No. 16 Iowa Hosts Minnesota on Senior Day

Feb. 28, 2015

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Game Notes: Minnesota

THE SETTING:
The 16th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team (22-6, 13-4) hosts Minnesota (22-7, 11-6) for Senior Day on Sunday. Tipoff for the regular season finale is set for 2 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

WATCH THE ACTION:
Sunday’s contest will be broadcast live on BTN and BTN2Go. Eric Collins and Shelley Till will call the action. Iowa is 18-2 when playing on BTN since the start of last season.

AUDIO COVERAGE:
Brent Balbinot and Kristi Faulkner 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. Faulkner ranks 21st in program history in scoring (1,242).

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:
? The Hawkeyes are 15-0 at home this season, tying the program record for home wins in a single season. Iowa finished 15-0 in 1992-93, and advanced to the NCAA Final Four that season. The Hawkeyes have finished undefeated at home four times (1987-88, 14-0; 1988-89, 14-0; 1992-93, 15-0; 1995-96, 14-0).
? The University of Iowa will honor seniors Melissa Dixon, Bethany Doolittle, Samantha Logic, and Kathryn Reynolds following the conclusion of the game. The #CourFour is Iowa’s winningest graduating class in 21 years, in terms of total victories over four seasons.
? Iowa is ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press Top-25 poll and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Iowa has been ranked in all 16 weeks this season.
? Iowa’s NCAA RPI (Feb. 28) is No. 8. Iowa is 11-5 against teams in the top 55 of the RPI.
? Iowa has won 10-straight regular season home finales.
? Samantha Logic and Ally Disterhoft were both named Academic All-Americans, representing 2-of-15 student-athletes nationally to earn the honor.
? Logic, the NCAA’s active career assists leader (831), is the first player in NCAA history to record at least 1,400 career points, 800 rebounds, 800 assists, and 200 steals.
? 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 eighth nationally this season (79.4).
? Iowa is the only Big Ten team, and one of only 14 teams in the country, to appear in the last seven NCAA Tournaments. There are 349 Division I teams.

#COREFOUR:
? The University of Iowa will honor seniors Melissa Dixon, Bethany Doolittle, Samantha Logic, and Kathryn Reynolds following the conclusion of the game.
? The group has led Iowa to 89 victories over the last four seasons, and the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years.
? The #CoreFour is Iowa’s winningest (89 wins in four years) graduating class in 21 years, in terms of total victories. The 1994 class had 94 total wins. The 1990 class holds the record with 105 wins in four seasons.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA:
? Minnesota is 22-7 overall and 11-6 in league play.
? Minnesota is 7-4 on the road this season, and 4-4 away from home in league play.
? Four Gophers are averaging double figures: Rachel Banham (18.6), Amanda Zahui (18.3), Shae Kelley (16.7), and Carlie Wagner (12.1). Banham is sidelined for the remainder of the season due to injury.
? Minnesota is coached by Marlene Stollings. She is in her first season.

SERIES HISTORY/NOTES:
? The Hawkeyes are 47-24 all-time against Minnesota, and 23-5 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? Minnesota defeated Iowa in the first meeting this season in Minneapolis on Feb. 17, 93-80.
? Iowa swept the season series against the Gophers last season, winning in Iowa City (78-71) and in Minneapolis (64-56).
? Iowa has won the last six meetings against Minnesota in Iowa City.
? The Hawkeyes have won six of the last eight against Minnesota.
? Three Hawkeyes — freshman Chase Coley (Minneapolis), senior Bethany Doolittle (Oakdale), junior Kali Peschel (Sauk Centre) — hail from the state of Minnesota.

300 AT IOWA:
? Head coach Lisa Bluder has led the Hawkeyes to 300 wins in her 15 seasons at the helm of the program. She earned her 300th victory at Iowa on Feb. 26 vs. Wisconsin (78-74).
? Two other coaches have won 300 or more games while at a Big Ten school (as a member of the conference): Karen Langeland, Michigan State (376 wins) and Rene Portland, Penn State (335 wins).
? Iowa logged its 20th victory of the season on Feb. 12 at Nebraska. It is the team’s quickest 20-win season since 1995-96.
? Bluder has led Iowa to three consecutive 20-win seasons and eight overall. Iowa has won at least 20 games in seven of the last eight years.
? Bluder owns a 300-172 (.637) mark at Iowa and a 656-314 (.677) overall record in 31 seasons as a head coach.

DISTERHOFT, LOGIC NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS:
? Ally Disterhoft and Samantha Logic have been named Capital One Academic All-Americans.
? The Hawkeye duo has been named to the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I third team.
? Disterhoft, a business major, and Logic, a health and human physiology and sports studies major, account for two of the 15 honorees, and represent two of the three honorees from the Big Ten.
? Iowa is the only Division I school in the nation to have two honorees.
? Disterhoft is the only sophomore to earn the accolade.

HAWKEYES AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA:
? The Hawkeyes are 364-101 (.781) all-time inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and 11-6 in NCAA Tournament games. Iowa is 104-23 in its last 127 games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? The Hawkeyes are 15-0 at home this season, tying the program record for home wins in a single season.
? Iowa finished 15-0 in 1992-93, and advanced to the NCAA Final Four that season.
? Iowa has won 18-straight regular season home games dating back to last year.
? Iowa last finished undefeated at home during the 1995-96 season (14-0). The Hawkeyes have finished undefeated at home four times (1987-88, 14-0; 1988-89, 14-0; 1992-93, 15-0; 1995-96, 14-0).
? The Hawkeyes are 29-4 at home over the last two years.

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 11 upper-division finishes in the Big Ten in 15 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 three times, third twice, fourth once, and seventh once.

LOGIC NAMED LIEBERMAN AWARD FINALIST FOR 2ND-STRAIGHT YEAR:
Senior point guard Samantha Logic has been named a finalist for the 2015 Nancy Lieberman Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Feb. 23. It marks the second-straight year Logic has been named a finalist. 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.

WBCA HONORS BLUDER WITH 2015 CAROL ECKMAN AWARD:
? Lisa Bluder is the winner of the 2015 Carol Eckman Award, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Feb. 19.
? The Carol Eckman Award is presented annually to an active WBCA member coach who exemplifies Eckman’s spirit, integrity and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose. The award is named in honor of the late Carol Eckman, the former West Chester State College coach, who is considered the “Mother of the Women’s Collegiate Basketball Championship.” Eckman organized the first women’s basketball championship at West Chester in 1969, and continued to garner recognition and support for the women’s game until her death from cancer in 1985.

#LOGICALCHOICE:
? Hawkeye guard Samantha Logic was named one of 10 finalists for the 2014-15 Senior CLASS Award on Feb. 12.
? Nationwide fan voting has begun to select the winner at seniorclassaward.com. Fans can vote for Logic — the #LogicalChoice — once per day on every device until March 23.
? The Racine, Wisconsin, native is the lone finalist from the Big Ten Conference.
? An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
? To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

BEST START SINCE…:
The Hawkeyes have enjoyed their best start in Big Ten play since the 1997-98 season, and their best start overall since the 1995-96 season. The Hawkeyes finished 27-4 overall and 15-1 in Big Ten action that year while advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

FUN FACTS:
? Iowa is 49-15 overall since the start of last season (27-9 last year; 22-6 this year).
? The Hawkeyes enter Sunday’s game ranked No. 8 in the NCAA RPI.
? Iowa is 11-5 against teams in the top 55 of the RPI.
? Iowa is 20-3 this season when scoring 70 or more points, and 2-3 when failing to reach the 70-point plateau.
? The Hawkeyes are 14-1 when registering more steals than their opponent this year, and 16-3 when recording fewer turnovers.
? Iowa ranks seventh nationally in assists per game. The Hawkeyes are 15-2 when notching more assists than their opponent.
? The Hawkeyes are sixth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (38.3%), ninth in field goal percentage (45.6%), eighth in scoring offense (79.4), eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.34), and 20th in 3-pointers per game (8.0).

THE TOP 3-POINT SHOOTER IN THE LAND:
? Iowa senior Melissa Dixon is second nationally in 3-point field goals per game, averaging 3.61. Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 3.69.
? Dixon is second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally in 3-point percentage (43.5%).
? Dixon has made 101 in 28 games, while Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell has made 107 in 29 games. No other player in the country has converted more than 86. Dixon has attempted 232 3-pointers this year, and Mitchell has attempted 285.
? Dixon is third in Big Ten history with 311 career 3-pointers.
? 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.
? 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.
? Dixon finished 9-of-10 from 3-point range in Iowa’s 102-99 win at Northwestern (Jan. 29).

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 (1,456 points) ranks 11th on Iowa’s all-time scoring list. Kamille Wahlin is 10th (1,483).
? Senior Melissa Dixon (1,387 points) is 14th.
? 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 1,257 career points to rank 20th.
? Sophomore Ally Disterhoft has 907 career points. She tallied 474 in 36 games as a freshman last year (13.2 per game), and is averaging 15.5 points per game this season.

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS:
? Samantha Logic (840 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 is third in assists in Big Ten history. Nancy Kennelly of Northwestern is second (892) and Ohio State’s Samantha Prahalis is first (901).
? Melissa Dixon is Iowa’s career record holder for 3-pointers (311). She is third in Big Ten history. Kelly Mazzante of Penn State is second (357), while Maggie Lucas of Penn State is the Big Ten record holder (365).
? Bethany Doolittle is second all-time in program history with 251 career blocks. Morgan Johnson is first with 293.

IOWA RANKED FOR THE 16TH-STRAIGHT WEEK THIS SEASON:
? Iowa is No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press Top-25 poll and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Iowa has been ranked in each of the first 16 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), week 9 (17/17), week 10 (22/21), week 11 (20/18), week 12 (20/17), week 13 (16/17), week 14 (14/13), week 15 (13/11), and week 16 (17/16).
? It marks the longest Iowa has been ranked since being ranked for 18-straight weeks during the 1995-96 season.
? Iowa’s No. 11 ranking during week 15 marked its highest in the USA Today Coaches poll since the 1996-97 season.
? In the AP Poll, Maryland is No. 5, followed by Iowa (No. 17), Rutgers (No. 20), and Northwestern (No. 25). Minnesota, Nebraska, 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.

NCAA STREAK BEST IN BIG TEN:
Iowa is the only Big Ten team, and one of only 14 teams in the country, to appear in the last seven NCAA Tournaments. There are 349 Division I teams.

Iowa is 1-of-21 teams to advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons. The Hawkeyes, a No. 6 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, defeated 11th-seeded Marist in the First Round, 87-65, marking the fourth-largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.

ANOTHER TOP ATTENDANCE YEAR:
Iowa currently ranks 16th in average attendance (4,912) and 16th in total attendance (73,680). Iowa ranked 22nd in the country in attendance last season, averaging 4,395 fans per contest. Last year marked the fourth-straight season that Iowa has ranked inside the top 25 in attendance. The Hawkeyes were 19th in attendance in each of the previous two years, and were 13th in 2010.

IOWA HISTORY:
Iowa has played 1,196 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa’s overall record is 741-455 (.620). That includes a 372-187 (.667) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 364-101 (.781) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWAWBB.COM:
Check out the Iowa women’s basketball team’s website, iowawbb.com, devoted to everything on-and-off-the-court surrounding the program. Iowawbb.com, allows fans a chance to go behind the scenes with the Hawkeye basketball program. The site is complete with exclusive videos, photo galleries, and content featuring the basketball program.

UP NEXT:
The Hawkeyes travel to Hoffman Estates, Illinois, to compete in the 2015 Big Ten Tournament. Iowa will receive a double-bye and play Friday in the quarterfinals. Time and opponent will be announced at the conclusion of the regular season. The game will be broadcast live on BTN.