Hawkeyes Return to Action Against Robert Morris

Nov. 19, 2012

Iowa Game Notes vs. Robert Morris

IOWA CITY, Iowa — THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Robert Morris Tuesday on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Adult tickets are $10, while youth (18 and under) and UI students are free.

AUDIO COVERAGE
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call Tuesday’s game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City, AM-1360 KMJM in Cedar Rapids, AM-1040 WHO in Des Moines or on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his ninth season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her eighth providing analysis.

ON YOUR COMPUTER
Tuesday’s contest vs. Robert Morris will be streamed live on hawkeyesports.com via the BTN Digital Network. Hawkeye All-Access subscribers can watch live video streams of UI events on the BTN Digital Network at no extra charge.

Hawkeye fans can also follow the game via live stats (Gametracker). The “GT” link can be accessed under the “Calendar” tab on the front page of hawkeyesports.com or on the women’s basketball schedule page.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,102 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 674-428 (.612). That includes a 340-170 (.667) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 336-92 (.785) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Robert Morris Colonials, members of the Northeast Conference, are 0-3 after losses to Niagara (59-63), Colgate (55-74) and Miami, Ohio (56-70).

Artemis Spanou leads Robert Morris with 21.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. She has two double-doubles on the season. Kelly Hartwell is next on the team with 9.7 points and three rebounds per game.

Spanou has 34 career double-doubles, including a 22 point, 14 rebound performance in Robert Morris’ most recent game against Miami, Ohio. She is three points shy of the 1,000 career point mark.

Robert Morris collected 18 wins last season and participated in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) postseason tournament.

Tuesday is the first meeting between the two teams.

HAWKEYES FALL IN WNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
Iowa couldn’t overcome a large first half deficit, falling to North Carolina, 77-64, in the Preseason WNIT championship. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 47-25 lead at the half and held the advantage throughout the second period.

North Carolina used an 18-5 run midway through the first half to take a 10-point lead and never looked back. The Tar Heels shot 50 percent (18-of-36), including 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range, in the first half.

Turnovers and second chance points hurt Iowa, as the Hawkeyes gave up 22 points off turnovers and offensive rebounds, respectively.

Iowa battled back in the second half, outscoring its ACC counterpart, 39-30, but the first half margin was too large to overcome.

Four Hawkeyes scored double figures, led by Morgan Johnson’s 20 points. She also added 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Jaime Printy, Samantha Logic and Melissa Dixon each chipped in 12 points.

IOWA IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are receiving votes in the latest ESPN/USA Today Top 25.

Five Iowa opponents are also ranked in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls: Penn State (9th/8th), West Virginia (14th/22nd), Nebraska (15th/19th), Purdue (18th/18th) and Ohio State (20th/21st).

In addition, Middle Tennessee, Iowa State, Florida State, Michigan State, Texas, Michigan and North Carolina are receiving votes.

JOHNSON CLOSE TO BLOCKS RECORD
Morgan Johnson needs two more blocks to become Iowa’s all-time blocked shots leader.

Johnson enters Tuesday’s game with 234 career blocks. Tangela Smith holds the Iowa school record with 235 blocks.

Johnson currently ranks ninth in Big Ten history in career blocks.

TWO HAWKEYES EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Morgan Johnson and Jaime Printy were each named to the Preseason WNIT all-tournament team.

Johnson averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in Iowa’s four Preseason WNIT contests. She scored 24 points in the quarterfinals against Illinois State and 20 points in the semifinals against Middle Tennessee and in the finals vs. North Carolina.

Printy averaged 12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists over the four-game stretch. She buried a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining against Middle Tennessee to force overtime and was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line.

JOHNSON NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Morgan Johnson was named Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 19) for her efforts in the Preseason WNIT semifinals and championship game.

Johnson averaged 20 points, 9.5 rebounds and shot 76.2 percent (16-of-21) from the floor against two tough opponents in Middle Tennessee and North Carolina.

Johnson started the week with 20 points (8-of-10 FGs), eight rebounds and two blocks in Iowa’s overtime win over Middle Tennessee. She followed with another 20-point performance, along with 11 rebounds, against ACC opponent North Carolina, battling 6-6 center Waltiea Rolle in the paint.

The award was Johnson’s second weekly honor from the Big Ten in her career. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week last year after scoring 37 points at Bradley.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR JOHNSON
Morgan Johnson recorded her 13th career double-double in Iowa’s loss against North Carolina (Nov. 18). She finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.

Johnson tallied three double-doubles as a freshman, five as a sophomore and four as a junior.

DOOLITTLE BLOCK PARTY
Bethany Doolittle has made her presence known on the defensive end of the court.

Iowa’s power forward has swatted at least two shots in each of Iowa’s first four games, including a career-high six blocks in the season-opener against Northern Illinois (Nov. 9) and five blocks against Middle Tennessee (Nov. 14).

Last year as a freshman, Doolittle averaged just under one block per game.

SHARING AND SCORING
Iowa’s guards are sharing the ball well, which is leading to numerous scoring chances.

The Hawkeyes have recorded 64 assists on 91 made field goals through four games this season. Samantha Logic (24) and Jaime Printy (14) have 38 of Iowa’s 64 assists.

BLUDER CLOSING IN ON MILESTONE
Head coach Lisa Bluder is just 11 wins away from career win No. 600. Bluder entered the 2012-13 season as the 26th winningest active coach and the 46th overall winningest coach in NCAA women’s basketball history (by victories).

Only 41 coaches in NCAA women’s basketball history (all divisions) have reached the 600 career win plateau.

PRINTY CRACKS TOP 10
Jaime Printy entered the top 10 in career scoring at Iowa after the victory over Middle Tennessee (Nov. 14).

Printy now sits in ninth place with 1,459 career points. She trails eighth place (Kamille Wahlin) by 24 points and seventh place (Tangela Smith) by 139 points.

JOHNSON REACHES MILESTONE
Senior Morgan Johnson became the 27th player in school history to score 1,100 career points in Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois (Nov. 9). She currently ranks 21st in career scoring with 1,167 points.

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS
? Morgan Johnson ranks second in career blocks (234), 12th in career rebounds (663) and 21st in career scoring (1,167). She needs two more blocks to move past Tangela Smith for first place, 29 more rebounds to move past Lisa Becker for 11th place and 26 more points to past Crystal Smith for 20th place.

? Jaime Printy ranks fourth in career 3-pointers made (204), ninth in career scoring (1,459) and 12th in career assists (318). She needs 18 more 3-pointers to move past Wendy Ausdemore for third place, 25 more points to move past Kamille Wahlin for eighth place and five more assists to move past Lisa Anderson for 11th place.

IOWA SELECTED TO HOST NCAA 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS
The University of Iowa has been selected to host first and second round games of the 2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.

The Iowa City site will host first round games on Sunday, March 24 at 4 and 6:30 p.m. The second round contest will be on Tuesday, March 26 at 8:30 p.m.

Fans can take advantage of a special advanced sale rate that runs until Jan. 1. All-session tickets are just $25 for adults and $15 for youth (18 and under), UI students and seniors (50+). The first 500 fans purchasing all-session tickets will receive a souvenir t-shirt.

IOWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AND SOCIAL MEDIA
The Hawkeye women’s basketball has four different social media outlets. Check out the Iowa women’s basketball Facebook page or the University of Iowa Athletics Facebook page. Fans can also follow @IowaWBB or @TheIowaHawkeyes on Twitter.