Iowa, Creighton Meet Saturday in Los Angeles

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THIS WEEK 
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team opens NCAA Tournament action on Saturday, taking on 11th-seeded Creighton in Los Angeles. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) from Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• The game will air live on ESPN2 to fans located in Iowa and Nebraska. All other states will have whip-around coverage. Fans can also stream the game on WatchESPN. Tiffany Greene and Chiney Ogwumike will have the call from Pauley Pavillion. 
• Links to all broadcasts 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.

TICKETS 

• Tickets are on sale now through the UCLA Ticket Office. All session tickets are $30 for reserved seats and $19 for general admission. 
• Fans can visit uclabruins.com for more information.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

• This marks Iowa’s 25th trip to the NCAA Tournament and its first since making the Sweet 16 in 2015. 
• The Hawkeyes have advanced to the Sweet 16 six times and the Elite 8 three times. Iowa advanced to the Final Four in 1993. 
• Iowa enters the tournament as a No. 6 seed. It is the fourth time in program history that Iowa has earned a No. 6 seed (1991, 2011, 2014). 
• The Hawkeyes are 2-3 all-time as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 
• Head coach Lisa Bluder has led the Hawkeyes to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances in her 18 years at the helm. Iowa has advanced to the postseason in 17 of her 18 seasons (13 NCAA, 4 WNIT). 
• Iowa is 11-6 in NCAA Tournament First Round games. 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 23rd nationally. 
• Thirteen of Iowa’s 31 games this season were against teams that made the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes own a 7-6 record in those contests. 
• Iowa is one of six Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament. 

NATIONAL RANKINGS 

• Iowa is receiving 14 votes in this week’s AP Poll. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of five conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in this week’s AP Poll. No. 10 Ohio State and No. 16 Maryland are ranked in the top-25, while Iowa (14 votes), Minnesota (8), and Michigan (6 votes) are receiving votes. 

SCOUTING CREIGHTON

• No. 11 Creighton enters Saturday’s game with a 18-12 overall record. The Bluejays went 11-7 in Big East action. 
• Creighton is making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth appearance under head coach Jim Flanery. 
• The Bluejays are 4-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament after splitting two games last season. 
• Junior forward Audrey Faber leads the Bluejays in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game. Sophomore forward Jaylyn Agnew is just behind her, averaging 14.5 per contest. Senior guard Sydney Lamberty (11.9) and redshirt sophomore guard Olivia Elger (10.2) also average double figures in scoring. 
• Agnew (6.6 rpg) and Lamberty (6.3 rpg) lead the team in rebounding. 
• Faber and Agnew were each named to the All-Big East Second team, while Lamberty earned a spot on the All-Big East Honorable mention squad. Freshman guard Temi Carda was named to the All-Freshman Team. 
• Creighton has dropped three of its last four contests. 

THE SERIES 

• Iowa holds a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series. 
• The Hawkeyes have won the last four contests between the two teams. 
• Iowa and Creighton last met in 2006. Iowa defeated the Bluejays, 75-60, in Omaha, Nebraska.  

GUSTAFSON NAMED ALL-AMERICAN

• Junior Megan Gustafson has been named an All-American by four news outlets. 
• Gustafson is one of five Sports Illustrated first team All-Americans. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is also a second team selection by USA Today and College Sports Madness, and a third team honoree by ESPNW. 

HAVE A DAY, MEGAN

• Junior Megan Gustafson netted an Iowa and Big Ten Tournament record 48 points against Minnesota on March 2. 
• Gustafson was 19-for-26 from the field (73.0 percent). The 19 field goals also marked a school and tournament record. 
• The junior bested the previous school record of 43 points held by Crystal Smith since 2005. It also topped Kelsey Mitchell’s Big Ten Tournament record of 43 points and shattered Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament record of 28 points by Tangela Smith in 1998. 

FABULOUS FEBRUARY

• Iowa was a perfect 7-0 in the month of February. 
• The Hawkeyes registered  wins over Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Indiana. 
• Two of Iowa’s seven wins in the month were overtime victories on the road. 
• Junior Megan Gustafson averaged 29.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, and shot 68.4 percent from the field during the month of February. 
• Senior Chase Coley averaged 12.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.
• Sophomore Makenzie Meyer also averaged double figures in scoring (10.0), while sophomore Kathleen Doyle averaged 9.9 points per contest.  
• Sophomore Amanda Ollinger averaged 5.6 rebounds per game in the month of February — the third highest total on the team. 

RECORD BOOK REWRITE 

• Junior Megan Gustafson broke Iowa’s school record for points in a single season against Rutgers on Feb. 21. Gustafson surpassed Cindy Haugejorde’s previous total of 672 (1979-80). Gustafson now has 794 points on the year. 
• Gustafson also broke her own school record for rebounds in a single season at Rutgers on Feb. 21. She now has 394 rebounds this season, besting her previous mark of 370 set in 2016-17. 

FAST START SENDS IOWA PAST NORTHWESTERN

• Iowa raced to a 22-1 lead after the first quarter and eliminated Northwestern (12-20) from the Big Ten Tournament, 55-45, on March 1. 
• Sophomore Makenzie Meyer was 3-for-4 from 3-point range in the first quarter. 
• Iowa held Northwestern without a field goal for the opening 11 minutes and 10 seconds of the game. 
• Meyer led the team with 13 points, while junior Megan Gustafson scored 12 points. 
• Redshirt freshman Alexis Sevillian scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter. She was 2-of-4 from the field (2-for-2 from distance) and 3-for-4 from the line. 
• Iowa assisted on 21 made field goals. Sophomore Kathleen Doyle led the team with seven assists. 

24 AND COUNTING 
Iowa collected win No. 24 with a 55-45 win over Nebraska on March 1. It is Iowa’s most wins since tallying 26 in 2014-15. 
The Hawkeyes have registered 20 or more wins nine times in the last 11 seasons. 
Iowa has registered 11 20-win seasons under head coach Lisa Bluder. 

THROWING THE FIRST PUNCH

• Iowa has outscored its opponents 186-113 in the first quarter over its last nine games. 
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 20.6 points in the first quarter over that span and holding their opponents to 12.5 points per game in the opening 10 minutes. 
• Iowa has led after the first quarter in eight of its last nine games. 
• In their last nine games, the Hawkeyes are 8-0 when outscoring their opponents in the first quarter. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Junior Megan Gustafson registered the 54th double-double of her career with 48 points and 15 rebounds against Minnesota on March 2. 
• 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 27 double-doubles this season — the second most in the NCAA. She has registered a double-double in 32 of her last 39 games. 

GUSTAFSON NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

• Junior Megan Gustafson is the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (media). 
• Gustafson was also named a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection (coaches & media). 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is the fifth Hawkeye in program history to be named Big Ten Player of the Year and the first to do so since 1998. She joins Michelle Edwards (1988), Franthea Price (1990), Toni Foster (1993), and Tangela Smith (1998). 
• Gustafson is the only Hawkeye to earn the award as a junior. 

DOYLE EARNS ALL-BIG TEN HONORS 

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle earned second team All-Big Ten honors from league coaches and honorable mention accolades from the media.
• It marks the first All-Big Ten honor of her career. Doyle was named to the All-Freshmen Team last season. 
• In 16 conference games this season, Doyle averaged 12.6 points, a Big Ten-best 7.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native registered the first four double-doubles of her career in conference play. 
• Doyle finished the regular season ranked 15th nationally in assists per game (6.6) and 18th in total assists (177). 

B1G TIME

• Junior Megan Gustafson averaged 27.8 points and 13.1 rebounds in Big Ten play. The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native shot 64.7 percent from the field and 82.7 percent from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle dished out 120 assists (7.5 per game) in conference play. She averaged 12.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in Big Ten play.

IOWA IN OT 

• The Hawkeyes are 3-0 in overtime contests this season, including a win over Western Kentucky at home and a pair of road wins against Michigan State and Rutgers. 
• Junior Megan Gustafson has been dominate in overtime games this season. Gustafson is averaging 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in a combined 15 minutes.
• Gustafson is a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line in overtime games.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds, and was 5-for-5 from the free throw line in Iowa’s last overtime win at Rutgers on Feb. 21.  

GUSTAFSON EARNS 9TH B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD 

• Junior Megan Gustafson was named Big Ten Player of the Week nine times this season — a conference single season record. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native was been recognized by the conference in 14 of the 15 weeks of the regular season. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 13, Dec. 4, Dec. 18, Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Jan. 15, Feb. 5, and Feb. 12, and was named to the honor roll on Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Jan. 29, and Feb. 19.

700-POINT CLUB

• Junior Megan Gustafson is the only Hawkeye in program history to score 700 or more points in a single season. She has 794 on the year. 
• Gustasfson in the fourth Hawkeye in program history to score 600 or more points and the only Hawkeye to ever reach the mark twice. 
• Gustafson also broke a program record for points in a junior season with 25 points against Minnesota on Feb. 4. Ally Disterhoft set the previous record of 565 in 2015-16. 

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. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• Junior Megan Gustafson is the only player in the country averaging 25 or more points and 12 or more rebounds per game. 
• Gustafson is one of two NCAA women’s basketball players in the last 10 years to average 24 or more points and 12 or more rebounds in a season (Chiney Ogwumike, 2014).  
• Gustafson is also the only player in the nation averaging 25 or more points and shooting at least 60 percent from the field. 
• Kathleen Doyle ranks 15th nationally in assists per game (6.6) and 21st in total assists (191). 
• Gustafson is ranked in the top-7 nationally in nine statistical categories. She leads the nation in points (25.6), field goal percentage (66.8), and field goals made (308), ranks second in double-doubles (27), third in total points (794), fifth in rebounds per game (12.7) and defensive rebounds per game (9), sixth in rebounds (394), and seventh in free throws made (178). 
• The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top-15 in six categories. Iowa ranks second nationally in defensive rebounds per game (31), third in assists per game (21.6), fourth in total assists (669), fifth in field goal percentage (49.0), seventh in fewest fouls per game (13.0), and eighth in fewest fouls (402). 

GIVE THE ASSIST TO DOYLE

• Sophomore Kathleen Doyle averaged a Big Ten-leading 7.5 assists per game in conference 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 ranks 15th nationally, averaging 6.6 assists per game. 
• She has dished out six or more assists in each of Iowa’s last six games.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS 

• Junior Megan Gustafson’s 1,774 career points ranks sixth all-time. She needs 47 points to tie former Hawkeye Michelle Edwards (1,821; 84-88) for fifth. 
• Gustafson has 962 rebounds in her career. She currently ranks second all-time.  She is 105 rebound shy of tying the all-time career rebounding record of 1,067 set by Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). 

STEWART MAKES AN IMPACT 

• Junior Hannah Stewart is averaging 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench for the Hawkeyes.
• Stewart netted 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and pulled down seven rebounds in Iowa’s win over Wisconsin. 
• 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 17 games so far this season.
• She has scored eight or more points in six of Iowa’s last seven games. 

COLEY’S TURNAROUND 

• After scoring in double figures once last season, senior Chase Coley has scored 10 or more points in 11 contests this season. 
• The Minneapolis native has scored eight or more points 20 times, and has registered four or more rebounds on 26 occasions. 
• In the month of February, Coley averaged 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. Iowa was 7-0 in that span. 
• 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). 

NATIONAL AWARD WATCH 

• Junior Megan Gustafson is up for the John R. Wooden Award.
• Gustafson was named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 List on Feb. 5. 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. 

700 WINS

• 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. 

UP NEXT
The winner of Saturday’s contest will take on the winner of No. 3 UCLA and No. 14 American on Monday in Pauley Pavilion. Tipoff is TBD.