No. 21 Iowa Travels to No. 17 Iowa State

Dec. 11, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes — at Iowa State

THE SETTING:
The 21st-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team (10-1) travels to No. 17/11 Iowa State on Thursday for the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

IOWA OFF TO HOT START:
The Hawkeyes enter the contest on a six-game winning streak (the second-longest in the Big Ten), with an overall mark of 10-1. Iowa — tied for the most wins of any team in the country — is off to its best start in three seasons, when it started the 2010-11 campaign with a 12-1 record. The Hawkeyes have started 10-1 or better three times (including this season) under 14th-year UI head coach Lisa Bluder. Iowa started 13-0 in 2004-05, and 12-1 in 2010-11.

AUDIO COVERAGE:
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call the action for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his 10th season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her ninth providing analysis.

FOLLOW THE ACTION:
Hawkeye fans can watch live on Cyclones.tv on Mediacom (check local listings) and online (check link on Hawkeyesports.com schedule page). Fans can also follow the action 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. Follow @IowaWBB on Twitter for game updates.

IOWA HISTORY:
Iowa has played 1,143 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 702-441 (.613). That includes a 348-178 (.662) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 341-97 (.776) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES:

Iowa currently leads the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, 7-6. Six points are up for grabs this week: women’s hoops (Thursday), and men’s hoops and women’s swimming (Friday). The Cyclones have recorded wins in volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country. The Hawkeyes posted victories in soccer, wrestling and football. Each victory is worth two points, except football (three points).

IOWA-IOWA STATE SERIES NOTES:
? Iowa leads the all-time series, 23-20.
? The home team has won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last six matchups.
? The Hawkeyes won last season in Iowa City, 50-42. Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures, including Theairra Taylor (11) and Melissa Dixon (11).
? The Hawkeyes and Cyclones last met as ranked teams on Dec. 9, 2010. No. 19 Iowa defeated No. 16 Iowa State, 62-40, in Iowa City.
? Two experienced coaches will face off Thursday night. Lisa Bluder is the dean of Big Ten coaches, and is in her 14th season at Iowa. Bill Fennelly is the dean of Big 12 coaches, and is in his 19th year at Iowa State.
? The Cyclones have six native Iowans on their roster: Lexi Albrecht (Carroll), Elly Arganbright (Panora), Madison Baier (Tama), Jadda Buckley (Mason City), Hallie Christofferson (Hamlin), and Ashley Hagedorn (Irwin).
? The Hawkeyes have three native Iowans: Ally Disterhoft (Iowa City), Hailey Schneden (Davenport), and Claire Till (Dubuque).

SCOUTING IOWA STATE:
The No. 17/11 Iowa State Cyclones are 8-0 after wins over North Dakota, South Dakota, Cincinnati, Drake, Eastern Washington, Auburn, Northern Iowa and Cal-State Fullerton. Iowa State defeated Cal-State Fullerton on Sunday in its last game, 79-52. The Cyclones outscored the Titans in the paint, 30-12, and shot 51 percent from the field, limiting Fullerton to a 29.5 percentage from the field. Hallie Christofferson led the Cyclones in scoring with 33 points. She is averaging 25 per game this season. Seanna Johnson (12.1) and Nikki Moody (11.1) are also averaging in double figures. Iowa State averages 82.1 points per game, while limiting opponents to 55 per outing.

HAWKEYES MOVE UP IN AP TOP 25 POLL/ENTER USA TODAY POLL:
Iowa is ranked 21st in The Associated Press Top 25 poll this week, and sits 24th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Six Iowa opponents are also ranked in the Associated Press/USA Today polls: Penn State (12/12), Colorado (11/15), Iowa State (17/11), Purdue (18/23), Nebraska (19/16), and Syracuse (25/RV), In addition, Dayton and Michigan State are receiving votes.

IOWA SETS NEW SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT RECORD:
The Hawkeyes won their sixth game in a row, thanks to a school-record 17 made 3-point field goals, 95-47, on Dec. 7 against Idaho State inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa shot 56.4-percent from the field for the game and held the Bengals to 21.5-percent (11.8-percent in the second half). While the Hawkeyes made 75-percent of their two-point field goals (14-of-21), the real story was their success from long range. Junior Melissa Dixon converted six 3-pointers, giving her 20 in the last three games. She had a school-record seven against UNC-Wilmington and Syracuse. Senior Theairra Taylor made four 3-pointers against Idaho State, freshman Ally Disterhoft had three, sophomore Kathryn Reynolds added two, and junior Samantha Logic and freshman Alexa Kastanek made one apiece. The previous record was 14, last accomplished on Dec. 22, 2011, against Mississippi Valley State.

NOTES — IOWA DOWNS IDAHO STATE FOR 6TH-STRAIGHT WIN:
? Iowa has scored 294 total points over its last three games, including 95 or more in each (102 vs. UNC-Wilmington, 97 vs. No. 22 Syracuse).
? Iowa has scored 95 points or more, four times this season.
? Iowa has had three or more players score in double figures in each of the last nine contests, including four in the win against Idaho State (Dixon 24, Doolittle 17, Taylor 16, Disterhoft 14).
? Iowa — the Big Ten leader in assists — tallied 28 assists on 31 made field goals. The Hawkeyes have tallied 28 or more assists in their last three games (30, 28, 28), and 28 or more four times this season. The school record for assists in a game is 31.

DIXON CATCHING FIRE:
? Junior guard Melissa Dixon finished with six 3-point field goals in Iowa’s last game against Idaho State – one shy of her personal record and the school record (seven – accomplished five times, twice by Dixon).
? Dixon made seven 3-pointers in each of Iowa’s previous two contests, giving her 20 made 3-pointers over the last three games – the most in a three-game stretch in school history.
? After converting seven 3-pointers total during the first six games of the season (7-of-46), Dixon has made 28 over the last five games (28-of-54).
? Dixon finished with a game-high 24 points, after posting 27 in Iowa’s win against No. 22 Syracuse and a career-best 32 in Iowa’s win against UNC-Wilmington. She has scored 83 points total over the last three games (27.6/game).
? She has scored 17 points or more during the last five contests (18, 17, 32, 27, 24), for an average of 23.6 points per game.
? Prior to the Cancun Challenge, Dixon was averaging 9.7 points per game. She is now Iowa’s leading scorer, averaging 16.0 points per outing.
? Dixon has 148 career 3-pointers, and needs nine to surpass Leah Magner for seventh (156) on Iowa’s all-time list.

CLIMBING TO THE TOP:
Lisa Bluder needs nine wins to surpass Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer (269) as Iowa’s all-time winningest coach. Bluder — one of 13 active Division I coaches with 600 or more wins — is 261-158 all-time as the Hawkeye head coach.

BALANCED ATTACK:
Five Hawkeyes are averaging double figures: Melissa Dixon (16.0), Bethany Doolittle (14.4), Samantha Logic (13.5), Ally Disterhoft (11.5), and Theairra Taylor (10.0). Six Hawkeyes scored in double figures in Iowa’s overtime win against No. 14 Dayton, and Iowa has had three or more players score in double figures in each of the last nine contests.

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS:
? Samantha Logic is tied for third in career assists (427) with Kamille Wahlin. Logic needs five assists to take over second place (Michelle Edwards – 431).
? Melissa Dixon has 148 career 3-pointers, and needs nine to surpass Leah Magner for seventh (156) on Iowa’s all-time list.
? Bethany Doolittle is sixth all-time with 107 career blocks. She needs eight blocks to surpass Jennie Lillis (114) for fifth place.

B1G HONOR ROLL:
? Two Hawkeyes — Samantha Logic and Melissa Dixon — have been named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll in the last three weeks. Iowa has had a player named to the Honor Roll for three-straight weeks.
? Logic was named to the Honor Roll on Nov. 25 after averaging 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals as Iowa split a pair of road contests at No. 16 Colorado and UNI.
? Dixon was honored Dec. 2 after being named MVP of the Cancun Challenge Mayan Division, where she averaged 22.3 points per game, including a career-high 32 against UNC-Wilmington.
? Dixon was honored again on Dec. 9, after helping Iowa to wins over No. 22 Syracuse and Idaho State last week, averaging 25.5 points per game, while converting 13-of-21 three-point attempts.
? Logic was named Big Ten Player of Week on Nov. 12 for her efforts in Iowa’s wins against UC Riverside and No. 14 Dayton.

HAWKEYES CONTINUE TREND AGAINST RANKED FOES:
? Iowa is 2-1 this season against ranked opponents (the two top-25 wins are the most of any Big Ten team):
– W vs. No. 14 Dayton (97-93 in overtime) – Nov. 10
– L at No. 16 Colorado (90-87) – Nov. 20
– W vs. No. 22 Syracuse (97-91) – Dec. 5
? The Hawkeyes have defeated nine top-25 opponents since the start of last season (9-5 record).
? Iowa is averaging 93.7 points per game during its three contests against ranked teams this season.
? The Hawkeyes have recorded at least one win against a top-25 team in all but two seasons under Bluder. In nine of those seasons, Iowa has knocked off at least one top-15 opponent.
? This year marks the seventh time in school history that Iowa has played at least three ranked teams prior to conference action. Iowa faced five ranked opponents in 1990 (2-3 record) and three in 2012 (last year) (3-0), 1999 (0-3), 1995 (2-1), 1993 (3-0), and 1989 (1-2).
? Last season marked just the second time in school history that Iowa defeated three ranked teams prior to Big Ten play (No. 12 West Virginia, No. 22 Iowa State, No. 20 Texas). The only other time Iowa defeated three ranked opponents was in 1993 (No. 4 Louisiana Tech, No. 20 Missouri State, No. 9 Southern California).
? Iowa tied the school record for number of wins over ranked teams in a season last year with seven. The Hawkeyes have accomplished the feat three other times (1995-96, 1993-94, 1992-93). Iowa faced 11 ranked teams last season, which tied for the most games against ranked opponents in a season. The only other time Iowa played 11 ranked teams in a season was in 1992-93 (7-4 record).

BLUDER GETS WIN NO. 600:
Head coach Lisa Bluder became the 42nd coach in NCAA women’s basketball history (all divisions) and only the 25th Division I head coach (minimum 10 years at a DI school) to collect 600 wins Jan. 20 vs. Purdue. Bluder is one of 13 active Division I coaches with 600 or more wins.

HAWKEYES LIKE TO SHARE:
? The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in assists, averaging 20.7 per contest. Iowa also leads the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
? Samantha Logic leads the league in assists, averaging 6.7 a game.
? As a team, Iowa registered 30 assists, one shy of the school record, in the win against No. 14 Dayton on Nov. 10. Iowa matched that number in its win against UNC-Wilmington in the Cancun Challenge (Nov. 30).
? Iowa broke the school record for single-season assists last year in the win over Miami (March 24). The previous record of 514 was set in 2011-12. Iowa finished with 531 assists. Iowa finished second in the Big Ten and 26th in the NCAA with 15.7 assists per game. Iowa recorded at least 17 assists in 15 games, including five games with 20 or more.

NCAA STREAK LEADS THE BIG TEN:
Iowa is the only Big Ten team, and one of only 13 teams in the country, to have appeared in the last six NCAA Tournaments.

REYNOLDS NOMINATED FOR ALLSTATE WBCA GOOD WORKS TEAM:
Kathryn Reynolds has been nominated for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Allstate Good Works Team. The announcement was made Dec. 3 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and Allstate Insurance Company. Reynolds is one-of-five Big Ten players nominated.

NCAA 1ST AND 2ND ROUND TICKETS ON SALE:
Tickets for the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds, hosted by the University of Iowa, are now on sale for UI women’s basketball season ticket holders and the general public. Iowa’s First and Second Round Games will be played Sunday, March 23 (4:30 and 7 p.m.) and Tuesday, March 25 (8:30 p.m.). The UI was one of 16 sites chosen to host First and Second Round Games, and 1-of-8 chosen to host in back-to-back years. Fans can order tickets by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS, visiting the Carver-Hawkeye Arena ticket office, or by visiting hawkeyesports.com.

HAWKEYE DEFENSE:
Iowa limited Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 38 points on Nov. 13, the fewest total for an opponent in 19 years. The Hawkeyes then limited Stony Brook to 40 points on Nov. 17.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES:
Check out the Iowa women’s basketball Facebook page or the University of Iowa Athletics Facebook page (/iowawomenshoops). Fans can also follow @IowaWBB or @TheIowaHawkeyes on Twitter.

UP NEXT:
The Hawkeyes conclude the month with two home matchups against in-state foe Drake (Dec. 21) and North Dakota (Dec. 28), prior to starting league play in January.