No. 18/17 Iowa Hosts Purdue on Saturday

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THIS WEEK 
The 17th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday, Jan. 13, hosting Purdue at 3 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for youth (18 & younger), and free for UI students. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• The contest will air live on BTN. Keaton Gillogly and Vera Jones will have the call from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 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 is in 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.

PROMOTIONS

• Saturday is the annual Go Red for Women game. The Hawkeyes will wear red shoelaces in support of the event. 
• The Hawkeyes will sign autographs following the game. 
• Two collectable Iowa women’s basketball trading cards will be available at all entrances on the promotions tables while supplies last. 

IN THE POLLS

• Iowa is ranked No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the latest AP Poll. 
• The Hawkeyes entered both major polls on Dec. 11 (AP) and Dec. 12 (USA Today) at No. 25. It marked Iowa’s first time in the AP Poll since Dec. 7, 2015 (No. 23) and its first time in the Coaches Poll since Jan. 5, 2016 (No. 23). Iowa is ranked in the AP Poll for the first time since Dec. 7, 2015 (No. 23).
• Four other Big Ten teams are ranked in the polls (AP/Coaches), including No. 10/10 Ohio State, No. 11/11 Maryland, No. 21/19 Rutgers, and No. 23/20 Michigan. 

FAST START 

• Iowa is off to a 15-2 — the best start for the program since 1995-96 (20-1). 
• The Hawkeyes finished the 1995-96 season with a 27-4 overall record, a Big Ten title, and a Sweet 16 appearance. 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa has defeated six teams — Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, Iowa State, UNI, and Drake — that made the NCAA Tournament last season. 
• Eleven of Iowa’s opponents made the 2017 NCAA Tournament, including Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, Florida State, Iowa State, Northern Iowa,  Drake, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue. 

SCOUTING PURDUE

• Purdue is 11-7 on the season and 2-2 in conference action. 
• The Boilermakers defeated No. 21/19 Rutgers, 47-33, in West Lafayette on Wednesday. 
• Senior guard Andreona Keys leads the team, averaging 13.0 points per game. Two other Boilermakers are also averaging double figures, including sophomore forward Ae’Rianna Harris (12.7) and sophomore guards Dominique Oden (10.0). 
• Harris leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.6 per game. 
• Harris ranks fourth nationally in blocked shots (55) and sixth in blocked shots per game (3.24). 
• The Boilermakers are 2-4 in road contests this year. 

THE SERIES

• Purdue leads the all-time series, 37-32. 
• The Boilermakers defeated the Hawkeyes, 72-52, in West Lafayette last season. Gustafson led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes of action. 
• Iowa has won six of the last 10 meetings. 

DOYLE STAYS HOT

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle registered the first two double-doubles of her career last week. 
• Doyle is the third Hawkeye to register a double-double this season (Gustafson, Davis). 
• Doyle scored 13 points and dished out a career-high 11 assists against Maryland on Jan. 4, before registered 15 points and 10 assists against Illinois on Jan. 7. 
• In four conference games this season, Doyle is averaging 14.0 points and 9.3 assists. 
• Doyle netted a career-best 23 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field in Iowa’s win over No. 19/21 Michigan on Dec. 31. 

GUSTAFSON EARNS 9TH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE HONOR

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll, the conference office announced Monday. The weekly award is the 15th of her career.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has earned nine straight conference honors. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 13, Dec. 4, Dec. 18, Dec. 26, and Jan. 2, and was named to the Player of the Week Honor Roll on Nov. 20, Nov. 27, and Dec. 11.
• She is one Player of the Week award from tying Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender for the most Player of the Week awards in a single season (6, 2010-11). 
• Gustafson is one of five Big Ten student-athletes to garner five Player of the Week awards in a single season. The list includes Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota, 2001-02), Kelly Mazzante (Penn State, 2002-03, 2003-04), Jessica Davenport (Ohio State, 2004-05, 2006-07), and Jantel Lavender (Ohio State, 2008-09). 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native averaged 24.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 3.0 assists, and shot 68 percent from the field last week. 

POST PRODUCTION 

• Juniors Megan Gustafson and Hannah Stewart and senior Chase Coley are ranked among the top-10 in the conference in field goal percentage. 
• Gustafson leads the conference, shooting 68.8 percent from the field this season, while Coley and Stewart are tied for 10th (52.3). 

MOHNS STEPS UP 

• Redshirt junior Carly Mohns has provided a spark of the bench for the Hawkeyes in Big Ten play. She is averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 boards in conference action. 
• Mohns netted nine points, pulled down six boards, and registered two steals in a career-high 25 minutes played in Iowa’s win over No. 19/21 Michigan on Dec. 31. 
• The Brodhead, Wisconsin, native registered a career-best four assists in Iowa’s road win at Illinois on Dec. 7. 

GUSTAFSON NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON TOP-25

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 list on Thursday. 
• Players on the list are considered strong candidates for the most prestigious national player of the year honor. 
• Gustafson is one of three student-athletes not included on the preseason top-30 list to be added to the midseason top 25. She is one of three Big Ten student-athletes on the list (Katelynn Flaherty and Kelsey Mitchell). 

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS 

• Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,366 career points ranks 16th all-time. She needs 73 points to tie former Hawkeye Megan Skouby (1,439; 05-09) for 15th. 
• Gustafson has 782 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks 12th all-time. She is six rebounds shy of tying Ally Disterhoft (788; 13-17) for 11th. 

IOWA COLLECTS 15TH WIN AT ILLINOIS, 84-71

• Iowa defeated Illinois, 84-71, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, on Jan. 7. 
• Gustafson led the team with 34 points and 12 rebounds for her NCAA-leading 16th double-double of the season. 
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle registered her second straight double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. 
• Redshirt freshman Alexis Sevillian made 5-of-8, 3-pointers and finished with a career-best 21 points. 
• Iowa recorded a season-low seven turnovers and dished out 24 assists in the contest. 

LOCKED IN AT THE LINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson is 37-for-38 (97.4 percent) at the free throw line in Big Ten play this season. 
• Gustafson has netted 10 or more free throws in three of Iowa’s four conference contests. She was a perfect 11-for-11 from the line in back-to-back games against Wisconsin and Michigan, and 10-for-10 in Iowa’s win at Illinois. 
• Gustafson leads the league, shooting 97.4 percent from the free throw line in conference contests this season. 

A PERFECT DECEMBER 

• Iowa finished the month of December with a perfect 7-0 record. 
• Three of Iowa’s wins came against teams that made the NCAA Tournament. 
• The Hawkeyes held their opponents to 55.7 points per game during the month. 
• Junior Megan Gustafson averaged 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in December. Sophomores Makenzie Meyer (12.6) and Kathleen Doyle (10.0) also averaged double figures. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson has 43 double-doubles in her Hawkeye career, including double-doubles in 21 of her last 25 games. 
• Gustafson leads the nation with 16 double-doubles this season. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• Iowa leads the nation in two categories, including assists (382) and fewest fouls per game (11.5). 
• They Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in 11 categories. They include assists, fewest fouls per game, assists per game (3rd; 22.5), defensive rebounds per game (3rd; 32), field goal percentage (6th; 49.7), fewest fouls (7th; 196), blocked shots (8th; 100), win/loss percentage (9th; 88.2), rebounds (12th; 741), free throw percentage (12th; 77.6), and blocked shots per game (14th; 5.9). 
• Gustafson currently ranks in the top-15 nationally in 10 categories. She leads the nation in double-doubles (16), ranks second in field goal percentage (68.8) and field goals made (150), fourth in total points (386), fifth in rebounds (214), seventh in rebounds per game (12.6) and defensive rebounds per game (8), eighth in points per game (22.7), 12th in free throws made (86), and 15th in offensive rebounds per game (4).
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle ranks 20th nationally in assists per game (6.3) and 23rd in assists (94). 

SHARING IS CARING 

• Iowa leads the nation in assists (382) and ranks third in assists per game (22.5). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 23 assists or more in 11 of their 17 contests this season. 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more assists on the season. 

TOTAL TEAM EFFORT 

• Four Hawkeyes average double figures in scoring this season, while seven are averaging seven or more. 
• Four Hawkeyes average 4.0 or more rebounds per game, including Megan Gustafson (12.6), Hannah Stewart (5.2), Chase Coley (5.2) and Kathleen Doyle (4.3). 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more assists on the season. 

COLEY’S TURNAROUND 

• After scoring in double figures once last season, senior Chase Coley has scored 10 or more points in five 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 11 times this season, and has registered four or more rebounds on 12 occasions. 

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds off the bench for the Hawkeyes this season. 
• Stewart has registered five or more rebounds in 10 games so far 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 1.3 per contest. 

SEVILLIAN STEPS IN 

• Redshirt freshman Alexis Sevillian ranks second on the team, averaging 11.16 points per game. 
• Sevillian has scored in double figures in 12 of Iowa’s 17 contests.
• The Goodrich, Michigan, native has netted 3-or-more 3-pointers 10 times.

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. 

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 358 wins. 

UP NEXT
Iowa travels to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the first of two contests against the Huskers on Jan. 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.