No. 17 Iowa Returns Home to Host Purdue

Jan. 10, 2015

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Game Notes: Purdue

THE SETTING:
The 17th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team (11-3, 2-1) hosts Purdue (9-6, 2-2) on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

TICKETS:
Single game women’s basketball tickets are $12 for adults. Youth — high school-aged and younger — are admitted free to all weekday games, including Friday night games. Youth tickets for weekend games cost $8. Youth — five years old and younger — are admitted free to all games. UI students are admitted free with student ID. Tickets are available by visiting the ticket office at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at hawkeyesports.com.

PROMOTIONS:
? Pack the House! and Whiteout; all fans are encouraged to wear white.
? The first 1,000 fans will receive free rally towels.
? It is Dollar Dog Day, Girl Scout Day, and Linn County Day, and the Hawkeyes will sign autographs after the game.

WATCH THE ACTION:
Sunday’s contest will be broadcast live on BTN and BTN2Go. Lisa Byington and Stephanie White 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 11th season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her 10th providing analysis.

FOLLOW THE ACTION:
Hawkeye fans can also follow the game via live stats (Gametracker). The link can be accessed on the women’s basketball schedule page of hawkeyesports.com. Follow @iowawbb on Twitter for live game updates.

QUICK HITS:
? Iowa is 8-0 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season, and 97-23 in its last 120 home games.
? Iowa is ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press Top-25 poll and No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Iowa’s NCAA RPI is 23.
? The Hawkeyes and Boilermakers split two meetings last season, as Purdue won at home (74-73) and Iowa won in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament (87-80).
? Iowa has won four of the last five meetings in the series.
? The Hawkeyes have won three-straight games against Purdue in Iowa City.
? Senior Melissa Dixon was named to this week’s Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll after making six 3-pointers (6-of-10) in the win at No. 16 Rutgers on Jan. 4. She surpassed Lindsey Meder (261) for the most 3-pointers in program history.
? Dixon converted eight 3-pointers at Illinois (Jan. 8), the most ever by a women’s basketball player in Champaign, Ill. She moved into fifth on the Big Ten’s all-time list (271).
? Dixon made 10 3-pointers (10-of-14) in Iowa’s 100-98 win at Drake on Dec. 21, setting a new school record. The previous school record was seven, accomplished five times in program history, twice by Dixon. The NCAA and Big Ten record for 3-pointers in a single game is 12.
? Iowa ranks second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (41.6%). Melissa Dixon leads the nation in 3-pointers/game (4.36).
? Iowa set the school record for scoring offense (78.2) last season, leading the league in scoring while notching the second-most points in a season in Big Ten history (2,814). The Hawkeyes rank 12th nationally this season (80.1).
? Ally Disterhoft has scored in double figures in 28 of her 31 career starts. Iowa is 24-7 when Disterhoft starts.
? Iowa senior Samantha Logic, the NCAA’s active career assists leader (716), ranks sixth in assists in Big Ten history. Penn State’s Jess Strom is fifth with 776 career assists.

SCOUTING PURDUE:
? Purdue is 9-6 overall, and 2-2 in Big Ten play.
? The Boilermakers are 2-2 on the road, and 1-1 on the road in conference play, winning at Illinois (62-55) and falling at Maryland (88-64).
? Two Boilermakers are averaging double figures: Whitney Bays (14.9) and Ashley Morrissette (11.4).
? Purdue is coached by Sharon Versyp. She is in her ninth season.

SERIES HISTORY:
? Purdue leads the all-time series, 35-30.
? The Hawkeyes and Boilermakers split two meetings last season, as Purdue won at home (74-73) and Iowa won in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament (87-80).
? Iowa has won four of the last five meetings in the series.
? The Hawkeyes have won the last three meetings in Iowa City.

THE NATION’S LEADING 3-POINT SHOOTER:
? Iowa senior Melissa Dixon leads the nation in 3-point shooting, averaging 4.36 3-pointers per game, nearly one more 3-pointer than any other player. Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell is second nationally (3.5).
? Dixon has drained 29 3-pointers over the last four games (10 at Drake, 5 vs. Penn State, 6 at Rutgers, 8 at Illinois).
? Dixon made six 3-pointers (6-of-10) in the win at Rutgers on Jan. 4, surpassing Lindsey Meder (261) for the most in Iowa history.
? Dixon ranks fifth in Big Ten history with 271 career 3-pointers.
? She scored 31 points in Iowa’s win at Drake on Dec. 21, making 10 3-pointers (10-of-14), setting a new school record. The previous school record was seven, accomplished five times in program history, twice by Dixon; the NCAA and Big Ten record for 3-pointers in a single game is 12.

IOWA PREVAILS AT RUTGERS IN MATCHUP OF TOP-20 TEAMS:
? Iowa won at No. 16 Rutgers on Jan. 4, 79-72, to move to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play. Iowa led for over 33 minutes.
? Samantha Logic recorded six assists, surpassing Nebraska’s Lindsey Moore for sixth in Big Ten history.
? The matchup featured the two winningest coaches in Iowa history, Lisa Bluder and C. Vivian Stringer.

1,000-POINT CLUB:
Four members of this year’s team have reached, or have the potential to reach 1,000 career points this season.
? Senior Samantha Logic (1,248 points) ranks 18th on Iowa’s all-time scoring list. Jamie Cavey is 17th (1,265).
? Senior Melissa Dixon (1,204 points) is 22nd. Lisa Long is 21st (1,230).
? Senior Bethany Doolittle became the 33rd member of Iowa’s 1,000-point club in the Hawkeyes’ win over Penn State on Dec. 28. She has 1,025 career points.
? Sophomore Ally Disterhoft has 681 career points. She tallied 474 in 36 games as a freshman last year (13.2 per game), and is averaging 14.8 points per game this season.

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS:
? Samantha Logic (716 career assists) surpassed Cara Consuegra (1997-2001; 576) as Iowa’s all-time assists leader during Iowa’s win at Illinois on March 2, 2014, during the 2013-14 regular season finale. She ranks sixth in Big Ten history. Jess Strom of Penn State (776) is fifth, while Helen Darling of Penn State is fourth (791).
? Melissa Dixon is Iowa’s career record holder for 3-pointers (271). She ranks fifth in Big Ten history. Amber Moore of Illinois is fourth (293), and Lindsay Bowen of Michigan State is third (294). Kelly Mazzante of Penn State is second (357), while Maggie Lucas of Penn State is the Big Ten record holder (365).
? Bethany Doolittle is third all-time in program history with 215 career blocks. Tangela Smith is second with 235.

IOWA RANKED FOR THE 9TH-STRAIGHT WEEK THIS SEASON:
Iowa is No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press Top-25 poll and No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Iowa has been ranked in each of the first nine weeks this year: preseason (19/19), week 2 (18/18), week 3 (17/16), week 4 (22/19), week 5 (24/24), week 6 (23/24), week 7 (23/20), week 8 (20/20), and week 9 (17/17).

In the AP Poll, Maryland is the highest-ranked Big Ten team (No. 12), followed by Iowa (No. 17), Nebraska (No. 19), Minnesota (No. 23), and Rutgers (No. 24). Northwestern and Ohio State are receiving votes.

The Hawkeyes finished the 2013-14 season ranked 19th in the AP Top-25 poll, and 26th (receiving votes) in the USA Today Coaches poll. Iowa was ranked for eight weeks last season in the AP poll, and received votes in nine additional weeks.

HAWKEYES IN BIG TEN PLAY:
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder is a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2001, 2008 and 2010). She has guided Iowa to 10 upper-division finishes in the Big Ten in 14 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. The Hawkeyes clinched a share of the title in 2008 with a win at Wisconsin in the regular season finale (March 2, 2008).

Since the 2008 season, Iowa has finished first once, second twice, third twice, fourth once, and seventh once.

HAWKEYES AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA:
The Hawkeyes are 357-101 (.778) all-time inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and 11-6 in NCAA Tournament games. Iowa went 14-4 at home last season, and is 97-23 in its last 120 games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes are 8-0 at home this season.

Iowa’s 14 home wins a year ago equaled the second-highest single-season total in program history. The 14 wins were the most in Iowa City since the Hawkeyes finished 14-0 in the 1995-96 season. Iowa also won 14 home games in 1988-89 (14-0), 1987-88 (14-0), 1986-87 (14-1), 1985-86 (14-1). The program record for home wins is 15, as the Hawkeyes finished 15-0 in 1992-93. Iowa advanced to the NCAA Final Four that season.

UP NEXT:
Iowa hosts Northwestern on Wednesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT).