Women's Hoops Announces Nonconference Schedule

June 25, 2014

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team released its nonconference schedule
Wednesday. The Hawkeyes will play 11 nonconference games, including eight against teams that were selected to postseason tournaments in 2014.

The Hawkeyes will open with an exhibition against St. Ambrose (Nov. 9) before starting the nonconference portion of their schedule. Iowa will play two games in the Hawkeye Challenge, Nov. 21-22, in true tournament format. The Hawkeyes will welcome UT-Martin, Pepperdine, and Dayton to Iowa City. Matchups and game times will be announced at a later date.

Iowa will face Arkansas (Nov. 28) and Gonzaga (Nov. 29) in Las Vegas in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. The Hawkeyes travel to intra-state rival Drake (Dec. 21), and host Northern Iowa (Nov. 25) and Iowa State (Dec. 11).

Maryland and Rutgers join the Big Ten in 2014-15 and the 14 league teams will compete in an 18-game conference schedule, playing five teams both home and away and eight teams once. Each team will play four of its single-play opponents at home and four on the road. The list of Iowa’s Big Ten single-plays and home-and-away opponents can be found below:

Home: Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue
Away: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers
Home/Away: Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin

Iowa will return 10 letterwinners from a team that went 27-9 in 2014 and made its Big Ten-best seventh-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hawkeyes’ 27 victories equaled the second-highest total in program history, and the most since 1996.

USC Upstate (Nov. 14 – Iowa City)

Iowa opens the 2014-15 campaign in Iowa City, hosting USC Upstate in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Spartans finished 17-15 a year ago and competed in the WBI Tournament.

Robert Morris (Nov. 16 – Iowa City)

The Hawkeyes welcome Robert Morris to Iowa City two days later. The Colonials went 21-12 in 2014 and won the Northeast Conference tournament and regular season championship before falling to Notre Dame in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa claimed the only meeting between the two schools two years ago in Iowa City.

UT-Martin (Nov. 21-22 – Hawkeye Challenge – Iowa City)

The University of Tennessee at Martin received votes in the final USA TODAY Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, after winning the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles. The Skyhawks won a program-record 24 games before falling to North Carolina in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa and UT-Martin have never met.

Dayton (Nov. 21-22 – Hawkeye Challenge – Iowa City)

Dayton will travel to Iowa City to compete in the Hawkeye Challenge for the second-straight year. The Hawkeyes defeated the 14th-ranked Flyers in the Hawkeye Challenge last season, 97-93, in overtime in the first ever meeting between the two schools. Dayton won at least 20 games a year ago for the seventh-straight year (23-8), claimed the Atlantic 10 regular season title for the second-straight year, and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the fifth-straight year.

Pepperdine (Nov. 21-22 – Hawkeye Challenge – Iowa City)

Pepperdine finished the 2013-14 campaign with a 6-25 mark. The Hawkeyes and Waves have never met.

Northern Iowa (Nov. 25 – Iowa City)

Prior to traveling to Las Vegas, the Hawkeyes will host the Panthers (17-13 last season) on Nov. 25. Iowa won at UNI last year, 67-60, and leads the all-time series 17-2.

Arkansas (Nov. 28 – South Point Thanksgiving Shootout – Las Vegas)

Arkansas finished 19-11 in 2013-14. The Razorbacks, who will be led by first-year head coach Jimmy Dykes, have won both prior meetings against the Hawkeyes (1997-98, 1999-00).

Gonzaga (Nov. 29 – South Point Thanksgiving Shootout – Las Vegas)

Gonzaga finished 29-5 in 2014 and advanced to its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs will be led by first-year head coach Lisa Fortier. Iowa is 2-1 all-time against Gonzaga, falling in the last meeting at Gonzaga in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Louisville (Dec. 4 – ACC/Big Ten Challenge – Louisville, Ky.)

Iowa will travel to Louisville as part of the eighth annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 4, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Louisville begins a new era as a first-year member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. This will mark the second meeting between the Hawkeyes and Cardinals, and the second in as many years. Fourth-ranked Louisville defeated Iowa in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 25 in Iowa City. Louisville is coached by Jeff Walz. Walz enters his eighth year at the helm of the program in 2014-15. In his first seven seasons, he has guided the Cardinals to two Final Four appearances, National Runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2013, and five Sweet 16 appearances. Louisville advanced to the Elite Eight last year before falling to Maryland.

Colorado (Dec. 7 – Iowa City)

For the second-straight year, Iowa and Colorado will square off. The Hawkeyes dropped a 90-87 decision in Boulder, Colo., last season to the 16th-ranked Buffaloes. Colorado leads the all-time series, 3-1. Last season, the Buffaloes finished 19-15 and advanced to the third round of the WNIT.

Iowa State (Dec. 11 – Iowa City)

The Hawkeyes resume intra-state play, hosting Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The Cyclones competed in the NCAA Tournament last year, and the Hawkeyes hold a 23-21 advantage in the all-time series. Iowa defeated Iowa State in the last meeting in Iowa City, 50-42, in 2012. The contest marks the Hawkeyes’ final nonconference home game.

Drake (Dec. 21 – Des Moines, Iowa)

Iowa finishes intra-state play and nonconference action against Drake. Former Hawkeye Jennie (Lillis) Baranczyk enters her third season as Drake’s head coach. Drake finished 17-15 in 2014. Iowa is 22-24 against the Bulldogs, and has won the last 12 meetings in the series. Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder served as head coach at Drake for 10 seasons. Hawkeye associate head coach Jan Jensen and assistant coach Jenni Fitzgerald both played and coached at Drake.

2014 Nonconference Schedule:

Nov. 9 St. Ambrose Iowa City (Exhibition)
Nov. 14 USC Upstate Iowa City
Nov. 16 Robert Morris Iowa City
Nov. 21 UT-Martin/Dayton/Pepperdine (Hawkeye Challenge)
Nov. 22 UT-Martin/Dayton/Pepperdine (Hawkeye Challenge)
Nov. 25 Northern Iowa Iowa City
Nov. 28 Arkansas Las Vegas, Nev. (South Point Thanksgiving Shootout)
Nov. 29 Gonzaga Las Vegas, Nev. (South Point Thanksgiving Shootout)
Dec. 4 Louisville Louisville, Ky. (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)
Dec. 7 Colorado Iowa City
Dec. 11 Iowa State Iowa City
Dec. 21 Drake Des Moines, Iowa