Iowa, Minnesota to Meet Wednesday in Iowa City

Jan. 7, 2014

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Iowa Game Notes: Minnesota

THE SETTING:
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team (12-4, 0-2) hosts Minnesota (11-4, 0-1) on Wednesday. Tip is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes, 8-1 at home this season, have won 8-of-11 overall.

Tickets are $10 for adults. Youth — high school-aged and younger — are admitted free to all weekday games, while weekend games are $6. Youth — five years old and younger — are admitted free to all games, and UI students are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at hawkeyesports.com, over the phone at 1-800 IA-HAWKS, and at the UI Athletics Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

PROMOTIONS:
? Theairra Taylor Bobblehead Night — Free Theairra Taylor bobbleheads for the first 2,000 fans.
? Four Pack Night — Purchase four tickets, four hot dogs, and four drinks for only $30 (must be ordered in advance).
? Free posters and schedule cards inside all four main entrances while supplies last.
? Halftime entertainment: Iowa Dance Team.

AUDIO COVERAGE:
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call the action 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, and other stations, or 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:
Fans can watch live on the Big Ten Digital Network (video.BTN.com). 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 1,148 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 704-444 (.613). That includes a 348-180 (.662) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 343-98 (.776) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IN THE RANKINGS:
Iowa is receiving votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll this week and the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 22/23 last week. Six Iowa opponents are also ranked in the Associated Press/USA Today polls: Iowa State (11/9), Penn State (14/15), Nebraska (16/14), Colorado (17/18), Purdue (21/20), and Indiana (22/RV), In addition, Syracuse and Ohio State are receiving votes.

CLIMBING TO THE TOP:
Lisa Bluder needs seven 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 263-161 all-time as the Hawkeye head coach.

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.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA:
? Minnesota is 11-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play following an 81-56 loss to Michigan State at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Jan. 4.
? The Gophers are 1-2 on the road this season, winning at Northern Iowa in their season opener (73-55), and falling at Creighton (63-52) and at Hawai’i (77-71, OT).
? Minnesota is led in scoring by junior guard Rachel Banham (20.6 points/game) and redshirt freshman center Amanda B. Zahui (15.2). Banham has scored in double figures in every game this season except for one (Oakland, Dec. 29). Zahui, 6-foot-5, has scored 16 or more points in each of the last seven contests. In addition, she has posted double-digit rebounds in 11-of-15 games this season.
? Minnesota leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (.443).
? Minnesota is coached by Pam Borton. Borton, in her 12th season at the helm, is the winningest head coach in program history.

IOWA-MINNESOTA SERIES NOTES:
? Iowa leads the all-time series against Minnesota, 45-23.
? Iowa has won four of the last five meetings, and eight of the last 11 in the series.
? The Hawkeyes have won the last five meetings in Iowa City, and are 22-5 all-time against the Gophers in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

THE LAST MEETING:
Minnesota claimed the only meeting between the two teams last season, winning 72-60 in Minneapolis. Rachel Banham led all scorers with 34 points. The Hawkeyes were led by Jaime Printy (21 points) and Morgan Johnson, who posted a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds).

HAWKEYES IN BIG TEN PLAY:
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, the dean of Big Ten coaches, is a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2001, 2008 and 2010). She has guided Iowa to nine upper-division finishes in the Big Ten in 13 seasons. Iowa won a share of the Big Ten regular season championship in 2008 and finished in a three-way tie for second in 2009.

NONCONFERENCE RECAP:
Iowa’s 12 wins prior to the start of conference play equaled the most in a season under head coach Lisa Bluder. Iowa finished 12-1 in its pre-conference slate during the 2010-11 campaign. The Hawkeyes were 11-3 prior to the start of league play last season, and 11-0 in 2004-05.

BALANCED ATTACK:
Five Hawkeyes are averaging at least 9.9 points per game: Melissa Dixon (15.3), Samantha Logic (14.8), Bethany Doolittle (13.5), Ally Disterhoft (11.7), and Theairra Taylor (9.9). Iowa has had three or more players score in double figures in each of the last 14 contests, including three in the loss to Penn State (Dixon 22, Logic 13, Taylor 10).

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS:
? Samantha Logic is second in career assists (464). Cara Consuegra (1997-2001) is Iowa’s all-time assists leader (576).
? Melissa Dixon has 162 career 3-pointers, equaling Kelli Krei for sixth on Iowa’s all-time list. Kristi Smith is fifth with 185.
? Bethany Doolittle is fifth all-time with 129 career blocks. Toni Foster is fourth with 145.

LEADING THE BIG TEN IN ASSISTS:
? The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in assists, averaging 19.1 per contest. Iowa also leads the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
? Samantha Logic leads the league in assists, averaging 6.9 a game.
? Iowa tallied 28 assists on 31 made field goals on Dec. 7 in its win over Idaho State. The Hawkeyes have tallied 28 or more assists four times this season. The school record for assists in a game is 31.
? 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.

LOGIC BREAKS ASSIST RECORD:
? Last season, Logic led the Big Ten and ranked 15th in the NCAA with 6.4 assists per game. She leads the Big Ten in the category this season, and is 10th nationally.
? Logic’s 10 games with double digit assists are the most in program history. Cara Consuegra is second with nine games of 10 or more assists. The next closest Hawkeyes on the list are Kachine Alexander, Jolette Law and Michelle Edwards, with two career games.
? Logic recorded seven or more assists in 15 games, including four games with 10 or more. She had at least five assists in 24 games.
? Samantha Logic recorded her 13th career double-double (16 points, 14 assists) on Nov. 10, leading the Hawkeyes to a 97-93 overtime victory against No. 14 Dayton. Logic hit the game-tying 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. The 14 assists equaled a personal best and Iowa school record, and are the most in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. The previous high was 12 (three times).
? Logic — who now has 17 career double-doubles — became Iowa’s single-season assist record holder a year ago, breaking the mark in Iowa’s win at Northwestern (March 3). Logic entered the game tied with Cara Consuegra (2000-01) at 191 assists. Logic collected seven assists at Northwestern and finished with 217.

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 seven weeks. Iowa has had a player named to the Honor Roll or be named Player of the Week in five of the last seven 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 3-point attempts.
? Logic was to the Honor Roll on Dec. 31. She finished with 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals while shooting 60 percent from the floor in a win over North Dakota.
? 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, and on Dec. 23 following her triple-double against Drake.

DIXON TURNS IT AROUND FROM 3-POINT RANGE:
? Junior guard Melissa Dixon finished with six 3-point field goals in Iowa’s win over Idaho State on Dec. 7 — one shy of her personal record and the school record (seven — accomplished five times, twice by Dixon).
? After converting seven 3-pointers total during the first six games of the season (7-of-46), Dixon has made 42 over the last 10 games (42-of-99).
? Prior to the Cancun Challenge, Dixon was averaging 9.7 points per game. She is now averaging 15.3 points per outing.

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.

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

UP NEXT:
The Hawkeyes continue Big Ten action on the road this weekend, playing at Wisconsin on Sunday. Tip is set for noon (CT). Iowa returns home to host Michigan State on Thursday, Jan. 16. Tip is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.