Women's Hoops Hosts Illinois on Thursday on BTN

Feb. 12, 2014

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Iowa Game Notes: Illinois

THE SETTING:
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team (19-6, 7-4) continues league play at home Thursday night, hosting Illinois (9-15, 2-9) in its annual Pink Game. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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.

NO. 270 — BLUDER NOTCHES ANOTHER MILESTONE VICTORY:
Lisa Bluder surpassed C. Vivian Stringer as Iowa’s all-time winningest coach on Monday night as the Hawkeyes defeated Northwestern, 90-84. Bluder — one of 13 active Division I coaches with 600 or more wins — is 270-163 all-time as the Hawkeye head coach. Bluder scored the first points in a women’s game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as a student-athlete at Northern Iowa.

WATCH LIVE ON BIG TEN NETWORK:
Thursday’s contest will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Mike Couzens and Mary Murphy will call the action.

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 Radio Network (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 10th season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her ninth providing analysis.

FOLLOW THE ACTION:
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.

PROMOTIONS:
? Pink Game – All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game in support of breast cancer awareness
? $2 off for fans that wear pink to the game
? Free pink pom poms for the first 1,000 fans
? Register to win a $100 gift card for Valentine’s Day dinner at Joseph’s Steakhouse

BLUDER SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION:
Head coach Lisa Bluder has agreed to a one-year contract extension that secures her as head coach of the women’s basketball program at the University of Iowa through the 2019 basketball season, UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta announced Dec. 26, 2013.

IN THE RANKINGS:
The Hawkeyes, receiving votes (29th) in the AP Top 25 poll, have been ranked as high as No. 21/24 this season. Four Iowa opponents are ranked in the latest Associated Press/USA Today polls: Penn State (11/11), Nebraska (21/19), Purdue (23/23), Michigan State (25/RV) and Dayton (RV/25) In addition, Syracuse, Iowa State, and Michigan are receiving votes.

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.

HAWKEYES AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA:
Iowa is 11-3 at home this season, and 86-22 in its last 108 games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes are 346-100 (.776) all-time inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has two regular season home games left (Illinois – Feb. 13; Ohio State – Feb. 27).

IN SEARCH OF 20 WINS:
Iowa’s next victory will mark its 20th this season. The Hawkeyes have won 20 games seven times under Lisa Bluder, including five of the last six seasons. Dating back to the 1984-85 season, Iowa has reached the 20-win mark 18 times.

IOWA DOWNS NORTHWESTERN IN MILESTONE VICTORY:
? With Iowa’s 90-84 victory over Northwestern (Feb. 10), UI head coach Lisa Bluder has 270 career wins, surpassing C. Vivian Stringer as the all-time winningest coach in program history.
? Bluder — one of 13 active Division I coaches with 600 or more wins — is 270-163 all-time as the Hawkeye head coach. She has 626 career victories.
? Iowa is in a stretch where it plays three games in seven days.
? The Hawkeyes have won 7-of-9 overall.
? Iowa leads the Big Ten in overall victories (19).
? Freshman Ally Disterhoft has tallied double-digits in her first six career starts (24 at Ohio State, 15 vs. Indiana, 13 at Minnesota, 12 vs. Nebraska, 24 at Penn State, 11 vs. Nebraska). Iowa is 5-1 when Disterhoft starts. She leads Iowa in scoring during the stretch, averaging 16.5 points per contest.
? Samantha Logic posted her 21st career double-double (20 points, 10 assists), finishing one rebound shy of her second-straight, and fourth-career, triple-double. She finished 7-of-7 from the foul line.
? Logic has 14 career games with double-digit assists, the most in program history.
? Melissa Dixon (team-high 24 points) finished 6-of-9 from 3-point range, marking the fourth time this season she has connected on six or more 3-pointers (7 vs. UNCW, 7 vs. Syracuse, 6 vs. Idaho State).
? Iowa has scored 90 or more points five times this season.

LOGIC NAMED B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Junior guard Samantha Logic was named Big Ten Player of Week on Tuesday. Logic (5-foot-9) — the Big Ten leader in assists (7.4/game) — averaged a triple-double in Iowa’s two wins last week, averaging 17.0 points, 10.0 assists and 10.0 rebounds. In the Hawkeyes’ win at No. 9 Penn State on Feb. 6, Logic posted her second triple-double of the year, and the third of her career, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. She has the most triple-doubles of any player in program history, and the most of any player in the Big Ten. Logic, who ranks fourth nationally in assists, finished one rebound shy of her second-straight triple-double in Iowa’s win over Northwestern on Feb. 10, registering her 21st career double-double (20 points, 10 assists). She finished 7-of-7 from the foul line, as Bluder won her 270th career game at Iowa, surpassing C. Vivian Stringer as the all-time winningest coach in program history. The award marks Logic’s fifth career Player of the Week honor, and third this season (Nov. 12, Dec. 23). Logic has been named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll four additional times this season.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS:
? Illinois is 9-15 overall, and 2-9 in conference play.
? The Fighting Illini are 2-7 on the road this season.
? Illinois has lost five-straight games overall, following a loss at Minnesota last time out on Feb. 9 (66-61).
? Illinois is coached by Matt Bollant. Bollant is in his second year at the helm of the program.

IOWA-ILLINOIS SERIES NOTES:
? Iowa leads the all-time series, 49-17.
? The Hawkeyes have won 14 of the last 16 meetings against Illinois, dating back to the 2003-04 season. Iowa has won four straight in Iowa City, and seven of the last eight.
? Iowa is 24-3 all-time against Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? The Hawkeyes dropped a 74-62 decision in Champaign last season in the only meeting between the two teams, ending what was an eight-game Hawkeye winning-streak in the series.
? Iowa claimed the last meeting in Iowa City, winning 69-62 in overtime on Jan. 5, 2012.

A B1G-TIME ROAD WIN — IOWA WINS AT NO. 9 PENN STATE:
? The Hawkeyes won at No. 9 Penn State in their last road game on Feb. 6, 73-70, giving UI head coach Lisa Bluder her 269th career win at Iowa, tying her with C. Vivian Stringer as the all-time winningest coach in program history.
? The win marked Iowa’s first victory over a top-10 foe since defeating No. 10 Michigan State, 66-64, on Jan. 27, 2011.
? The victory marked the Hawkeyes’ first over a top-10 team away from Iowa City since defeating No. 7 Purdue, 75-70, in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament title game (March 4, 2001), and Iowa’s first in a true road game since winning at No. 9 Southern California, 50-49, on Dec. 30,1993.
? The wins marked Iowa’s first road victory over a ranked opponent since winning at No. 18 Purdue last year, 72-52 (Feb. 14, 2013).
? The victory marked the first for Iowa at Penn State since 2009.
? The Hawkeyes have won four-straight Big Ten road games.
? Samantha Logic finished with her second triple-double of the season, and third of her career (14 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists). The Big Ten assists leader has the most triple-doubles of any player in program history.
? Freshman Ally Disterhoft equaled a career high with 24 points, missing only one shot (8-of-9 field goals, 3-of-3 3-pointers, 5-of-5 free throws).
? Melissa Dixon (13 points) and Theairra Taylor (10 points) also finished in double figures.
? Iowa and Penn State both finished with 30 points in the paint. The Nittany Lions opened the game with a 12-0 advantage.
? The Hawkeyes led 63-58 with 8:16 to play, before Penn State went on a 10-0 run to grab a 68-63 lead with 4:26 remaining. Iowa answered, as Theairra Taylor converted a layup and Ally Disterhoft nailed a 3-pointer to even the score at 68 with 3:32 to play.
? Iowa ended the game on a 10-2 run over the final 4:26.

LOGIC NAMED TO LIEBERMAN AWARD WATCH LIST:
Junior guard Samantha Logic has been named to the 2014 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Jan. 15. The award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. She is 1-of-2 league players named to the Watch List along with Northwestern’s Ashley Deary. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame became the new host of the Nancy Lieberman Award in October 2013 after the Rotary Club of Detroit managed it for several years. The Hall of Fame appointed a premier Selection Committee made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers to review the candidates. The list will be narrowed down to a final 20 in February, then final five by March. The Lieberman Award winner will be announced during Final Four weekend activities. Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include last year’s recipient Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Sue Bird (Connecticut), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Diana Taurasi (Connecticut), Lindsey Harding (Duke), Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga), Temeka Johnson (LSU), Kristi Toliver (Maryland), Ivory Latta (North Carolina), and Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State).

DEFYING LOGIC:
? Samantha Logic is the only player in the Big Ten to average 13+ points (14.4), six+ rebounds (6.7), and six+ assists (7.4).
? She leads the Big Ten in assists (7.4/game), ranks 14th in scoring (14.4), 14th in rebounding (6.7), 12th in field goal percentage (.494), 13th in free throw percentage (.816), 11th in defensive rebounds (5.0), eighth in minutes played (34.8) and second in steals (2.3) and third in assist/turnover ratio (1.9); leads the league in assists in league games only (8.2), and steals (2.9)
? Logic is second in career assists (539) at Iowa. Cara Consuegra (1997-2001) is Iowa’s all-time assists leader (576).
? Logic is one of 26 players in Big Ten history to total 500 or more career assists.
? She has posted 186 assists this season, the highest total for a junior in progam history. Cara Consuegra posted the second-most as a junior (138 in 1999-00).
? Logic is 14th in the NCAA in career assists among active players, and fourth in assists/game (5.9).
? Logic is nearly averaging a triple-double over the last 13 contests (14.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.3 assists).
? She has registered two triple-doubles and five double-doubles during the stretch.
? Logic has three career triple-doubles, the most in program history. For all active Big Ten players, there have been a total of four, with three by Logic.
? Last season, Logic led the Big Ten and ranked 15th in the NCAA with 6.4 assists per game. She has led the Big Ten in the category for most of this season, and is fourth nationally.
? Logic’s 14 career 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 — who has 21 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 the season with 217.
? 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).

FUN FACTS:
? Iowa, the Big Ten leader in assists/game (18.2) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3), is 18-1 when tallying as many or more assists than its opponents, and 13-2 when registering fewer turnovers.
? The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring (80.1 points/game), averaging nearly five more points than the second-highest average.
? Iowa is 16-0 when leading at the half.
? The Hawkeyes are 16-0 when holding their opponents to less than 80 points.
? Iowa is undefeated (7-0) when shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range, undefeated (9-0) when grabbing more rebounds, and undefeated (9-0) when shooting 80% or better from the free throw line.
? The Hawkeyes are 5-3 in road games this season and 8-3 overall away from Iowa City. Iowa is 4-1 in Big Ten road games.
? Iowa has not trailed during three of its last six victories (Jan. 25 vs. Indiana, 84-75; Jan. 19 at Ohio State, 81-74; Jan. 12 at Wisconsin, 82-65). Iowa trailed for 1:56 during its 64-56 win at Minnesota on Jan. 29.

DISTERHOFT SHINES IN FIRST CAREER START(S):
Freshman Ally Disterhoft posted a double-double in her first career start at Ohio State on Jan. 19 (24 points, 10 rebounds, 12-of-12 from the line). She finished 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final 28 seconds. Her 12-for-12 mark from the line marks the third-best total (when shooting 100%) in the league this season, and the best performance from the line in conference only action. It also tied the program record for most free throws made (when making 100%) during a Big Ten game. Disterhoft has started the last six games (the first starts of her career), and Iowa is 5-1 (3-0 on the road). She leads Iowa in scoring during the stretch, averaging 16.5 points per contest.

BALANCED ATTACK:
Five Hawkeyes are averaging double figures: Samantha Logic (14.4), Bethany Doolittle (14.0), Melissa Dixon (13.8), Ally Disterhoft (13.1), and Theairra Taylor (11.2). Iowa has had three or more players score in double figures in each of the last 24 contests, including four in the win over Northwestern (Melissa Dixon 24, Samantha Logic 20, Theairra Taylor 16, Bethany Doolittle 14, Ally Disterhoft 11). Iowa is one of two Big Ten teams, joining Illinois, with three players averaging 13.4 or more points per game (Logic – 14.4, Doolittle – 14.0, Dixon – 13.8).

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS:
? Samantha Logic is second in career assists (539). Cara Consuegra (1997-2001) is Iowa’s all-time assists leader (576).
? Melissa Dixon is sixth in career 3-pointers (182). Dixon surpassed Kelli Krei (162) during Iowa’s win over Minnesota on Jan. 8. Kristi Smith is fifth with 185.
? Bethany Doolittle is third all-time with 162 career blocks. She surpassed Megan Skouby who is now fourth with 150, during Iowa’s game against Nebraska on Feb. 1. Tangela Smith is second with 235.

IOWA HISTORY:
Iowa has played 1,157 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 711-446 (.613). That includes a 355-182 (.660) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 346-100 (.776) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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 on Sunday, playing at No. 23 Purdue at 1 p.m. (CT).