Iowa Hosts Nebraska on NYE

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THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team (9-5) hosts Nebraska (4-9) in its Big Ten home opener on Saturday, Dec. 31. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  

WATCH/LISTEN

• Saturday’s contest will be streamed live on BTN Plus. Links can be found on the Iowa women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com. 
• Jim Albracht and Jamie Cavey Lang will have the call on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Links to the broadcast are available on the women’s basketball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.

PROMOTIONS
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Iowa basketball cooler bag. 

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 NEBRASKA

• Nebraska enters Saturday’s contest with a 4-9 overall record and an 0-1 mark in Big Ten play. 
• The Cornhuskers dropped their Big Ten opener to Northwestern (62-58) on Wednesday in Lincoln, Nebraska. 
• Sophomore forward Jessica Shepard leads Nebraska in both scoring (17.9) and rebounding (10.8). 
• Shepard ranks 10th in the nation and second in the Big Ten Conference in defensive rebounds per game (8). She also ranks 15th in rebounds (126), 17th in double-doubles (6), 19th in rebounds per game (10.5), and 20th in field goal attempts (200). 
• The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers have each played Drake this season. Nebraska fell to Drake, 84-70, in Lincoln, Nebraska on Dec. 6, while Iowa dropped an, 81-76, decision to the Bulldogs on Dec. 18 in Des Moines, Iowa. 
• The Huskers are led by first-year head coach Amy Williams. She was a four-year letterwinner at Nebraska from 1995-98. Williams previously coached at South Dakota where she led the Coyotes to four consecutive postseason tournament appearances. 

THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 12-11. 
• The Hawkeyes won the lone meeting between the two teams last season. Iowa defeated Nebraska, 74-68, in Lincoln. Nebraska last season. Senior Ally Disterhoft (17), junior Chase Coley (16), and Lincoln, Nebraska, native Alexa Kastanek (13) all scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes, while Disterhoft pulled down a team-high 11 boards. 
• Iowa has won the last four meetings between the two teams, including one win last season and three wins in 2014-15 (at Iowa, at Nebraska, Big Ten Tournament). 

MARGIN OF VICTORY 

• Iowa has won by 20 or more points six times this season, including wins against Oral Roberts (96-76), Hampton (84-51), Massachusetts (71-30), Northern Iowa (88-39), Robert Morris (81-60), and Kent State (83-48). 
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 77.4 points per game and holding their opponents to 63.1 (+14.4). 

DOUBLE THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson and senior Ally Disterhoft each registered double-doubles against Illinois on Dec. 28. 
• Gustafson led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed a game-high 13 boards to register her eighth double-double of the season and the 17th of her career. 
• Disterhoft netted 11 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. It marked her first double-double of the season and the seventh of her career. 

ON THE BOARDS

• The Hawkeyes have out rebounded their opponents in 10-of-14 games this season. 
• Iowa owns a rebounding margin of +7.2. 
• The Hawkeyes won the rebounding battle at Illinois, 46-28, on Dec. 28. 
• Iowa has out rebounded opponents by 15 or more boards six times this season, including games gainst Oral Roberts (+19), Hampton (+19), UMASS (+15), UNI (+20), Robert Morris (+17), and Illinois (+18). 

UNSELFISH BASKETBALL 

• The Hawkeyes rank second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally in assists (259). Iowa also ranks second in the conference and 14th in the NCAA in assists per game (18.5).
• Six Hawkeyes have dished out 20 or more assists on the season. Sophomore Tania Davis and freshman Kathleen Doyle lead the team with 51 assists apiece. They are joined by senior Ally Disterhoft (39), freshmen Makenzie Meyer (21) and Bre Cera (21), and senior Alexa Kastanek (20). Junior Christina Buttenham follows close behind with 18 assists.

GUSTAFSON NAMED TO B1G HONOR ROLL

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson was named to the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week Honor Roll, the conference office announced Monday. It is the third weekly honor of Gustafson’s career and her second of the season.
• Gustafson registered a team-high 20 points and a team-leading seven boards to guide the Hawkeyes to an 83-48 victory over Kent State on Dec. 20. She went 8-for-11 (.727) from the field and added a pair of blocks and two steals in 25 minutes of action.
• Through 13 games, Gustafson is averaging 16.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. She has scored in double figures and led Iowa in rebounds in every contest this season.
• Gustafson earned Big Ten Player of the Week accolades on Nov. 14. She garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 22, 2016.

RUNNIN’ RUNNIN’

• Down 11-2 in the first quarter to Kent State, the Hawkeyes used a 40-5 run over a 12-minute span to ultimately defeat Kent State, 83-48, on Dec. 20. 
• Iowa made 12-of-18 field goals in the second quarter and held Kent State to 3-of-16 shooting. Iowa also dominated the boards in the second frame, 18-3. 
• Megan Gustafson (20 points), Ally Disterhoft (18 points), and Makenzie Meyer (12 points) all scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes. 
• Junior Christina Buttenham registered her first career start in the contest. She netted five points and pulled-down a career-high six boards in 18 minutes of action. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson registered the 17th double-double of her career against Illinois on Dec. 28. It was her eighth double-double of the season.
• Gustafson is one of 10 NCAA student-athletes to record eight or more double-doubles this season. 
• Gustafson has led Iowa in boards in every game this season. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native ranks fourth nationally in double-doubles (8) and field goal percentage (.669), sixth in field goals made (101) and rebounds (146), 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (7), 23rd in rebounds per game (10.4), and 26th in final points (237). 

HAVE A DAY, TANIA

• A career day by sophomore Tania Davis led the Hawkeyes past in-state foe Iowa State on Wednesday, Dec. 7. 
• Davis registered career highs in points (23), 3-pointers made (5), and field goals made (7). 
• The Flint, Michigan, native was 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-point range in 30 minutes of action. 
• On the season, Davis is shooting .388 (19-of-49) from long distance — the second highest percentage on the team (Disterhoft, .488). 

MOVIN’ ON UP 

• Senior Ally Disterhoft now ranks fifth on Iowa’s all-time career scoring list. 
• Disterhoft has 1,785 career points and is 274 points from tying Iowa’s all-time scoring record of 2,059 set by Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). 
• Disterhoft also ranks 10th all-time in 3-point field goals (136), 13th in career blocks (59), and 14th in rebounds (686). 

DAVIS NAMED MADNESS B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK 

• Sophomore Tania Davis was named the Madness Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, College Sports Madness announced Dec.12. 
• Davis averaged a team-high 18.5 points, shot .526 from the field (10-of-19), .600 from 3-point range (6-for-10) and a perfect 1.000 (11-for-11) from the free throw line to lead Iowa to a pair of wins over Iowa State and Robert Morris. 
• The Flint, Michigan, native registered career highs in points (23), 3-pointers made (5) and field goals made (7) to guide the Hawkeyes past in-state rival Iowa State (88-76) on Wednesday. 
• Two days later, Davis netted 14 points and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe to help the Hawkeyes to an 81-60 win over Robert Morris. 

DYNAMIC DUO

• Senior Ally Disterhoft and sophomore Megan Gustafson have each scored in double figures in every game this season. 
• Gustafson has netted 20 or more points six times this year, while Disterhoft has accomplished the feat four times. Both Hawkeyes have scored 20 or more points in games against Oral Roberts, James Madison, and Drake. 
• Together, the pair averages 34.3 points per game.

FAST FACTS 

• The Hawkeyes are 9-0 when leading at the half. 
• Iowa is 9-0 when scoring 70 points or more. 
• The Hawkeyes rank 13th nationally in total attendance (35,032). 
• Iowa shot .688 (11-for-16) from three point range against UNI on Dec. 4, marking the second-highest 3-point field goal percentage in a single game this season (Tennessee, .857, vs. Navy). 

IN THE POLLS

• Two Big Ten teams are included in the week seven (Dec. 26) Associated Press Top 25. They include: No. 4 Maryland and No. 14 Ohio State. Northwestern (4) and Michigan (1) are receiving votes in the poll. 
• Maryland (No. 3) and Ohio State (No. 13) are also included in the week eight (Dec. 27) USA TODAY Coaches Poll, while Michigan State (29), Michigan (12), Northwestern (9), and Penn State (1) are receiving votes.  

AROUND THE NATION

• The Hawkeyes rank fifth nationally with 259 total assists. 
• Iowa also ranks sixth in rebounds (603), 14th in assists per game (18.5) and defensive rebounds per game (31), 15th in field goal percentage (48.0), and 25th in 3-point field goal defense (.263). 
• Sophomore Megan Gustafson ranks fourth nationally in double-doubles (8) and field goal percentage (.669), sixth in field goals made (101) and rebounds (146), 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (7), 23rd in rebounds per game (10.4), and 26th in final points (237). 
• Senior Ally Disterhoft ranks 19th in final points (243), 23rd in field goals made (87), and 30th in field goal percentage (.576). 

AROUND THE LEAGUE 

• Iowa leads the Big Ten Conference in field goal percentage defense (.350) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.263). The Hawkeyes also rank second in assists (18.5), third in defensive rebounds (30.8), fourth in rebounding offense (43.1) and field goal percentage (.480), and fifth in rebounding margin (+7.2), scoring offense (77.4), and scoring margin (+14.4). 
• Three Hawkeyes rank within the top-10 in field goal percentage. They include: Megan Gustafson (.669; 1st), Ally Disterhoft (.576; 7th), and Hannah Stewart (.575; 8th). 
• Gustafson leads the league in field goal percentage (.669) and double-doubles (8). She also ranks third in rebounding (10.4) and defensive rebounds (6.9), fourth in offensive rebounds (3.5), and eighth in blocked shots (1.5). 
• Sophomore Tania Davis leads the Big Ten Conference with a .919 free throw percentage. 
• Disterhoft ranks seventh in field goal percentage (.576), ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (.408), and 10th in scoring (17.4). 
• Freshman Kathleen Doyle is tied for eighth in the conference in steals (1.9) and 10th in assist to turnover ratio (1.9). 

CALL ON ME

• Senior Ally Disterhoft has netted double figures in 92 of her 98 career starts, including the last 47 straight games. 
• The Iowa City, Iowa, native has started 98 consecutive games and appeared in every game of her Hawkeye career (116). 
• Disterhoft has 1,785 career points and is 274 points from tying Iowa’s all-time scoring record of 2,059 set by Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). 
• Disterhoft has registered 20 or more points in four games this season. 
• Last season, Disterhoft became the program’s highest scoring junior, netting 565 points to break Michelle Edwards’ record of 564 points in 1986-87. 

HISTORICALLY GOOD DEFENSE

• The Hawkeyes held Massachusetts to just 30 points in the first game of the Hawkeye Challenge on Nov. 19, tying a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record for fewest points allowed. It also marked the second-fewest points allowed in the Big Ten this season (27, Purdue vs. North Carolina Central). 
• Iowa held the Minutewomen to just 10 first half points, breaking a program record for fewest points allowed in a first half. 
• The Hawkeyes allowed just 39 points against UNI on Dec. 4. It marked the second time this season Iowa has held an opponent to under 40 points. 

GUSTAFSON NAMED B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Center/forward Megan Gustafson was named Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference office announced Nov. 14.  It is the second weekly honor of Gustafson’s career. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native posted back-to-back double-doubles to lead Iowa to wins overall Oral Roberts and Hampton on Nov. 11 and 13. The sophomore tied a career high in points (25) and recorded 12 rebounds, an assist and a block in 26 minutes of action against Oral Roberts on Nov. 11. Two days later, Gustafson netted 14 points and pulled down 11 boards to lead the Hawkeyes past Hampton. She also went a combined 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
• Gustafson earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 22, 2016. She is the first Hawkeye to win Big Ten Player of the Week since Samantha Logic won the award on March 2, 2015.  

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. 

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.

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). 
• Cera has started all seven games this season, while Meyer has started five and Doyle has started the last two. 

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 332-193 (.633) overall record and a 160-107 Big Ten record at Iowa. In her 32 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 688-335 (.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.

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 continue Big Ten action when they travel to Penn State on Jan. 3. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) in University Park, Pennsylvania. The game will air live on the Big Ten Network.