Iowa Hosts Penn State on Thursday

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THIS WEEK 
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Penn State on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $12 for adults and free for youth (18 & younger) and 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. 

PROMOTIONS
Two collectable Iowa women’s basketball trading cards will be available at all entrances on the promotions tables while supplies last. 

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 eight teams — Quinnipiac, Western Kentucky, Elon, Iowa State, UNI, Drake, Ohio State, and Michigan 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 broke the program record (men or women) with her 49th career double-double (25 points, 15 rebounds) against Minnesota on Feb. 4. 
• Gustafson surpassed former Iowa men’s basketball player Kevin Kunnert’s career total of 48 set in 1971-73. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has 22 double-doubles this season — the second most in the NCAA. She has registered a double-double in 27 of her last 32 games. 

SCOUTING PENN STATE

• Penn State enters Thursday’s contest with a 14-10 overall record and a 5-6 mark in Big Ten action. 
• Junior guard Teniya Page leads the team, averaging 17.8 points per game. Redshirt sophomore guard Amari Carter (14.7) and sophomore guard Jaida Travascio-Green (12.3) are also averaging double figures in scoring.
• Redshirt sophomore forward De’Janae Boykin leads the team on the boards, averaging 8.5 rebounds per contest. 
• The Lady Lions have registered Big Ten wins over Indiana (77-74), Wisconsin (69-62), Rutgers (70-67), Illinois (68-59), and Michigan State (74-59). 
• Penn State ranks seventh nationally in free throws made (367) and 15th in free throw attempts (502). The Lady Lions are ranked 81st in free throw percentage (73.1). 
• Redshirt sophomore guard Amari Carter ranks 22nd nationally in steals (65) and 41st in steals per game (2.71). 

THE SERIES

• Penn State leads the all-time series, 29-19. 
• The Lady Lions have won eight of the last 10 contests against the Hawkeyes. 
• Penn State won the lone meeting between the two teams last season. The Lady Lions defeated Iowa, 71-58, in University Park, Pennsylvania. Junior Megan Gustafson led the Hawkeyes with 21 points, while sophomore Kathleen Doyle netted 11.

IN A CLASS OF HER OWN

• Junior Megan Gustafson broke Iowa’s record for rebounds in a junior season with 17 against Michigan State on Thursday. 
• Gustafson has 303 rebounds on the year. Kachine Alexander set the previous record of 281 in 2009-10. 
• Gustafson broke the record for points in a junior season with 25 points against Minnesota on Feb. 4. Gustafson has 588 points this season. Ally Disterhoft set the previous record of 565 in 2015-16. 

GUSTAFSON BREAKS B1G RECORD WITH 7TH PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR

• Junior Megan Gustafson broke a Big Ten single-season record with her seventh Big Ten Player of the Week award, the conference office announced Monday. 
• Gustafson broke Jantel Lavender’s (Ohio State) previous record of six (2010-11). 
• Gutafson has been honored by the Big Ten Conference in 12 of the first 13 weeks of the season (7x Player of the Week, 5x Honor Roll). 
• Gustafson averaged 30.5 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in a pair of Big Ten wins last week. 

B1G TIME

• Junior Megan Gustafson is averaging 27.2 points and 13.0 rebounds in Big Ten play. The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is shooting 61.4 percent from the field and 84.7 percent from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle has dished out 90 assists (8.2 per game) in conference play. She is averaging 14.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in Big Ten play.

BALANCED ATTACK LEADS HAWKEYES PAST GOPHERS

• All five starters scored in double figures to lead the Hawkeyes past Minnesota on Feb. 4. 
• Junior Megan Gustafson posted her 22nd double-double in 24 games with 25 points and 15 rebounds. She netted 20 points in the second half, including 12 straight in the third quarter. 
• Senior Chase Coley (17), sophomore Makenzie Meyer (16), redshirt freshman Alexis Sevillian (11), and sophomore Kathleen Doyle (10) all scored in double figures. 
• Iowa made 27-of-33 free throws and handed out 20 assists in the contest. 
• The Hawkeyes made 7-of-15 3-point field goals. Iowa made six 3-pointers in the first half, helping build a 17 point advantage. 
• Redshirt junior Carly Mohns tied a career-high with seven rebounds, while Sevillian had a career-best four steals. 

DOYLE HEATS UP

• In the last five games, sophomore Kathleen Doyle is averaging 16.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. 
• Doyle has scored in double figures in each of her last five games, and registered eight or more assists three times. 
• In her last five games, Doyle has registered two double-doubles (Ohio State, Michigan State). 

GUSTAFSON NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD LATE SEASON TOP 20

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 List on Monday. 
• Players on the list are considered strong candidates for the most prestigious national player of the year honor. 
• All 20 student-athletes on the Late Season Top-20 list appeared on the Midseason Top-25. Gustafson is one of three student-athletes from the Big Ten included on the list. 
• The National Ballot, which features 15 players, will be announced in early March. Voting begins at the end of the season, and voters, consisting of members of the national college basketball media, will take into account the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. 

BLUDER NAMED RECIPIENT OF IGHSAU FIRST LADY AWARD

• Head coach Lisa Bluder has been named the recipient of the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union’s First Lady Award. 
• Bluder will be honored Saturday, March 3 at the 2018 Iowa Girls’ State Basketball Tournament. 
• The award recognizes a “daughter of Iowa” who has carried the tradition and training of a sport into varied and important careers. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• As of Feb. 6, junior Megan Gustafson is the only player in the country averaging 24 or more points and 12 or more rebounds per game. 
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle ranks 10th nationally in assists per game (6.7) and 12th in assists (147). 
• Gustafson currently ranks in the top-10 nationally in nine statistical categories. She leads the nation in field goals made (228) and total points (588), ranks second in double-doubles (22), field goal percentage (65.5), points per game (24.5), and rebounds (303), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (9) and rebounds per game (12.6), and eighth in free throws made (132). 
• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in eight categories. Iowa leads the nation in assists (519), ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (31), third in assists per game (21.6), sixth in rebounds (1,039), seventh in fewest fouls per game (13.0), eighth in field goal percentage (48.2), 13th in blocked shots (136), and 15th in assist/turnover ratio (1.38). 

IOWA DOWNS MICHIGAN STATE IN OT 

• Senior Chase Coley hit the go-ahead jump shot with 6.4 seconds left in overtime and junior Megan Gustafson sealed it with a steal and two free throws as the University of Iowa women’s basketball team defeated Michigan State, 71-68, on Feb. 1 in East Lansing. 
• Gustafson and Doyle each registered double-doubles in the win. Gustafson netted 36 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, while Doyle registered 11 points and 11 assists. 
• The Hawkeyes won the rebounding battle, 52-38, with 13 offensive boards. Iowa scored 16 second-chance points. 
• The win marked the second straight time Iowa has defeated Michigan State in overtime. The Hawkeyes also prevailed, 87-83, in overtime on Feb. 9, 2017, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

GIVE THE ASSIST TO DOYLE

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle is averaging 8.2 assists in Big Ten action. 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native registered the first four 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 and her fourth at Michigan State on Feb. 1. 
• Doyle has registered 10 or more assists in five of her last nine games (11 at Maryland, 10 at Illinois, 10 vs. Purdue, 11 vs. Ohio State, 11 vs. Michigan State).  

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS 

• Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,568 career points ranks 11th all-time. She needs 14 points to tie former Hawkeye Morgan Johnson (1,582; 10-13) for 10th. 
• Gustafson has 871 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks sixth all-time. She is 15 rebounds shy of tying Morgan Johnson (886; 10-13) for fifth all-time. 

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds off the bench for the Hawkeyes.
• 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.
• Stewart has registered five or more rebounds in 13 games so far this season.

SHARING IS CARING 

• Iowa leads the nation in assists (519) and ranks third in assists per game (21.6). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more assists in 17 of their 24 contests this season. 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 22 or more assists. 

COLEY’S TURNAROUND 

• After scoring in double figures once last season, senior Chase Coley has scored 10 or more points in eight contests this season. 
• The Minneapolis native has scored eight or more points 17 times this season, and has registered four or more rebounds on 19 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). 

GUSTAFSON NAMED TO LISA LESLIE CENTER AWARD TOP-10 LIST 

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named a top-10 candidate for the 2018 Lisa Leslie Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Feb. 2. 
• The inaugural award recognizes the nation’s top center. 
• The winner of the 2018 Lisa Leslie Center Award will be announced during ESPN2’s telecast of the national semifinal games in the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio, on March 30. 
• Gustafson is one of two Big Ten student-athletes included on the list (Hallie Thome, Michigan). 

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

• Sophomore Makenzie Meyer is 17-for-18 (94.4) from the free throw line in five Big Ten games this season. 
• Junior Megan Gustafson is 83-for-98 (84.7 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 10 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. 

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 scored 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range in Iowa’s win over Minnesota on Feb. 4. 
• Meyer is averaging 11.1 points and 4.3 assists in 18 games this season. She is shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from distance. 

UP NEXT
Iowa travels to Evanston, Illinois, for a 2 p.m. contest against Northwestern on Sunday.