Feb. 9, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Earlier this week when asked what her team needed to do to replace the game-night contributions of Jamie Printy, Samantha Logic suggested quietly that everyone else on the women’s basketball team at the University of Iowa needed to do just a little more than they would have before the Hawkeyes’ all-Big Ten guard was lost for the season.
Thursday night on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the multi-talented freshman guard from Racine, Wis., did exactly that and a little more for good measure to lead Bluder’s Bunch to a convincing 75-58 victory over Minnesota in the Hawkeyes’ annual “Pink Game” in support of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Logic entered the contest averaging 7.7 points per game…but just a week away from dropping 20 points on Wisconsin in Iowa’s 69-57 overtime win in Madison. She was also averaging six rebounds and 3.8 assists per game The 5-foot-9 high school All-American completed her night with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Morgan Johnson led all scorers with 23 points. In addition to becoming the 32nd Hawkeye to score 1,000 points in their career, Iowa’s post player also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Kamille Wahlin added 19 points and five three-point baskets, and Kelly Krei added nine rebounds on Kelli Krei Bobblehead Night.
“I want to congratulate Morgan. The 1,000 point club is a pretty elite club. Wonderful for her to be able to get in there and do it in her junior year with a year left to go,” UI Coach Lisa Bluder said shortly after saluting the crowd of just under 4,000 in attendance.
Rachel Banham led Minnesota with 20 points. Katie Loberg added 10.
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The victory was Iowa’s fourth straight and second in a row since the loss of Printy. It pushed Iowa’s Big Ten Conference record to 7-5 and the team’s overall mark to 15-10. The Gophers fell to 4-8 in league play – a mark that includes a victory over league-leading and nationally ranked Ohio State – and 12-14 for the season.
“I think we have a good feel right now. We’ve won four in a row. We’re playing at home again. I think that we’re positioning ourselves well for these last games going into the Big Ten tournament,” said Bluder.
The Hawkeyes put this game away early in the second half, building a 15-point halftime margin to 20 at 47-27 on buckets by Melissa Dixon, Wahlin (a three) and Morgan in the first two minutes. The lead reached 54-31 on a layup by Dixon at the 14:56 mark.
Iowa started the game fast, grabbing an 11-4 lead, thanks in large measure to the play of Logic, who opened the game the first of seven there-pointers by the Hawkeyes. The crafty freshman scored five points, grabbed three rebounds, and was credited with an assist all before the first television timeout.
The Hawkeyes and Logic pushed that margin to 21-12 at the 8:54 mark when she sank a layup to cap a 10-2 run that included buckets by the UI’s Theairra Taylor, Johnson and Wahlin. The UI’s lead reached 32-17 minutes later when Wahlin knocked down three straight shots from behind the arc and Logic canned a short jumper in consecutive possessions. Iowa took a 40-23 lead into the lockerroom at intermission.
Logic’s line at halftime was a brilliant 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, 5-of-6 shooting from the line, five rebounds, a pair of assists, and a steal in 17 minutes of court time. Wahlin added 13 points – nine coming from behind the arc, four rebounds, and two assists, and Johnson seven points and five rebounds.
Iowa’s offense was sparked by eight steals and a 26-15 edge in rebounds, totals that included an 8-4 edge in favor of the home team in offensive rebounds.
Iowa returns to action Sunday when Bluder’s Bunch entertains Michigan State at 2 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Spartans carried a 6-4 Big Ten record and a 14-9 overall mark into their game against Northwestern Thursday in East Lansing, Mich.
“We have four games left, two at home, two away. Sunday’s game is very important because it’s our only meeting with (Michigan State) all year. We are tied with them right now. If it comes down to a tiebreaker, head to head competition is what we go to first of all,” said Bluder.