of precipitation over the year with 20 inches, according to Hillaker. The year is ending with a rather unusual December featuring warmer than normal temperatures and just two-and-a-half inches of snow, on average, statewide. Snowfall totals over the previous four Decembers, between 2007 and 2010, have averaged between 13 and 24 inches.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

New Year’s Eve drinkers need to use common sense or just don’t drive

News

December 31st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Iowans who will be whooping it up for New Year’s Eve tonight need to remember that not all alcoholic drinks are created equal. Alcohol counselor John Smith says it isn’t necessarily a good rule of thumb to assume you’re okay to drive if you’ve only had one drink an hour, at least if you want to avoid being nailed for driving drunk. “Certainly, there are things like a Long Island iced tea that might have five shots of different alcohol in them,” Smith says. “You could easily have a drink that has five to seven standard drinks in one drink.” He teaches classes to those convicted of drunk driving and he’s advising people on ways to avoid getting tipsy, like eating a good meal and pacing your drinking. Smith says Iowans should make it a point to watch the alcohol content of their drinks.

Smith says, “A typical, standard drink is a 12-ounce American beer at about 5% alcohol and that’s about the same amount as about an ounce and a half of 80-proof liquor, or about the same as 5-ounces of table wine at 12-percent.” Smith says any one of those drinks would put a man weighing 180-pounds about one-fourth of the way to exceeding the legal limit for driving. On the other hand, he says just one Long Island iced tea could result in a drunk driving charge. Smith says it’s important to keep an eye on just how much booze actually goes into your drink.

He says if you order a double or if a friend tries to make you a special drink with extra booze, it could hit you much harder than just a single, standard drink. The only sure way is to avoid getting charged with drunk driving after a night of drinking, Smith says, is to simply not get behind the wheel.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)