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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for youth (18 & younger) and free for UI students.
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
- The contest will be streamed live on BTN Plus ($). Links are available on the Iowa women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
- Live stats are also available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
AUDIO COVERAGE
- Rob Brooks will call the action on the Hawkeye Radio Network. A link to the broadcast is available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
- Brooks is in his second year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline announcer since 2004. He has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
- Arkansas-Pine Bluff enters Saturday’s contest with a 2-5 overall record. The Golden Lions have wins over Tougaloo College (Miss.) and Philander Smith College.
- Saturday will be Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s second meeting against a Big Ten opponent this season. The Golden Lions fell to Nebraska, 73-52, in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Dec. 2.
- Senior forward Faith Ohanta leads the team, averaging 13.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
- Senior guards Destiny Brewton (8.2) and Malaik Muhammad (8.0) each average eight points per game.
- Iowa holds a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series. The Hawkeyes defeated the Golden Lions, 76-38, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Nov. 13, 2013.
FAST START
- Iowa is off to a 9-1 start for the first time since 2013-14.
- The Hawkeyes finished the 2013-14 season with a 27-9 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Second Round.
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
- Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,197 career points ranks 25th all-time. With 16 points against Iowa State on Wednesday, Gustafson surpassed Crystal Smith (1,193; 02-06).
- Gustafson has 696 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks 14th all-time. Her 14 rebounds against Iowa State moved her past former Hawkeye Lisa Becker (691; 83-87) on Iowa’s all-time list.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Iowa has defeated four teams — Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, and Iowa State — that made the NCAA Tournament last season.
- Seven of Iowa’s nonconference opponents made the 2017 NCAA Tournament, including Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, Florida State, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, and Drake.
- The Hawkeyes received 26 votes in the AP Poll and 31 votes in the Coaches Poll this week.
HAWKEYES END DROUGHT AT HILTON
- The Hawkeyes defeated Iowa State, 61-55, in Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night, marking the team’s first win in Ames since 1989 (11 meetings).
- Sophomore Makenzie Meyer led the Hawkeyes with 18 points. The Mason City, Iowa, native went 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
- After being held to just two points in the first half, junior Megan Gustafson netted 14 points and pulled down seven boards in the second half to register her ninth double-double of the season (16 points, 14 rebounds). It marks the 36th double-double of her career.
- Junior Hannah Stewart registered a career-high 12 rebounds.
GUSTAFSON EARNS 4TH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE HONOR
- Junior Megan Gustafson was named Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday. It is the 10th honor of Gustafson’s career and her fourth in as many weeks.
- Gustafson averaged 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blocks, and shot 74.2 percent from the field in a pair of contests last week.
- The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native netted 34 points with nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks against No. 13/11 Florida State on Nov. 29. She shot 83.0 percent from the field (15-for-18) and matched a career-best with 15 made field goals.
- On Dec. 3, Gustafson registered her eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds against Samford. It marked the 35th double-double of her career. She shot 61.5 percent from the field and added a pair of assists and blocks to lead Iowa to its eighth victory of the season.
- Gustafson has earned four straight conference honors. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 13 before being named to the Player of the Week Honor Roll on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.
TOTAL TEAM EFFORT
- Four Hawkeyes average double figures in scoring this season, while seven are averaging seven or more.
- Four Hawkeyes average 5.0 or more rebounds per game, including Megan Gustafson (12.8), Hannah Stewart (6.5), Chase Coley (5.1) and Kathleen Doyle (5.4).
- Nine Hawkeyes have registered 10 or more assists on the season.
POST PRODUCTION
- Juniors Megan Gustafson and Hannah Stewart and senior Chase Coley are all ranked among the top-10 in the conference in field goal percentage.
- Gustafson leads the conference, shooting 69.2 from the field this season, while Coley ranks ninth (56.5) and Stewart is 10th (53.6)
STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT
- Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 8.4 points and 6.5 rebounds off the bench for the Hawkeyes this season.
- The Minot, North Dakota, native netted a career-high 17 points (7-for-9) against Samford on Dec. 3.
- Stewart recorded a career-best 12 rebounds to help the Hawkeyes to their first win in Hilton since 1989.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
- Junior Megan Gustafson has 36 double-doubles in her Hawkeye career, including double-doubles in 14 of her last 18 games.
- Gustafson leads then nation with nine double-doubles this season.
SHARING IS CARING
- Iowa leads the nation in assists (241) and assists per game (24.1), and ranks fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.64).
- The Hawkeyes have registered 23 assists or more in eight of their 10 contests this season.
- Junior Tania Davis ranks 16th nationally with 55 assists on the season. Sophomore Makenzie Meyer ranks 24th with 52.
- Nine Hawkeyes have registered 10 or more assists on the season.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
- Iowa leads the nation in three categories, including assists (241), assists per game (24.1), and personal fouls per game (11.3).
- The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in 12 categories. They include: defensive rebounds per game (2nd, 34), field goal percentage (4th, 51.1), rebounds (4th, 460), assist/turnover ratio (5th, 1.64), blocked shots (8th, 55), free throw percentage (13th, 77.8), rebounds per game (14th, 46.0), rebounding margin (15th, 11.7), and won-lost percentage (15th; 90,0).
- Junior Megan Gustafson is ranked in the top-5 nationally in seven different categories. She leads the nation in double-doubles (9) and field goals made (92), ranks second in field goal percentage (69.2) and rebounds (128), third in total points (217), and fifth in defensive rebounds per game (8) and rebounds per game (12.8).
- Junior Tania Davis (55) and sophomore Makenzie Meyer (52) rank 16th and 24th, respectively, in assists.
IOWA SHOOTS LIGHTS OUT AGAINST #13/11 FLORIDA STATE
- Iowa shot 61.0 percent from the field in its 94-93 loss to No. 13/11 Florida State on Nov. 29 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
- The Hawkeyes shot 93.0 percent from the field in the opening quarter and made 15 consecutive baskets over a 9:37 second span in the first and second quarters.
- Junior Megan Gustafson scored 34 points on 15-of-18 field goals with nine rebounds in 37 minutes. Four other Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Tania Davis (14), Alexis Sevillian (14), Kathleen Doyle (13), and Chase Coley (10).
GUSTAFSON NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY WATCH LIST
- Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Wednesday. The award honors the nation’s top player.
- The list currently features 50 student-athletes. It will be trimmed to 30 on Feb. 12, 2018.
- Nine different conferences are represented on the list. Gustafson is one of eight Big Ten student-athletes included.
- Gustafson was named to the Katrina McClain Award Watch List on Nov. 9. She is one-of-20 student-athletes named to the list. The award honors the nation’s top power forward.
COLEY’S TURNAROUND
- After scoring in double figures once last season, senior Chase Coley has scored 10 or more points in four contests this season.
- Coley netted 20 points in Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois on Nov. 15 — her most points since scoring 20 against Michigan on March 3, 2016.
- The Minneapolis native has scored eight or more points seven times this season, and has registered four or more rebounds on six occasions.
- Coley’s field goal percentage of 56.5 currently ranks ninth in the Big Ten Conference.
LOCKED IN AT THE LINE
- Iowa leads the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally in free throw percentage (77.8).
- The Hawkeyes have shot 80.0 percent or better from the free throw line in seven of their 10 contests this season.
- Iowa was a perfect 15-for-15 from the line against Northern Illinois on Nov. 15.
- The Hawkeyes made 17-of-19 (89.5 percent) from the line against Quinnipiac, including 10-of-11 in the fourth quarter.
- Iowa shot 92.0 percent from the line against Western Kentucky. The Hawkeyes were a perfect 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter and overtime period.
SEVILLIAN STEPS IN
- Redshirt freshman Alexis Sevillian ranks second on the team, averaging 11.7 points per game.
- Sevillian has scored in double figures in seven of Iowa’s 10 contests this season.
- The Goodrich, Michigan, native has netted 3-or-more 3-pointers six times this season.
- Sevillian led the team in scoring with a career-best 21 points on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range against Elon on Nov. 25 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- IN THE POLLS
- Three Big Ten teams are included in the December 4 Associated Press Top 25 Poll. They include: No. 12 Ohio State, No. 15 Maryland, and No. 24 Michigan.
- Iowa is receiving 26 votes in the AP Poll and 35 votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
IOWA SWEEPS PUERTO RICO CLASSIC
- The Hawkeyes registered three wins in four days to finish the Puerto Rico Classic with a perfect 3-0 mark.
- Three Hawkeyes averaged double figures in scoring throughout the tournament, including junior Megan Gustafson (20.3), redshirt freshman Alexis Sevillian (13.0), and sophomore Makenzie Meyer (10.0).
- Gustafson led the team in rebounding, averaging 12.7 per game, while junior Hannah Stewart chipped in 7.0 per contest.
- Iowa shot an impressive 51.1 percent from the field during the three-game span and 34.7 percent from 3-point range. Iowa averaged 80.3 points per game and 24.7 assists per contest.
THE CENTURY MARK
- For the first time in school history, Iowa scored 100 or more points in back-to-back contests on Nov. 11 and Nov. 15.
- Iowa scored 104 points in an overtime win against Western Kentucky on Nov. 11, before netting 105 against Northern Illinois on Nov. 15.
- Iowa’s scoring average of 97.3 ranks third in the Big Ten Conference and 13th in the nation.
700 CLUB
- Head coach Lisa Bluder collected her 700th victory on Nov. 10 against Quinnipiac.
- Bluder is one-of-10 active Division I head coaches with 700 or more victories and one-of-29 women’s coaches to ever accomplish the feat. Bluder is one of 80 coaches (men or women) to win 700 or more contests.
- Bluder is in her 34th season as a head coach and her 18th at the helm of the Hawkeyes.
- In her 18 seasons in Iowa City, Bluder — Iowa’s all-time winningest coach — has accumulated 352 wins.
- Bluder has collected 10 20-win seasons as a Hawkeye.
HAWKEYE CHALLENGE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Junior Megan Gustafson was named the Hawkeye Challenge Most Valuable Player, while sophomore Kathleen Doyle was named to the all-tournament team.
- Gustafson averaged 25.5 points and 16.0 rebounds and shot 67.7 from the field to take home MVP honors. Doyle averaged 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She shot 57.9 from the field and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
TANIA DAVIS — THE RETURN
- Junior point guard Tania Davis returned to the Iowa lineup on Nov. 10 after suffering a season-ending knee injury at Michigan on Feb. 5, 2017.
- In 23 games last season, Davis averaged 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
- Davis is averaging 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range so far this season.
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 will have a week off before traveling to Northern Iowa on Sunday, Dec. 17. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. (CT) in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
