Iowa WBB Set for Season Opener on Friday

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THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team (0-0) opens the 2016-17 season Friday night against Oral Roberts (0-0). Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $12 for adults and free for youth (18 and under) and UI students. 

PROMOTIONS

• Friday’s contest is the first game of a doubleheader with Iowa men’s basketball. Fans who wish to stay for the men’s game are asked to sit above row 25 in sections I-K. 
• The first 200 fans in attendance will receive a free mini basketball. Friday is also Dance Marathon Night. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG  

• Friday’s contest will be streamed live on BTN Plus. To see if your cable package gives you access to BTN Plus content, sign up for BTN Plus, or learn more about it, visit btn2go.com. 
• Live stats are available on the Iowa women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com. 

AUDIO COVERAGE 

• Rob Brooks and Jamie Cavey Lang will call Friday’s game on Hawkeye All-Access. A link to the broadcast is available on the women’s basketball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. 
• Brooks has been Iowa football’s sideline announcer since 2004-05 season. He has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television. 
• Lang lettered at Iowa from 2002-05. She finished her Hawkeye career with 1,265 points and 506 rebounds and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. 

FRIDAY PARKING 

• Public parking will not be available in Lots 33 and 75, as these lots will be reserved for men’s basketball parking pass holders that will be displaced from their regular lot by women’s basketball and football RV parking pass holders. Public parking will be available free of charge in Lots 65 (Finkbine Commuter), 43N, 43W, and 43NW. Hospital Ramps 3, 4, and the Newton Road Ramp will also be available at the applicable hourly rate. 
• ADA parking will be available in Lot 33. Entry requires display of a valid, state-issued ADA placard (no fee) and can only be accessed through Dental Drive (no access off Hawkins Drive.

SEASON TICKETS 
Season tickets are on sale for the 2016-17 Iowa women’s basketball season. General public season tickets are $100. UI faculty/staff can purchase tickets for $80. Senior tickets are also $80, while youth season tickets (18 or younger) are $25. UI students are admitted free to women’s basketball games. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting the ticket office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at hawkeyesports.com. 

SEASON OPENER

• The Hawkeyes are 32-10 all-time in season openers. 
• Iowa is 16-0 in season openers under head coach Lisa Bluder. 
• The Hawkeyes defeated North Dakota, 83-61, in their season opener in Iowa City last year. 

HAWKEYES DOWN LEWIS IN EXHIBITION

• All 13 available Hawkeyes saw action in Iowa’s 61-35 exhibition victory over Lewis University of Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Nov. 6. Nine of the 13 Hawkeyes who saw action made at least one field goal. 
• Sophomore Megan Gustafson registered a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards. She shot 8-of-9 from the field. 
• Senior Ally Disterhoft netted 15 points in the contest, shooting 7-of-8 from the field. 
• Ten Hawkeyes registered 10 or more minutes of playing time. 
• Iowa shot 46 percent (29-of-63) from the field in the contest and held Lewis to 25.9 percent (14-of-54). 
• The Hawkeyes out-rebounded the Flyers, 54-24, and collected 20 offensive boards. 

SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS

• Friday marks the first ever meeting between Oral Roberts and Iowa. 
• The Golden Eagles defeated Rogers State, 77-60, Saturday, Nov. 5 in exhibition action. 
• Senior Kaylan Mayberry scored 25 points for the Golden Eagles, while sophomore Maria Martianez recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. 
• Junior Faith Ihim returns to the Golden Eagles this season after earning the Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year award last season. She tallied nine points and four boards in the team’s exhibition contest. 
• Oral Roberts played to a 14-16 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the Summit League last season. The Golden Eagles return four starters this season. 
• The Golden Eagles are coached by Misti Cussen. In five seasons with Oral Roberts, Cussen owns a 59-65 record. She led Oral Roberts to 2013 Southland Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Cussen previously spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach prior to being named head coach on April 27, 2012. 

TICKETS FOR HEROES
The University of Iowa Athletics Ticket Office is offering the opportunity for fans to purchase and donate basketball tickets to active duty and veteran military members, law enforcement officials and firefighters, through the “Tickets for Heroes” program.
    This opportunity will honor heroes by providing tickets at no cost when Iowa hosts a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader on Military Appreciation Day, set for Sunday, Nov. 13. Basketball tickets purchased to donate are priced at $12. 
    Fans who are interested in purchasing and donating tickets for Military Appreciation Day, may use the promotion code TICKETS4HEROES at hawkeyesports.com/tickets. Fans may also contact Rachael Bedell at the UI Athletics Ticket Office (319-384-4299), Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RECEIVING VOTES

• Iowa is receiving three votes in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll. Three Big Ten teams are ranked in the poll, including No. 5 Maryland, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 22 Michigan State, and Indiana (51), Michigan (10), Northwestern (7), and Iowa (3) are receiving votes. 
• Three Big Ten teams are included in the Preseason Associated Press Top 25. They include No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 Ohio State, and No. 23 Indiana. Michigan State is receiving 78 votes in the poll. 

DISTERHOFT EARNS PRESEASON HONOR 
Senior Ally Disterhoft was named Preseason All-Big Ten by the coaches and media, the Big Ten Conference announced Oct. 24. The Iowa City, Iowa, native was a second team All-Big Ten selection in 2015 and 2016 and an honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree in 2014. She was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Big Ten All-Tournament team in 2014. 

A SHOT AT HISTORY 
Ally Disterhoft has netted 1,542 points in her career — a mark that ranks 11th on Iowa’s all-time list. The senior is 517 points away from tying Iowa’s all-time scoring record of 2,059 set by former Hawkeye Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). Disterhoft also ranks 12th on all-time in 3-point field goals (116), 14th in career blocks (53), and 18th (609) in rebounds. 

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA ENHANCEMENTS
The Iowa Athletic Department upgraded Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s video boards, sound system, lighting, digital scorestable displays, and playing surface this past summer. 
    A new four-sided centerhung video system is the centerpiece of the installation. The two main centerhung displays measure approximately 14.5 feet high by 26 feet wide and the other two centerhung displays measure 9.5 feet high by 16.5 feet wide. The project also upgraded the auxiliary displays located near the ceiling at each side of the arena.

RETURNING EXPERIENCE

• Iowa returns four of its five starters from last season in senior Ally Disterhoft, junior Chase Coley, and sophomores Tania Davis and Megan Gustafson. 
• Senior Ally Disterhoft garnered second team All-Big Ten accolades by coaches and media for the second consecutive season and received Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award. The preseason All-Big Ten pick by coaches and media scored in double figures in every game last season and in 78 of her 84 consecutive starts. 
• Tania Davis and Megan Gustafson were named to the 2016 Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
• Davis was one of two Big Ten freshmen to lead her team in assists per game (3.4) and average at least one steal per game (1.2) last season. She has dished out 111 assists in 33 games played, the second-highest total recorded by a freshman at Iowa (Samantha Logic; 136). 
• Gustafson was the only freshman and one of three players in the conference overall to lead her team in field goal percentage (.554), rebounds (225), and blocks (58) last season. 
• Chase Coley averaged 11.1 points per game last season — the second highest mark on the team. The junior compiled 365 points, 194 rebounds, 53 assists, 37 blocks, and 24 steals in her sophomore campaign to receive Iowa’s Most Improved Award. 

QUALITY YOUTH

• Iowa’s freshman class was ranked No. 7 nationally by Blue Star — the highest ranked recruiting class for head coach Lisa Bluder and her staff. 
• Iowa’s freshmen class consists of Bre Cera (2016 Journal Sentinel Player of the Year), Kathleen Doyle (Illinois Miss Basketball), Makenzie Meyer (Iowa Miss Basketball), Amanda Ollinger (2016 Gazette Female Athlete of the Year), and Alexis Sevellian (finalist for Michigan Miss Basketball). 

HAWKEYES CONTINUE POSTSEASON STREAK

• Iowa made its ninth straight postseason appearance (8 NCAA, 1 WNIT) with an at-large bid to the WNIT in 2016.
• The Hawkeyes were selected to host a first round contest inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but made an early exit, falling to Ball State, 77-72.
• Following the loss, Iowa is 7-3 all-time in the WNIT and 3-1 in games played in Iowa City.
• Iowa was one of six Big Ten Conference teams (Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers) and one of three teams from Iowa (Drake, UNI) to be included in the WNIT field of 64.

CALL ON ME

• Ally Disterhoft averaged a team-leading 36.6 minutes per contest last season. 
• The senior led Iowa in points per game (17.1) last season, scoring double figures in every game. 
• She became the program’s highest scoring junior last season, netting 565 points to break Michelle Edwards’ record of 564 points in 1986-87. 
• Disterhoft has played in every game of her collegiate career with 84 consecutive starts. She has netted double figures in 78 of her 84 career starts. 
• The Iowa City, Iowa, native closed the 2015-16 season with a .535 field goal percentage, a team-best .413 3-point field goal percentage and a .727 free throw percentage. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• In the last 13 games of the 2015-16 season, Megan Gustafson posted nine double-doubles — the first of her career.
• The sophomore recorded double-doubles against Michigan (12 rebounds, 10 points), at Northwestern (15 points, 13 rebounds), at Indiana (12 points, 10 rebounds), Ohio State (13 points, 11 rebounds), at Minnesota (14 points, 19 rebounds), at Penn State (15 points, 11 rebounds), and Illinois (16 points, 10 rebounds) in the regular season. She also added 25 points and 10 boards against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament and 22 points and 12 boards against Ball State in the first round of the WNIT. 
• Following the 2015-16 campaign, Gustafson was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. She led league freshmen in blocks (58), was second rebounding (225), and fourth in scoring (352). She was one of just two freshmen in the conference to lead their team in rebounds. 

HOUSTON SIGNS WITH IOWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 
Jinaya Houston has inked a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Iowa, UI head coach Lisa Bluder announced Wednesday.
     Houston, a 6-1 guard from Davenport, Iowa, attends Davenport North High School where she is coached by Rob O’Brien. Houston is a three-time all-state, all-metro, and all-conference honoree and a two-time all-district selection.
     “We are thrilled to have Jinaya join our team next year,” said Bluder. “She is an incredible basketball player that plays either forward position. Jinaya can handle the ball, shoot the 3, and play good defense.  She has grown up in the state as a Hawkeye fan and it is wonderful to see this dream become a reality.”
    As a junior, Houston guided her high school team to a 20-3 overall record and its first state tournament appearance in school history. The second-year team captain averaged 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game her junior campaign.
     The 2015-16 Mississippi Athletic Conference Player of the Year was named first team all-state by the Iowa Newspaper Association and second team all-state by the Iowa Coaches Association. She earned all-metro co-captain, all-district, Chicago Showcase Player of the Game, Des Moines Register Elite 8 accolades, and was a finalist for the Quad City Times Female Athlete of the Year.
     As a sophomore, Houston averaged 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, two steals, and one block per game to help her team to a 17-5 overall record in its first year as a 5A institution. The first-year team captain collected first team all-conference and all-metro accolades following the season. She was also a second team all-state honoree (Iowa Newspaper Association) and a second team Sports Spotlight selection in the state of Iowa.
     Houston was named third team all-state by the Iowa Newspaper Association, second team all-metro, and first team all-conference as a freshman. She averaged 17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block per game her freshman campaign.  

THE BLUDER FILE

• Head coach Lisa Bluder begins her 17th season at the helm of the Iowa women’s basketball program this season. She owns a 323-188 (.632) overall record and a 160-106 Big Ten record at Iowa. In her 32 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 679-330 (.673).
• Bluder is one of 14 active Division I coaches to collect 675 or more career wins.
• The head Hawkeye is second in career Big Ten wins (160) and in total wins among Big Ten coaches. She trails only C. Vivian Stringer who has compiled 189 Big Ten wins and 971 career wins.
• Bluder ranks third all-time among all Big Ten coaches with 160 conference victories.

ACADEMIC PROWESS

• Ally Disterhoft was named Academic All-America of the Year for Division I women’s basketball and a CoSIDA first team Academic All-American last season. Disterhoft became the only junior to earn first team Academic All-America recognition and owned the top GPA (4.03) of all Academic All-Americans this year.
• Christina Buttenham, Ally Disterhoft, Alexa Kastanek, and Hailey Schneden, earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition following the 2015-16 season. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten, student-athletes must be letterwinners and be in at least their second academic year at the institution. They must also carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.
• In 2014-15, Iowa was the only program to have two Academic All-Americans in Disterhoft and Samantha Logic. There were 15 total honorees.

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 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
Iowa returns to the court on Sunday, Nov. 13, when it hosts Hampton. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.