Iowa Hosts Hampton on Sunday

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THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team (1-0) returns to the court on Sunday, hosting Hampton (0-1). Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for youth (ages 18 & under). UI students will be admitted free of charge. 

PROMOTIONS

• Sunday’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 500 fans in attendance will receive a free rally towel. 
• Sunday is also the Military Appreciation Game. 

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. 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.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG  

• Sunday’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 Sunday’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. 

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. 

SCOUTING HAMPTON

• Sunday marks the first ever meeting between Hampton and Iowa. 
• The Lady Pirates fell to Northwestern, 67-48, on Friday night in Evanston, Illinois.  
• Junior guard/forward Monnazjea Finney-Smith led the team with 16 points against Northwestern. 
• Hampton is 1-7 all-time against the Big Ten conference, including 1-1 against Maryland, 0-1 against Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin, and 0-3 against Northwestern. 
• The Lady Pirates were picked to finish third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Hampton finished third with an 11-5 MEAC record last season. 
• Malia Tate-DeFreitas was named the MEAC’s Preseason Player of the Year. The two-time MEAC Player of the Year (2014-15; 2015-16) was also named Rookie of the Year in 2013-14. 
• Hampton played to a 14-17 overall record and a 11-5 mark in the MEAC last season. 
• The Lady Pirates are coached David Six. In seven seasons, Six is 160-65 overall and his .711 winning percentage is the second-highest in program history. 

HAWKEYES DOWN ORAL ROBERTS IN SEASON OPENER

• The Hawkeyes defeated Oral Roberts, 96-76 in their season opener on Friday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
• Senior Ally Disterhoft and sophomore Megan Gustafson combined to make 19-of-24 from the floor and 16-of-19 from the line. 
• The Hawkeyes shot 50 percent from the field (34-of-68). Disterhoft made 9-of-10 field goals, while Gustafson was 10-of-14 and sophomore Tania Davis was 6-of-10. 
• Disterhoft netted a career-high 29 points, and Gustafson tied her personal best with 25 points. 
• The Hawkeyes improved to 33-10 all-time in season openers. 
• Iowa is now 17-0 in season openers under head coach Lisa Bluder. 

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

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. 

MOVIN’ ON UP 
After netting a career-high 29 points in Iowa’s season opener against Oral Roberts on Nov. 11, senior Ally Disterhoft moved past former Hawkeye Samantha Logic into 10th on Iowa’s all-time career scoring list. Disterhoft has 1,571 career points and is 488 points from tying Iowa’s all-time scoring record of 2,059 set by Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). Disterhoft also ranks 12th all-time in 3-point field goals (116), 14th in career blocks (55), and 16th in rebounds (616). 

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. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson registered the 10th double-double (25 points, 12 boards) of her career in Iowa’s season opener against Oral Roberts on Nov. 11. 
• Gustafson has registered a double-double in 10 of her last 14 games dating back to last season. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native tied career highs in points (25), field goals made (10), and free throws made (5) in Iowa’s season opener against Oral Roberts. 
• 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. 

THE PLATOON SYSTEM 

• Head coach Lisa Bluder has utilized Iowa’s depth with the platoon system this season. 
• Nine Hawkeyes played at least 13 minutes in Friday’s season opener against Oral Roberts, while six Hawkeyes played 19 or more minutes. 
• Nine student-athletes recorded at least one field goal in the contest. 

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). 
• Meyer and Cera each got the starting nod in Iowa’s season opener against Oral Roberts on Nov. 11. Meyer netted six points and three assists in her Hawkeye debut, while Cera tallied five boards and was a force on defense. 

CALL ON ME

• Senior Ally Disterhoft has netted double figures 79 of her 85 career starts. 
• The Iowa City, Iowa, native has started 85 consecutive games and appeared in every game of her Hawkeye career (104). 
• Disterhoft led the team with a career-high 29 points in Iowa’s season opener against Oral Roberts on Nov. 11. She also registered seven boards, two blocks, an assist and a steal in 27 minutes of play. 
• Disterhoft’s 29 points against Oral Roberts moved her past former Hawkeye Samantha Logic into 10th on Iowa’s all-time career scoring list. She has netted 1,571 points her career. 
• Last season, Disterhoft became the program’s highest scoring junior, netting 565 points to break Michelle Edwards’ record of 564 points in 1986-87. 

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.
• 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.

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 324-188 (.633) overall record and a 160-106 Big Ten record at Iowa. In her 32 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 680-330 (.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
The Hawkeyes will hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to North Dakota on Nov. 16. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) in Grand Forks, North Dakota.