Iowa Meets Northwestern on Sunday in Evanston

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 | Hawk Talk Monthly — February 2018 | Game Notes (PDF)

THIS WEEK 
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team travels to Evanston, Illinois, for a matchup against Northwestern on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT) at Evanston Township High School. 

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.

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 registered the 50th double-double of her career with 33 points and 14 rebounds against Penn State on Feb. 8. 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 23 double-doubles this season — the second most in the NCAA. She has registered a double-double in 28 of her last 33 games. 

A FAMILIAR SETTING

• Due to construction on Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Wildcats 2017-18 home games are held at Evanston Township High School. 
• The Hawkeyes are 3-0 in high school gyms this season, after defeating Morgan State, Charlotte, and Elon in the Puerto Rico Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Nov. 22-25. 

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN

• Northwestern enters Sunday’s contest with a 9-16 overall record. 
• The Wildcats are 2-9 in Big Ten action this season. 
• The Wildcats have dropped their last six contests. 
• Northwestern has conference wins over Wisconsin (69-60) and Illinois (74-59). 
• Freshman guard Lindsey Pulliam leads the team, averaging 14.9 points per game. Sophomore forward/center Abi Scheid (12.6) and junior forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah (10.3) are also averaging double figures.  
• Kunaiyi-Akpanah leads Northwestern, averaging 11.2 rebounds per game. 
• Kunaiyi-Akpanah ranks ninth nationally in rebounds (281). She also ranks 10th in the NCAA in defensive rebounds per game (8) and double-doubles (13), and 13th in rebounds per game (11.2). 

THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 53-14.
• The teams split a pair of meetings last season. Iowa defeated Northwestern, 78-59, in Iowa City on Feb. 16, 2017. Gustafson led the Hawkeyes with 17 points while Makenzie Meyer chipped in 10. Chase Coley added nine points and 11 rebounds in the contest. 
• Northwestern defeated Iowa, 78-73, in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 2. Gustafson had 27 points and six rebounds in the loss. 
• The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.

600-POINT CLUB

• For the second straight year, junior Megan Gustafson has surpassed 600 points in a single season. Gustafson has 621 points on the year. 
• Gustafson is the fourth Hawkeye in program history to accomplish the feat and the only Hawkeye to ever reach the mark twice. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native broke Iowa’s record for rebounds in a junior season with 17 boards against Michigan State on Feb. 1. 
• Gustafson now has 317 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 621 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). 
• Gustafson 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 27.7 points and 13.1 rebounds in Big Ten play. The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is shooting 62.1 percent from the field and 84.9 percent from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle has dished out 93 assists (7.8 per game) in conference play. She is averaging 13.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in Big Ten play.

DOYLE HEATS UP

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle has scored in double figures in five of her last six games. She has registered eight or more assists three times. 
• Doyle has two double-doubles (Ohio State, Michigan State) in her last five contests (Ohio State, Michigan State). 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native has registered the first four double-doubles of her career in Big Ten play this season. 

A B1G NIGHT

• Iowa post players — Megan Gustafson, Chase Coley, and Hannah Stewart — combined for 65 points in Iowa’s win over Penn State on Feb. 8. 
• The trio shot 74 percent (26-for-35) from the field in the win. 
• Coley registered a career-high 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field. 
• Gustafson netted 33 points (13-for-19), 14 rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. 
• Stewart record eight points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field. 

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) also 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. 

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. 9, junior Megan Gustafson is the only player in the country averaging 24 or more points and 12 or more rebounds per game. Gustafson is one of two players nationally averaging 20 or more points and 12 or more rebounds. 
• Kathleen Doyle ranks 13th nationally in assists per game (6.5) and 14th in assists (150). 
• Gustafson currently ranks in the top-10 nationally in nine statistical categories. She leads the nation field goals made (241), total points (621), and points per game (24.8), ranks second in double-doubles (23), third in field goal percentage (65.7) and rebounds (317), fifth in rebounds per game (12.7) and defensive rebounds per game (9), and seventh in free throws made (139). 
• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in nine categories. Iowa leads the nation in assists (545), ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (31), third in assists per game (21.8), seventh in fewest fouls per game (13.0) and field goal percentage (48.4), eighth in rebounds (1,076), 13th in blocked shots (138), and 15th in assist/turnover ratio (1.38) and free throws made (360). 

GIVE THE ASSIST TO DOYLE

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle is averaging 7.8 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 10 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 1,601 career points ranks ninth all-time. She needs five points to tie former Hawkeye Toni Foster (1,606; 89-93) for eighth. 
• Gustafson has 885 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks sixth all-time. She is one rebound shy of tying Morgan Johnson (886; 10-13) for fifth all-time. 

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 7.2 points and 4.6 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 (545) and ranks third in assists per game (21.8). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more assists in 18 of their 25 contests this season. 
• Nine Hawkeyes have registered 23 or more assists. 

COLEY’S TURNAROUND 

• After scoring in double figures once last season, senior Chase Coley has scored 10 or more points in nine contests this season. 
• The Minneapolis native has scored eight or more points 18 times, and has registered four or more rebounds on 20 occasions. 
• Coley netted a career-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field in Iowa’s win over Penn State. 
• 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 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. 

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 18-for-20 (90.0) from the free throw line in six Big Ten games this season. 
• Junior Megan Gustafson is 90-for-106 (84.9 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. 

UP NEXT
Iowa returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Feb. 18, hosting Wisconsin at 2 p.m. It is Breast Cancer Awareness Day and all fans are encouraged to wear pink.