Iowa Travels to UNI on Sunday

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THIS WEEK 
The 25th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team travels to Northern Iowa on Sunday for a matchup against the Panthers. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT) at the McLeod Center. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• The contest will be streamed live on ESPN3. 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 and Jamie Cavey Lang 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.
• Lang enters her second year as Iowa’s color commentator. She lettered at Iowa from 2002-05. Lang finished her Hawkeye career with 1,265 points and 506 rebounds. She was a two-time All-Big Ten selection.

FAST START 

• Iowa is off to a 10-1 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. 
• A win on Sunday would mark Iowa’s best start since 2010-11 (12-1). Iowa finished the 2010-11 season with a 22-9 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

IN THE POLLS

• The Hawkeyes entered both major polls this week at No. 25. 
• Iowa is ranked in the AP Poll for the first time since Dec. 7, 2015 (No. 23). 
• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the Coaches Poll for the first time since Jan. 5, 2016 (No. 23). 
• Four other Big Ten teams are ranked or receiving votes in polls (AP/Coaches). They include: No. 13/13 Ohio State, No. 15/15 Maryland, No. 23/21 Michigan, and RV/NR Rutgers. 

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. 
• As of Dec. 12, Iowa’s RPI is 22 — the third highest in the Big Ten (No. 10 Ohio State, No. 14 Rutgers).

SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA 

• Northern Iowa enters Sunday’s contest with a 3-6 overall record. The Panthers have wins over IUPUI, Iowa State, and Wisconsin-Parkside. 
• The Panthers finished the 2016-17 season with a 24-9 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. UNI lost to DePaul, 88-67, in the first round.  
• Redshirt senior guard Kennedy Kirkpatrick leads the Panthers, averaging 11.6 points per game. Sophomore forward Megan Maahs also averages double-figures with 11.0 points per game.
• Maahs leads the team in rebounds, averaging 10.2 per contest. 
• UNI has held six teams under 65 points this season. 
• The Hawkeyes hold a 20-2 advantage in the all-time series. Iowa has won nine of the last 10 contests. 
• Iowa won last year’s contest, 88-39. The 49-point victory marked the largest margin of victory in the series. 

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS 

• Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,216 career points ranks 25th all-time. She needs 14 points to tie Lisa Long (1230, 83-87) for 24th. 
• Gustafson has 706 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks 14th all-time. She is 20 rebounds shy of tying Franthea Price (726, 86-90) for 13th all-time. 

IOWA CRUISES TO 10TH WIN 

• The Hawkeyes defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 85-45, on Dec. 9 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
• Four players reached double digits as Iowa shot 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from the field with eight 3-pointers. 
• The Hawkeyes limited the Golden Lions to 28.8 percent shooting. Arkansas-Pine Bluff went 1-for-13 from 3-point range and committed 20 turnovers. 
• All 11 Hawkeyes scored in the contest. Junior Megan Gustafson led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. It marked her 10th double-double of the season. 

DAVIS BOUNCES BACK 

• After going 1-for-11 from the field against Iowa State on Dec. 6, junior Tania Davis bounced back against Arkansas-Pine Bluff of Dec. 9. 
• Davis netted 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. She made 4-of-6 from 3-point range. 

HAWKEYES END DROUGHT AT HILTON

• The Hawkeyes defeated Iowa State, 61-55, in Hilton Coliseum on Dec. 6, 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 marked the 36th double-double of her career. 
• Junior Hannah Stewart registered a career-high 12 rebounds. 

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 (12.5), Hannah Stewart (6.2), Chase Coley (5.1) and Kathleen Doyle (5.1). 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 11 or more assists on the season. 

POST PRODUCTION 

• Juniors Megan Gustafson and Hannah Stewart and senior Chase Coley are all ranked among the top-15 in the conference in field goal percentage. 
• Gustafson leads the conference, shooting 70.0 from the field this season, while Coley ranks 10th  (55.6) and Stewart is 12th (53.3)

GUSTAFSON EARNS 5TH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE HONOR

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week Honor on Monday. She has earned conference recognition in each of the first five weeks of the season. The weekly award is the 11th over her career. 
• Gustafson averaged 17.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, and shot 73.3 percent from the field in a pair of wins last week. After being held to two points in the first half against Iowa State, Gustafson netted 14 points and pulled down seven boards in the second half to finish the game with her ninth double-double of the season (16 points, 14 rebounds).
• On Dec. 9, Gustafson shot 85.7 percent from the field (6-for-7) and registered her 10th double-double of the season (19 points, 10 rebounds) in 23 minutes of action against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Gustafson now has 37 double-doubles in her career.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has now earned five straight conference honors. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 13 and Dec. 4, and was named to the Player of the Week Honor Roll on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 8.3 points and 6.2 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. 
• Stewart also leads the team in steals, averaging 1.5 per contest. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson has 37 double-doubles in her Hawkeye career, including double-doubles in 15 of her last 19 games. 
• Gustafson leads the nation with 10 double-doubles this season. 

SHARING IS CARING 

• Iowa leads the nation in assists (264) and assists per game (24.0), and ranks fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.62). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 23 assists or more in nine of their 11 contests this season. 
• Junior Tania Davis ranks 14th nationally with 60 assists on the season. Sophomore Makenzie Meyer ranks 22nd with 55.
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 11 or more assists on the season. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• Iowa leads the nation in three categories, including assists (264), assists per game (24.0), and personal fouls per game (11.7). 
• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-5 in seven categories. They include assists, assists per game, personal fouls per game, defensive rebounds per game (3rd; 33), assist/turnover ratio (4th; 1.62), field goal percentage (5th; 51.6), and rebounds (5th; 495). 
• Junior Megan Gustafson is ranked in the top-6 nationally in seven different categories. She leads the nation in double-doubles (10) and field goals made (98), ranks second in field goal percentage (70.0) and rebounds (138), fifth in total points (236) and rebounds per game (12.5), and sixth in defensive rebounds per game (8). 
• Junior Tania Davis (60) and sophomore Makenzie Meyer (555) rank 14th and 22nd, respectively, in assists. 

GUSTAFSON NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY WATCH LIST

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Nov. 29. 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 seven occasions. 
• Coley’s field goal percentage of 56.5 currently ranks 10th in the Big Ten Conference. 

LOCKED IN AT THE LINE

• Iowa leads the Big Ten and ranks 15th 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 11 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 11.4 points per game. 
• Sevillian has scored in double figures in seven of Iowa’s 11 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. 

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 84.6 ranks third in the Big Ten Conference and 18th 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 353 wins.
• Bluder has collected 10 20-win seasons as a Hawkeye.

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 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and shooting 41.2 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 concludes the nonconference season next week, hosting Drake on Thursday, Dec. 21. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $12 for adults and free for youth (18 & younger) and UI students.