Hawkeyes, Spartans Meet Thursday in East Lansing

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THIS WEEK 
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team travels to East Lansing, Michigan, for a contest against the Spartans on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) from the Breslin Center.  

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• The contest will air live on BTN. Chris Vosters and Vera Jones will have the call from the Breslin Center. The game will also be streamed 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.

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. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson has 47 double-doubles in her Hawkeye career, including double-doubles in 25 of her last 30 games. 
• Gustafson registered her 20th double-double of the season with 26 points and 10 rebounds against Nebraska on Jan. 28. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native broke her own program record for double-doubles in a single season (19) against Minnesota on Jan. 21. She broke Samantha Logic’s record for double-doubles in a career (35; 2011-15) with 16 points and 14 rebounds against Iowa State on Dec. 6. 
• Gustafson needs one double-double to tie the Iowa basketball record (men and women) for double-doubles in a career. Former Iowa men’s basketball player Kevin Kunnert (1971-73) currently holds the record of 48.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE 

• Michigan State is 14-8 overall and 4-5 in Big Ten action this season. 
• The Spartans have Big Ten wins over Illinois (57-55), Maryland (82-68), Northwestern (81-51), and Indiana (68-46) this season. 
• Michigan State has dropped its last three contests, including losses against Indiana (69-65), Michigan (74-48), and Ohio State (78-62). 
• Freshman forward Sidney Crooks and junior center Jenna Allen lead the Spartans, averaging 10.8 points per game. 
• Crooks also leads the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3 per contest. 
• Michigan State ranks 12th nationally in assists (394) and 16th in assists per game (17.9). 
• The Spartans are also ranked 16th in rebounds (928) and 27th in rebounding margin (8.1). Six Spartans are averaging 4.0 or more rebounds this season.
• Taryn McCutcheon ranks 47th nationally in assists (108) and 50th in assists per game (5.1). She also ranks 59th in assist/turnover ratio (2.12).  

THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 36-28. 
• The Hawkeyes won the lone meeting between the two teams last season, defeating the Spartans 87-83 in overtime in Iowa City on Feb. 9, 2017. 
• Megan Gustafson (18 points), Makenzie Meyer (14 points), Kathleen Doyle (12 points), and Chase Coley (10 points) all scored in double figures. 
• The teams have split the last 10 meetings, 5-5. 

B1G TIME

• Junior Megan Gustafson is averaging 26.4 points and 12.3 rebounds in Big Ten play. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is shooting 61.7 percent from the field and 87.7 percent from the free throw line in nine conference games this season.
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle has dished out 71 assists (7.9 per game) in conference play. She is averaging 14.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in Big Ten play.

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. 

GIVE THE ASSIST TO DOYLE

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle is averaging 7.9 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 seven games (11 at Maryland, 10 at Illinois, 10 vs. Purdue, 11 vs. Ohio State).  

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS 

• Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,507 career points ranks 12th all-time. She needs 39 points to tie former Hawkeye Sam Logic (1546; 11-15) for 11th. 
• Gustafson has 839 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks eighth all-time. She is 9 rebounds shy of tying Lisa Long (83-87) for seventh all-time (848). 

GUSTAFSON EARNS 10TH CONFERENCE HONOR

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll on Monday. The weekly award is the 17th of her career and her 11th this season. 
• Gustafson averaged 27.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and shot 57.6 percent from the field in a pair of Big Ten contests last week. She led all scorers with 29 points in Iowa’s win over No. 12/14 Ohio State on Jan. 25. Gustafson shot 64.3 percent from the field (9-for-14), pulled down five boards, registered three blocks, and made 11-of-14 free throws to lead the Hawkeyes past the Buckeyes for the first time since 2015.
• On Jan. 28, Gustafson netted 26 points and pulled down 10 boards to register her 20th double-double of the season against Nebraska. She also chipped in five blocks, two steals, and shot 52.6 percent from the field in the contest.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has been recognized by the conference in 11 of the first 12 weeks of the season. 
• On Jan. 15, Gustafson tied a Big Ten single-season record with her sixth Player of the Week award of the season (Jantel Lavender, Ohio State, 2010-11). She was also named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 13, Dec. 4, Dec. 18, Dec. 26, and Jan. 2, and was named to the honor roll on Nov. 20, No. 27, Dec. 11, and Jan. 8.

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 7.3 points and 4.9 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. 
• The Minneapolis native has scored eight or more points 16 times this season, and has registered four or more rebounds on 17 occasions. 
• 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. 

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. 

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 11.1 points and 4.7 assists in 16 games this season. She is shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from distance. 

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). 

SHARING IS CARING 

• Iowa leads the nation in assists (478) and ranks third in assists per game (21.7). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more assists in 15 of their 22 contests this season. 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 22 or more assists. 

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. 

LOCKED IN AT THE LINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson is 64-for-79 (87.7 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 nine 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. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in 10 categories. Iowa leads the nation in assists (478), ranks third in assists per game (21.7), fourth in defensive rebounds per game (31), sixth in fewest fouls per game (13.0), eighth in field goal percentage (48.6), 11th in blocked shots (127), 12th in rebounds (946), and 14th in assist/turnover ratio (1.41), blocked shots per game (5.8),  and free throw percentage (77.0). 
• Junior Megan Gustafson ranks in the top-seven nationally in eight categories. She leads the nation in field goals made (207), ranks second in double-doubles (20) and field goal percentage (66.1), third in total points (527) and points per game (24.0), fifth in rebounds (271), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (8), and seventh in rebounds per game (12.3).  
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle ranks 16th nationally in assists per game (6.4) and 23rd in assists (128). 

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 359 wins. 

UP NEXT
Iowa returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, hosting Minnesota. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on BTN Plus.