Hawkeyes to Face Duke in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Hawkeyes to Face Duke in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

May 1, 2008

IOWA CITY – – The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will travel to Durham, NC to meet Duke as part of the second annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game will be held at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 4 with the game time yet to be determined.

This will be the first meeting between Iowa and Duke. Overall, Iowa is 9-3 against teams from the ACC. Last year, the Black and Gold hosted Georgia Tech and lost, 76-57, while the Blue Devils fell at Penn State, 86-84, in the first-ever Challenge.

“We are excited to be playing at Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge,” said Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder. “Cameron Indoor Stadium is a historical building and they have an exciting women’s basketball environment. We look forward to the test of playing in that venue. This game adds to an already challenging non-conference schedule that includes California, Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State.”

Duke was third in the ACC last season with a 10-4 conference mark and finished the season 25-10 and ranked 10th in the nation after advancing to the “Sweet Sixteen” in the NCAA Championships. Iowa tied for first in the Big Ten a year ago with a 10-5 league mark and finished its season 21-11 after competing in the first round of the NCAA Championships.

The Blue Devils return 10 letterwinners and four starters from a year ago, while the Hawkeyes return eight letterwinners and two starters. Duke is coached by Joanne P. McCallie, who will be in her second season guiding the Blue Devils after mentoring Michigan State for six seasons (2001-07).

The ACC won last season’s Challenge, 8-3.

Game times, as well as television and broadband coverage, will be announced at a later date.

Iowa’s complete 2008-09 schedule will be released later this summer.

2008 ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge
SCHEDULE
December 3
Michigan State at Georgia Tech
North Carolina at Ohio State
Penn State at Florida State

December 4
Northwestern at Clemson
Maryland at Purdue
Virginia at Illinois
Boston College at Minnesota
Iowa at Duke
Virginia Tech at Wisconsin

December 5
NC State at Michigan
Indiana at Miami

Click HERE for the Big Ten Network home page.