Hawkeyes Herd Buffaloes, 78-63

 

Dec. 7, 2014

By JIL PRICE
hawkeyesports.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The No. 19-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team bounced back with a 78-63 win over Colorado (6-2) on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Hawkeyes improve to 7-2 on the season.

“I was happy with the way we bounced back,” UI head coach Lisa Bluder said. “We got it handed to us Thursday at Louisville. You can tell how a team handles adversity, and how they bounce back from that.

“We had two good practices, two intense and focused practices preparing us for today, and I thought we were in control. I thought we were in control most of this game. Our team got its swagger back. They looked confident on the floor, which I love to see.”

The senior class played a large role in the team win. Melissa Dixon had the hot hand in the contest, scoring a season-high 23 points, and Samantha Logic reached double figures for the seventh time this year with 10 points — eight of which came in the second half. Bethany Doolittle added her third double-double of the season, pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds and scoring 11 points.

1st 2nd Final Colorado (6-2) 28 35 63 Iowa (7-2) 35 43 78 ? Box Score | Attendance: 6,061 Statistical Leaders ? Melissa Dixon — 23 points, 5-10 3-point field goals ? Ally Disterhoft — 15 points, 8 rebounds ? Bethany Doolittle — 11 points, 10 rebounds Stats at a Glance COLO IOWA FG Percentage 38.8 41.9 3-Point FG Percentage 20.0 42.1 FT Percentage 53.3 66.7 Total Rebounds 53 36 Points in the Paint 28 26 Points off Turnovers 10 19

“It shows you what kind of leadership you have,” Bluder said. “I thought our seniors did a tremendous job getting everybody refocused after that game. Nobody was hanging their head the next morning. Everybody was ready to go to work again, and I think that’s a great sign. You’re going to have losses. It’s going to happen the rest of their lives, so they might as well get used to bouncing back after it, and they did.”

Also reaching double figures for the Hawkeyes was sophomore Ally Disterhoft (15).

Doolittle (four points) was the lone Hawkeye in the scoring column nearly four minutes into the first half until Dixon knocked down a three-pointer at the 16:08 mark to give Iowa its first lead, 7-6. The Buffaloes kept it close in the first half, out-rebounding the Hawkeyes 28-21, scoring 11 second chance points to Iowa’s four, and adding six fast break points.

Iowa muscled its way back in front of Colorado following two ties and a four lead changes, outscoring the Buffaloes 18-11 in the final nine minutes of the opening half. Dixon’s third 3-pointer, a Whitney Jennings layup and Logic jumper at the buzzer in the last three minutes sent the Hawkeyes to the locker room with a crucial 35-28 advantage.

Dixon continued her success beyond the arc in the second half, sinking her fourth 3-pointer in the first six seconds and adding her fifth at the 14:38 mark to put the Hawkeyes ahead by 12 — the team’s largest advantage to that point.

The Iowa offense continued to run on all cylinders, leading Colorado by as much as 18 points in the second half. Free throws were the difference, as the Hawkeyes sank eight free throws in the final five minutes of action — five by Logic who was on the receiving end of a technical foul, two by Disterhoft, and one by Jennings.

A Jennings layup and Disterhoft 3-pointer solidified the final 78-63 victory for the Hawkeyes, who outscored the Buffaoloes, 43-35, in the second half. Disterhoft was 2-for-3 from long range in the game — one from matching her career-high (three).

The Hawkeyes host Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series rival Iowa State at home Dec. 11. The 7 p.m. (CT) contest will be shown live on the Big Ten Network.

“I hope we have a great crowd,” Bluder said. “Fans on both sides are very passionate about this rivalry. I know our players will be ready to go.”