Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 | Hawk Talk Monthly — November 2017 | Boxscore
By JACK ROSSI
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — One night after head coach Lisa Bluder recorded win No. 700, junior Megan Gustafson reached a milestone of her own. Gustafson recorded her 1,000th career point as the University of Iowa women’s basketball team won the 2017 Hawkeye Challenge, defeating Western Kentucky, 104-97, in overtime on Saturday afternoon.
Gustafson became the 35th player in program history to reach 1,000 points. She scored a career-high 35 points and recorded the 29th double-double of her career with the addition of 17 rebounds.
4TH QUARTER GRIT
The Hawkeyes were down five with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter until Makenzie Meyer knocked down a three to bring Iowa within two. After a defensive stop, Gustafson grabbed the rebound and drew a foul. Gustafson, who finished the day 7-7 from the charity stripe, knocked down both shots to tie the game at 93.
OVERTIME
After four quarters of basketball that included nine ties and eight lead changes, Iowa and Western Kentucky went to overtime tied at 93. Freshman Alexis Sevillian hit a 3-pointer to start overtime and the Hawkeyes never looked back. Gustafson scored six of Iowa’s 11 points during the extra period as Iowa’s defense limited Western Kentucky to four points and two turnovers.
BLUDER ON GRITTY WIN
“That was a great victory for our team. Any time you are going against somebody the caliber of Western Kentucky and you are down five with a minute to go and are able to pull out a victory, you know you’re team is tough. I thought our team showed a lot of grit tonight, they showed poise in that situation, and they believed in it. I’m incredibly proud of these gals.”
FIGHT FOR IOWA
- Iowa’s three guards – Tania Davis, Kathleen Doyle, and Makenzie Meyer – combined for 23 of Iowa’s 28 assists.
- After shooting 1-6 against Quinnipiac, Meyer rebounded against Western Kentucky, going 4-8 from 3-point range.
- The Hawkeyes shot 92 percent (23-25) from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 15, against Northern Illinois. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. (CT).
