No. 25 Hawkeyes Host Huskers on Sunday

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THIS WEEK 
The 25th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, hosting Nebraska at 2 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for kids, 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 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

• Sunday is Girl Scout Day. Free activities for Girl Scouts will begin at 11:30 a.m. (CT). 
• Two collectable Iowa women’s basketball trading cards featuring Amanda Ollinger and director of basketball operations Kathryn Reynolds will be available at all entrances on the promotions tables while supplies last. 

IN THE POLLS

• Iowa is ranked No. 25 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll. The Hawkeyes are receiving 18 votes in this week’s AP Poll. 
• The Hawkeyes entered the USA Today Poll on Dec. 12 at No. 25. It marked the first time Iowa was ranked in the Coaches Poll since Jan. 5, 2016 (No. 23). 
• Three other Big Ten teams are ranked in the polls (AP/Coaches), including No. 12/14 Ohio State, No. 14/13 Maryland, and No. 16/16 Michigan. 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa has defeated seven teams — Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, Iowa State, UNI, Drake, and Ohio State– 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 NEBRASKA 

• Nebraska is 15-6 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten action this season. 
• The Huskers have won six of their last seven games. The streak includes wins over Minnesota (79-74), Northwestern (69-59), Illinois (80-72), No. 20 Iowa (74-65), No. 25 Rutgers (52-42), and Purdue (75-51). 
• Nebraska is 7-0 in road contests this season, including a 4-0 mark in conference action. 
• Freshman center Kate Cain’s 72 blocks rank No. 3 in the nation while her 3.4 blocks per game rank fifth in the country. 
• Sophomore guard Hannah Whitish leads the Huskers, averaging 13.5 points per game. Freshman center Kate Cain (10.8), freshman guard Taylor Kissinger (10.7), and junior forward Maddie Simon (10.7) are also averaging double figures in scoring. 
• Cain leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per contest. 
• Three Huskers are averaging double figures in scoring in Big Ten play this season. They include: Whitish (14.3), Simon (11.5), and Cain (10.1). 

THE SERIES

• Nebraska leads the all-time series, 13-12. 
• The Huskers won the first meeting between the two teams, 74-65, in Lincoln on Jan. 16. Gustafson led Iowa with 29 points and 18 rebounds. Maddie Simon led the Huskers in the first meeting with 19 points on 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range. 
• The Hawkeyes defeated the Huskers, 75-72, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena last season. Gustafson led the team with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Kathleen Doyle added 10 points and six assists. 
• Iowa has won two straight against the Huskers in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
• The Hawkeyes have won five of the last six contests dating back to 2014-15. 

HAWKEYES BLOW PAST OHIO STATE, 103-89

• Iowa registered its second top-25 win of the season with a 103-89 victory over No. 12 Ohio State on Jan. 25. 
• The Hawkeyes shot 54.4 percent from the field (37-of-68), 52.9 percent from 3-point range (9-for-17), and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (20-for-24) to register their first win over the Buckeyes since Feb. 5, 2015. 
• Senior Chase Coley and sophomore Kathleen Doyle each registered double-doubles for the Hawkeyes. Coley recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Doyle netted a career-best 25 points and tied a career-high with 11 assists.
• Junior Megan Gustafson netted a game-high 29 points. It marked her 15th game with 20 or more points this season. 
• All eight Iowa players that entered the game scored at least two points. 
• Iowa surpassed 100 points against a Big Ten opponent for the first time since 2014-15 (102, Northwestern). 
• The win marked Iowa’s seventh victory over a team that made the 2017 NCAA Tournament this season, including Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, Iowa State, UNI, Drake, and Ohio State. 

B1G TIME

• Junior Megan Gustafson is averaging 26.5 points and 12.6 rebounds in Big Ten play. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is shooting 63.1 percent from the field and 89.2 percent from the free throw line in eight conference games this season.
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle has dished out 67 assists (8.4 per game) in conference play. She is averaging 14.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in Big Ten play.

WELCOME BACK, MAK

• Sophomore Makenzie Meyer made her return to the starting lineup on Jan. 21 at Minnesota after missing seven games with a broken bone in her left hand. 
• Meyer netted 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range in Iowa’s win over No. 12 Ohio State on Jan. 25. She was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. 
• Meyer is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 assists in 15 games this season. She is shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from distance. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson has 46 double-doubles in her Hawkeye career, including double-doubles in 24 of her last 29 games. 
• Gustafson registered her 19th double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Minnesota on Jan. 21, breaking her own school record for double-doubles in a single season (18, 2016-17). 

OLLINGER’S CAREER DAY AT NEBRASKA

• Sophomore Amanda Ollinger netted a career-high 12 points in Iowa’s first meeting against Nebraska on Jan. 16. 
• The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native was 6-for-8 (75 percent) from the field in 21 minutes of action. 
• She also registered eight rebounds — one rebound shy of her career-high. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE 

• Senior Chase Coley and sophomore Kathleen Doyle each registered double-doubles against Ohio State on Jan. 25. 
• Doyle netted a career-best 25 points and tied a career-high with 11 assists. She was 9-for-19 from the field and 4-for-8 from 3-point range. She also registered three rebounds, two steals, and a block in 40 minutes of action. 
• Coley registered 12 points and 11 boards to collect the seventh double-double of her career and her first since March 3, 2016 (20 points, 10 rebounds vs. Michigan). 

GIVE THE ASSIST TO DOYLE

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle is averaging 8.4 assists in Big Ten action. 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native registered the first three double-doubles of her career in conference play. She registered back-to-back double-doubles against Maryland and Illinois, before recording her third against Ohio State on Jan. 25. 
• Doyle has registered 10 or more assists in four of her last six games (11 at Maryland, 10 at Illinois, 10 vs. Purdue, 11 vs. Ohio State).  

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds off the bench for the Hawkeyes.
• Stewart netted eight points and five rebounds in Iowa’s win over No. 12 Ohio State on Jan. 25. 
• The Minot, North Dakota, native registered 12 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals in 17 minutes of action off the bench at Minnesota on Jan. 21. 
• Stewart has registered five or more rebounds in 12 games so far this season. 
• Stewart recorded a career-best 12 rebounds to help the Hawkeyes to their first win in Hilton since 1989 on Dec. 6. 

COLEY’S TURNAROUND 

• After scoring in double figures once last season, senior Chase Coley has scored 10 or more points in seven contests this season. 
• Coley registered 12 points and 11 boards to collect the seventh double-double of her career against Ohio State on Jan. 25. It marked her first double-double since March 3, 2016 (20 points, 10 boards vs. Michigan). 
• 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 15 times this season, and has registered four or more rebounds on 16 occasions. 

GUSTAFSON’S CAREER DAY

• Junior Megan Gustafson registered a career-high 37 points against Purdue on Jan. 13. 
• Gustafson made 17-of-23 field goal attempts. Her 17 field goals tied a program record previously set by Amy Herrig against Northwestern on Feb. 12, 1999. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native also pulled down 14 boards, registering her 17 double-double of the season. 

GUSTAFSON NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON TOP-25

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 list on Jan. 11. 
• 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). 

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. 

GUSTAFSON EARNS 10TH CONFERENCE HONOR

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, the conference office announced Jan. 15. It is Gustafson’s sixth Player of the Week award of the season — tying a Big Ten single-season record (Jantel Lavender, Ohio State, 2010-11).
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has been recognized by the conference in 10 of the first 11 weeks of the season. 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, Dec. 11, and Jan. 8. 
• Gustafson had a career-day against the Boilermakers on Jan. 13. She netted a career-high 37 points, making 17-of-23 shots from the field (73.9 percent). Her 17 field goals tied a program record (Amy Herrig vs. Northwestern, 2/14/99). Gustafson also registered 14 rebounds, two assists, and a block in 37 minutes of action.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS 

• Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,481 career points ranks 13th all-time. She needs two points to tie former Hawkeye Kamille Wahlin (09-12) for 12th (1,483 
• Gustafson has 829 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks eighth all-time. She is 19 rebounds shy of tying Lisa Long (83-87) for seventh all-time (848). 

LOCKED IN AT THE LINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson is 58-for-65 (89.2 percent) at the free throw line in Big Ten play this season. 
• Gustafson has netted 10 or more free throws in four of Iowa’s eight conference contests. She was a perfect 11-for-11 from the line in back-to-back games against Wisconsin and Michigan, 10-for-10 in Iowa’s win at Illinois, and 11-for-14 against Ohio State. 

SHARING IS CARING 

• Iowa leads the nation in assists (463) and ranks third in assists per game (22.0). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more assists in 15 of their 21 contests this season. 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 22 or more assists. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in 10 categories. Iowa leads the nation in assists (463), ranks third in assists per game (22.0) and defensive rebounds per game (32), fourth in fewest fouls per game (12.7), eighth in field goal percentage (49.0), 11th in rebounds (913), 12th in free throw percentage (77.2), 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.43), 14th in fewest fouls (267), and 15th in blocked shots (118). 
• Junior Megan Gustafson ranks in the top-10 nationally in eight categories. She leads the nation in field goals made (197), ranks second in field goal percentage (67.0) and double-doubles (19), third in total points (501), fourth in points per game (23.9), sixth in rebounds (261), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (8), and eighth in rebounds per game (12.4). 
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle ranks 14th nationally in assists per game (6.5) and 16th in assists (124). 

UP NEXT
Iowa travels to Michigan State on Feb. 1. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) on BTN.