Iowa Hosts Washington State in WNIT Elite 8 on Sunday

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THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Washington State (15-19; 6-12 Pac-12) in the fourth round of the 2017 WNIT on Sunday, March 26. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

TICKET INFORMATION 

• Tickets for Sunday’s WNIT contest are on sale now through the UI Athletics Ticket Office. To order, call 1-800-IA-HAWKS or visit hawkeyesports.com
• Tickets are $13 for adults and free for youth (18 & younger) and college students. 

WATCH/LISTEN

• Sunday’s contest will be streamed live on BTN Plus. Links can be found on the Iowa women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com. 
• Rob Brooks 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.

POSTSEASON NOTABLES

• Iowa has made 10 consecutive postseason appearances (8 NCAA Tournaments, 2 WNIT). 
• The Hawkeyes have made a postseason appearance in 16 of head coach Lisa Bluder’s 17 seasons at the helm of the program, appearing in the NCAA Tournament 12 times and the WNIT three times (2003, 2005, 2016, 2017). 
• Iowa is 8-3 all-time in the WNIT and 6-2 in games played in Iowa City. 
• Iowa is one of four Big Ten Conference teams (Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and Penn State) to be included in the 64-team WNIT field. Three Big Ten teams advanced to the WNIT Elite Eight (Michigan, Indiana, Iowa).  

SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE

• Washington State, a member of the Pac-12, enters Sunday’s contest with a 15-19 overall record. 
• The Cougars defeated BYU, 72-64, in Provo, Utah, on March 16 in the first round of the WNIT. Washington State edged Wyoming, 68-67, in Laramie, Wyoming, in the second round, before defeating UC-Davis, 71-62, in Pullman, Washington, on March 23 in the third round. 
• Sophomore forward Borislava Hristova leads the team, averaging 14.7 points per game. Freshman guard Chanelle Molina (12.8), sophomore guard Alexys Swedlund (11.4), and junior forward Louise Brown (10.4) are all averaging double figures. 
• Brown leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6.9 per contest.
• As a team, Washington State is ranked 19th in steals (358) and 25th in steals per game (10.5). They are also ranked 31st in turnovers forced (19.38), and 44th in turnover margin (3.0). 
• Molina and junior Caila Hailey each received All-Pac-12 recognition. Molina was an honorable mention selection to the All-Freshman team, while Hailey received honorable mention to the All-Defensive Team. 

THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 1-0. 
• The Hawkeyes won the only meeting between the two teams, 69-51, in Iowa City on Jan. 4, 1980. 

APPROACHING HISTORY

• Head coach Lisa Bluder has 699 career wins and is just one away from recording career win No. 700. 
• A win on Sunday would make Bluder 1-of-10 active Division I head coaches with 700 or more victories. 
• Bluder is in her 33rd season as a head coach and her 17th at the helm of the Hawkeyes. 
• In her 17 seasons in Iowa City, Bluder — Iowa’s all-time winningest coach — has accumulated 343 wins. 
• Bluder has collected 10, 20-win seasons as a Hawkeye. 

600-POINT CLUB

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson’s 12 points against Colorado on Thursday moved her season point total to 609. 
• Gustafson is just the fourth Hawkeye in program history to score over 600 points in a single season and the first to do so since 1990. 
• Gustafson joins Cindy Haugejorde (672; 79-80), Michelle Edwards (621; 87-88), and Franthea Price (614; 89-90) as the only Hawkeyes to break the 600-point mark in a single season. 

SENIORS SHINE IN VICTORY OVER COLORADO

• Senior Alexa Kastanek scored a season-high 19 points with five 3-point field goals and senior Ally Disterhoft added 15 points to lead the Hawkeyes to the WNIT quarterfinals with an 80-62 victory over Colorado on Thursday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
• The Hawkeyes shot .492 (29-of-59) from the field and made nine 3-point field goals to overcome the Buffs. 
• Gustafson led the team with eight rebounds. 
• The win marked the 699th career victory of head coach Lisa Bluder’s career. 

GUSTAFSON HAS CAREER DAY AS HAWKEYES ADVANCE TO SWEET 16

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson tallied 33 points on 15-of-16 shooting from the field to lead the Hawkeyes past South Dakota, 78-73, on Saturday afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Gustafson’s 33 points and 15 field goals each marked career highs.  
• Gustafson’s 15-of-16 (.938) shooting from the field is the best field goal percentage by an Iowa women’s basketball player (minimum 15 field goals made).
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native also grabbed 13 rebounds, marking her 17th double-double of the season. 
• She has scored 20 or more points 15 times this season.
• In two WNIT games this season, Gustafson has scored 47 points and pulled down 23 rebounds.  

STEWART STEPS UP

• Sophomore Hannah Stewart registered double figures in each of Iowa’s first two WNIT games this season. 
• In 14 minutes of action against Missouri State on March 16, Stewart registered 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. It marked her first double-digit scoring performance since scoring 11 against James Madison on Nov. 25.
• In 10 minutes of action against South Dakota on March 18, Stewart tied career highs in points (11) and field goals made (5).  She was 5-for-6 from the field. 

A NEW LEADING SCORER

• With 21 points against Missouri State on March 16, senior Ally Disterhoft became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer. 
• Disterhoft surpassed Cindy Haugejorde’s previous record of 2,059 (1976-80) with four minutes and six seconds left in the fourth quarter. She now has 2,086 career points. 

SINGLE-SEASON RECORD HOLDER

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson became Iowa’s single-season rebounding record holder with 10 boards against Missouri State on March 16. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native surpassed former Hawkeye Amy Herrig’s record of 306 (1998-99). Gustafson has 328 rebounds on the season. 
• Gustafson has tallied a team-high 609 points on the year — the most points by a sophomore in program history. 

DOYLE MAKES HISTORY

• Freshman Kathleen Doyle has dished out a team-best 140 assists on the season — the most by a freshman in program history. 
• Doyle surpassed former Hawkeye Samantha Logic’s previous record of 136. 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native also holds the record for steals in a freshman campaign with 69 and counting. 
• Doyle bested Johanna Solverson’s record of 57 (2002-03) on Feb. 26. 

TOTAL TEAM EFFORT LEADS HAWKEYES PAST MISSOURI STATE

• The Hawkeyes secured a, 95-74, WNIT First Round win over Missouri State on March 16. 
• Iowa recorded a WNIT record, shooting 62.3 percent (38-of-61) from the field. The mark bested the previous mark of 61.8 (South Carolina vs. Hartford, 3/18/07). 
• Five Hawkeyes scored in double figures, including senior Ally Disterhoft (21), freshmen Kathleen Doyle (18) and Makenzie Meyer (14), and sophomore Hannah Stewart (10). 
• Gustafson registered her 16th double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. 
• Disterhoft and Gustafson each broke school records in the contest. Disterhoft became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer (2,061), while Gustafson became the single-season rebound record holder (307). 
• The Hawkeyes outscored Missouri State, 50-28, in the paint and, 21-2, in fast break situations. 

HOME SWEET HOME 

• Iowa is 17-3 in games played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season. The Hawkeyes were 14-3 in games played in the regular season and 7-1 in conference action on their home court. 
• Two of Iowa’s three losses at home came to top-5 teams (No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 3 Maryland). 
• Iowa is shooting .492 from the field and .349 from 3-point range in Carver. In true road contests, Iowa is shooting .440 from the field and .254 from distance. 

DISTERHOFT NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA OF THE YEAR

• For the second consecutive season, senior Ally Disterhoft has been named the CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year for Division I women’s basketball. The announcement was made on March 2 by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 
• Disterhoft is the fifth scholar-athlete to win Academic All-America of the Year for women’s basketball in back-to-back years since its inception in 1987-88 and the second Big Ten athlete to accomplish the feat. She joins Elena Delle Donee, Maya Moore, Karen Jennings, and Michele Flamoe as the only athletes to earn the honor in consecutive seasons. 
• Disterhoft is a three-time Academic All-American. She received first team Academic All-America honors in each of the past two seasons, and was the only sophomore to receive the honor in 2015. 
• The finance and accounting major owns a 4.03 GPA and is one of two student-athletes with a GPA above 4.0 on the Academic All-America team. 

ALL-BIG TEN RECOGNITION 

• Three Hawkeyes — sophomore Megan Gustafson, senior Ally Disterhoft, and freshman Kathleen Doyle — earned All-Big Ten accolades, the league office announced Feb. 27.  
• Gustafson garnered first team recognition from the league coaches and media, Disterhoft notched first team honors from the coaches and second team accolades from the media, and Doyle was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. 
• It marks the sixth time in school history that two or more Hawkeyes earned first team accolades, and the first time since Iowa had three first team selections in 2001 (Cara Consuegra, Lindsey Meder, and Randi Peterson). 
• Doyle is the fourth Hawkeye in the last four years to be named to the All-Freshman Team. Disterhoft earned the honor in 2014, while Gustafson and sophomore Tania Davis were both named to the team in 2016. 
• Gustafson leads the team in scoring (18.7), rebounding (10.0), and field goal percentage (.649). She has scored in double figures in every game this season. Guatafson has paced the team in rebounds in 28-of-32 games and led the Hawkeyes in scoring 17 times.
• Disterhoft, a preseason All-Big Ten selection by league coaches, earned her third straight All-Big Ten honor after being named to the second team in each of the last two seasons. The Iowa City, Iowa, native ranks second on the team in points (16.5) and rebounds (5.3). She’s shooting .508 from the field and .336 from 3-point range in 32.9 minutes per game. 
• Doyle is averaging 9.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. She has scored in double figures in 14 games, including nine times in conference action. Doyle leads all league freshmen, averaging 2.0 steals per game. 

INCREASED PRODUCTION

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson has seen a big rise in both offensive and defensive production during her sophomore campaign. 
• After averaging 10.7 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman, Gustafson leads the team, averaging 18.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest. 
• Gustafson has registered a double-double in 17-of-33 contests and led the Hawkeyes in rebounds 29 times. 

MISS. 2,000

• With 23 points at Indiana on Feb. 22, senior Ally Disterhoft surpassed the 2,000-point milestone. 
• Disterhoft is just the second Hawkeye in program history to score 2,000 or more points in a career and the first to do so since Cindy Haugejorde in 1980. 
• Disterhoft became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer on March 16. She now has 2,086 points. 

GUSTAFSON EARNS 5TH WEEKLY HONOR

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson was named to the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week Honor Roll, the conference office announced Feb. 27. It is the sixth weekly honor of Gustafson’s career and her fifth of the season. 
• Gustafson averaged 20.5 points and 16.0 rebounds in a pair of conference games against Indiana and Wisconsin. She shot .667 from the field and registered a pair of double-doubles in 78 minutes of action. 
• On the season, Gustafson is averaging 18.5 points and 9.9 rebounds. She is shooting .648 from the field — a mark that ranks second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally. 
• Gustafson earned Big Ten Player of the Week accolades on Nov. 14, before being named to the Honor Roll on Dec. 26, Jan. 2, and Jan. 23. She garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 22, 2016. 

DAVIS OUT FOR THE SEASON WITH TORN ACL

• Sophomore guard Tania Davis will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Iowa’s Feb. 5 contest at Michigan. 
• Davis, a native of Flint, Michigan, started 23 games this season as Iowa’s point guard, averaging 10.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebound, and 30.4 minutes per game. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson registered the 26th double-double of her career against South Dakota on March 22 (33 points, 13 rebounds). It was her 17th double-double of the season.
• Gustafson is one of 16 NCAA student-athletes to record 17 or more double-doubles this season. 
• Gustafson has led Iowa in boards in 29-of-33 games this season. 
• Gustafson has netted 20 or more points 15 times this year. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native ranks fifth nationally in field goal percentage (.648), 11th in double-doubles (17) and field goals made (252), 21st in rebounds (328), and 27th in rebounds per game (9.9) and defensive rebounds per game (7).

SENIOR DAY VICTORY

• The Hawkeyes capped off the regular season with a 71-60 Senior Day win over Wisconsin on Feb. 26. 
• In her last regular season game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, senior Alexa Kastanek came up with a crucial steal that led to a basket by senior Ally Disterhoft to put the Hawkeye ahead for good. Kastanek followed with back-to-back 3-point field goals within a 46 second span to extend Iowa’s lead and give the Hawkeyes momentum. 
• Sophomore Megan Gustafson registered her 15th double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Disterhoft scored 19 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots. 

CAREER-HIGHS IN BLOOMINGTON

• Freshman Kathleen Doyle dished out a career-high eight assists in Iowa’s double-overtime loss at Indiana on Feb. 22. Doyle also tied a career high with four steals. 
• In her first start of the season, senior Alexa Kastanek pulled down a career-best seven rebounds. She also added seven points and a pair of assists. 
• Sophomore Megan Gustafson registered a season-high 18 rebounds against the Hoosiers — just one rebound shy of tying her career high (19, at Minnesota, 2/15/16). 

MEYER, DISTERHOFT GARNER B1G WEEKLY HONORS

• Freshman Makenzie Meyer and senior Ally Disterhoft earned Big Ten weekly accolades, the conference office announced Feb. 13. Meyer was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, while Disterhoft earned Player of the Week Honor Roll plaudits. 
• Meyer shot .700 (7-of-10) from the field and .750 (3-for-4) from 3-point range in a pair of conference contests last week to earn the first Big Ten weekly award of her career. 
• The Mason City, Iowa, native set career highs in points (14), free throws made (12), and free throws attempted (14) in Iowa’s overtime win against Michigan State on Feb. 9. Meyer made 11 of her 14 free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime period to seal the win for the Hawkeyes.
• Three days later, Meyer set her second career high in as many games with 16 points at No. 13 Ohio State. Meyer was 6-of-7 (.857) from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. 
• Disterhoft averaged 23.5 points and 7.5 rebounds last week to earn her fourth Big Ten Honor Roll accolade. She shot .556 (15-of-27) from the field and .625 (5-of-8) from 3-point range in a combined 80 minutes of action. 
• The Iowa City, Iowa, native registered her second double-double of the season with a team-high 25 points and a team-leading 12 rebounds to guide the Hawkeyes to an overtime win against Michigan State. 
• In a road contest at No. 13 Ohio State, Disterhoft scored a team-high 22 points and pulled down seven boards. 

MEYER HAS CAREER DAY… AGAIN

• Freshman Makenzie Meyer netted a then-career-high 14 points in Iowa’s win over Michigan State on Feb. 9. Three days later, Meyer registered her second career high in as many games with 16 points at Ohio State. 
• The Mason City, Iowa, native also set career bests in free throws made (12) and free throws attempted against Michigan State. Eleven of her 12 free throws came in the fourth quarter and overtime period.  
• Meyer was 6-for-7 from the field at No. 13 Ohio State on Feb. 12. She was also a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. 

IOWA WINS OT THRILLER

• Iowa defeated Michigan State, 87-83, in overtime on Feb. 9 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
• In Iowa’s first game without starting point guard Tania Davis, five Hawkeyes scored in double figures. Senior Ally Disterhoft led the team with 25 points, while sophomore Megan Gustafson (18), freshmen Makenzie Meyer (14) and Kathleen Doyle (12), and junior Chase Coley (10) also reached double digits.
• Disterhoft registered her second double-double of the season with 25 points and 12 rebounds. 
• Disterhoft was 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
• Meyer’s 14 points marked a then-career high. The freshman also registered career highs in free throws made (12) and free throws attempted (14). 
• Iowa made 7-of-16 3-point field goals –its best percentage from distance in 14 games. 

IT WAS FOR FREE, SO WE SAID SURE

• Iowa made a season-high 32 free throws in its overtime win against Michigan State on Feb. 9. The Hawkeyes were 32-of-41 (.780) from the charity stripe. 
• The Hawkeyes netted 20-of-24 (.833) free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime period. Freshman Makenzie Meyer made 11 of Iowa’s 20 free throws during the stretch. 

DYNAMIC DUO

• Sophomore Megan Gustafson has scored in double figures in every game this season, while senior Ally Disterhoft has netted double digits in 30-of-33 games. 
• Gustafson has netted 20 or more points 15 times this year, while Disterhoft has accomplished the feat nine times. Both Hawkeyes have scored 20 or more points in games against Oral Roberts, James Madison, Drake, and Rutgers. 
• Together, the pair averages 34.9 points per game.

MOVIN’ ON UP 

• Senior Ally Disterhoft became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer on March 16, 2017. 
• Disterhoft surpassed Cindy Haugejorde’s previous record of 2,059 set by Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). She now has 2,086 points. 
• Disterhoft also ranks eighth all-time in 3-point field goals (164), 11th in rebounds (783), and 12th in career blocks (77). 

FAST FACTS 

• Iowa is ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage, shooting .474 on the season. 
• Sophomore Megan Gustafson is one of 16 student-athletes to record 17 or more double-doubles on the season. 
• The Hawkeyes rank 13th nationally in total attendance (87,143) and 19th in attendance average (4,357). Iowa’s largest crowd of the season (7,191) came against Minnesota on Jan. 21. 

UNSELFISH BASKETBALL 

• The Hawkeyes rank second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally in assists per game (17.7).   
• Iowa also ranks second in the conference and 13th in the NCAA in total assists (584).
• Eight Hawkeyes have dished out 20 or more assists on the season. Freshman Kathleen Doyle leads the team with 140. She is joined by sophomore Tania Davis (98), senior Ally Disterhoft (88), freshman Makenzie Meyer (61), junior Chase Coley (52), senior Alexa Kastanek (44), freshman Bre Cera (39), and sophomore Megan Gustafson (22).

IN THE POLLS

• Two Big Ten teams are included in the March 13 Associated Press Top 25. They include: No. 4 Maryland, No. 11 Ohio State. Purdue is receiving five votes. 
• Maryland (No. 2), Ohio State (No. 12), and Michigan (No. 20) are also included in the week 15 USA TODAY Coaches Poll (Feb. 14). Northwestern (4) and Northwestern (1) are receiving votes. 

HISTORICALLY GOOD DEFENSE

• Iowa currently ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.301). 
• 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. 

CALL ON ME

• Senior Ally Disterhoft has netted double figures in 108 of her 117 career starts, including 63 of her last 66 games. 
• The Iowa City, Iowa, native has started 117 consecutive games and appeared in every game of her Hawkeye career (136). 
• Disterhoft became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer on March 16, 2017. She now has 2,086 career points.  
• Disterhoft has registered 20 or more points in nine games this season. 

AROUND THE NATION

• Iowa is ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage, shooting .474 on the season. 
• The Hawkeyes rank 12th nationally, averaging 17.7 assists per game. 
• Iowa’s 584 total assists rank 13th nationally. 
• The Hawkeyes also rank 21st in scoring offense (76.4) and 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (28). 
• Sophomore Megan Gustafson ranks fifth nationally in field goal percentage (.648), 11th in double-doubles (17) and field goals made (252), 21st in rebounds (328), and 27th in rebounds per game (9.9) and defensive rebounds per game (7).

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. 
• 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 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). 

THE BLUDER FILE

• Head coach Lisa Bluder is in her 17th season at the helm of the Iowa women’s basketball program this season. She owns a 343-201 (.631) overall record and a 168-114 Big Ten record at Iowa. In her 32 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 699-343 (.671).
• 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 (168) 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 168 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. 

WITH A WIN
With a win against Washington State, the Hawkeyes would advance to play the winner of Alabama and Georgia Tech. Day, time, and location will be announced at a later date.