Hawkeyes, Cyclones Meet Wednesday in Carver

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THIS WEEK 

The 16th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $12 for adults and free for youth and UI students. 

PROMOTIONS

• All fans are encouraged to wear black on Wednesday. 
• Wednesday is Junior Hawk Club Night. Junior Hawk Club members are invited to attend a pregame shootaround and poster making in the second floor practice gym from 6-7 p.m. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Wednesday’s contest can be streamed on BTN Plus. Links to the broadcast are available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com. 
• Live stats are 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 third 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 third 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.

IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES 

• Iowa leads the 2018-19 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, 7-6. 
• The Hawkeyes have clinched victories in volleyball, football, and wrestling. Iowa State has wins in soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country. 

RECORD WATCH

• Senior Megan Gustafson has 1,064 career rebounds. She needs four rebounds to break Cindy Haugejorde’s career rebounding record of 1,067 set in 1980. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is also approaching 2,000 career points. She has 1,977 career points — 23 points shy of career No. 2000. 
• Gustafson registered career rebound No. 1,000 in Iowa’s win over Western Kentucky on Nov. 13. She is the second Hawkeye in program history to eclipse 1,000 career boards. 
• Gustafson needs 125 points to break Ally Disterhoft’s all-time career scoring mark of 2,102 set in 2017.  

NATIONAL RANKINGS 

• Iowa is ranked No. 16 in this week’s AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of seven conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll. No. 7 Maryland and No. 14 Minnesota are also ranked within the top-25, while Indiana (5), Michigan State (3), Purdue (2), and Northwestern (2) are receiving votes. 

SCOUTING IOWA STATE

• Iowa State is 6-1 on the season with wins over Niagara, Northern Illinois, Auburn, Miami, Eastern Michigan, and Arkansas. 
• The Cyclones are receiving votes in both major polls. 
• Iowa State’s lone loss came at South Dakota. The Coyotes defeated the Cyclones, 64-59. 
• The Cyclones are averaging 77.4 points per game and holding their opponents to 59.4 points. 
• Senior guard Bridget Carleton leads the Cyclones, averaging 17.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. 
• Freshman guard Ashley Joens (11.1), sophomore center Kristin Scott (10.9), and sophomore forward Madison Wise (10.7) are also averaging double figures in scoring. 
• The Cyclones are ranked 11th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (31), and 15th in field goal percentage defense (32.2). 

THE SERIES 

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 26-22. 
• The home team has won 15 of the last 17 meetings in the series. 
• Iowa defeated the Cyclones, 61-55, in Ames last season. It marked Iowa’s first win in Hilton since 1989. 
• Makenzie Meyer led the Hawkeyes with 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field last season. She made 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Gustafson registered a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The Hawkeyes face four nonconference teams who made the 2018 NCAA Tournament, including Drake, Western Kentucky, Florida State, and defending National Champions Notre Dame. 

B1GS LEAD IOWA PAST ROBERT MORRIS 

• The Hawkeyes defeated Robert Morris, 92-63, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 2. 
• Iowa scored 56 points in the paint in the contest. 
• Iowa’s three posts — Megan Gustafson, Hannah Stewart, and Monika Czinano — shot a combined 23-for-27 (85 percent) from the field. 
• Gustafson made 13-of-15, Stewart was 6-for-8, and Czinano was 4-for-4. 
• The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Robert Morris, 39-15. Gustafson led Iowa with 12 boards, while Stewart chipped in nine. 

HOMEGROWN HAWKEYES

• The Hawkeyes have three Iowa natives on their roster — juniors Makenzie Meyer (Mason City) and Amanda Ollinger (Cedar Rapids), and freshman Logan Cook (Iowa City). 
• In six games against in-state rivals, junior Makenzie Meyer is averaging 11.5 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. She’s shooting 52 percent from 3-point range and 51 percent from the field in the six contests. 
• In last year’s Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup, Meyer netted 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc. 
• In three games against Iowa opponents last season, Meyer averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. She shot 53 percent (16-for-30) from the field and 50 percent (9-for-18) from 3-point range. 

SENIOR CLASS AWARD

• Senior Megan Gustafson was named 1-of-30 finalists for the Senior Class Award. 
• To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. 
• The candidates will be narrowed to 10 in February. Those names will go on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans. 

SHARING IS CARING 

• The Hawkeyes set new school assist records in back-to-back games against Western Kentucky and North Carolina Central. 
• Iowa dished out 34 assists against Western Kentucky on Nov. 13, before besting that mark with 36 against North Carolina Central on Nov. 17. 
• Through seven games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging an NCAA-best 24.4 assists per contest. 
• Six Hawkeyes have dished out 13 or more assists this season. Junior Makenzie Meyer leads the team with 35 (5.1 per game). 

IT WAS FOR FREE! SO I SAID “SURE”

• The Hawkeyes are shooting 79.1 percent from the free throw line this season — a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten Conference and 11th nationally. 
• Seniors Tania Davis (86.4) and Megan Gustafson (83.3) are ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, in the conference in field goal percentage. 
• Davis made a career-high 13-of-14 free throws in Iowa’s 24-point comeback win against No. 25/20 West Virginia on Nov. 24. 
• The Hawkeyes made 27 free throws in 32 attempts (84.4 percent) against the Mountaineers. 

THE B1G DUO 

• Seniors Hannah Stewart and Megan Gustafson have dominated down low for the Hawkeyes this season. 
• Stewart and Gustafson are scoring a combined 38.4 points per game, and averaging 19.3 rebounds per contest. 
• The duo has 269 points, 135 rebounds, 37 assists, and 17 blocks. They are shooting a combined 70 percent (118-for-169) from the field. 

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Through seven games this season, Iowa is averaging 87.7 points per game, a mark that leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally. 
• Iowa’s 54.9 field goal percentage ranks second in the NCAA. 
• Iowa scored 106 points in its win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 17. It marked the second-highest point total in program history. 
• Iowa’s 67-point margin of victory (106-39) against North Carolina Central marked the largest scoring margin for the Hawkeyes since 1992-93. 
• Four Hawkeyes are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Megan Gustafson leads the team with 24.9 points per game. Junior Makenzie Meyer (13.9), senior Hannah Stewart (13.6), and senior Tania Davis (12.0) are also averaging double figures. 

GUSTAFSON’S 4-FOR-4 

• For the fourth straight week, senior Megan Gustafson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
• It is the 14th Player of the Week honor of her career. 
• Gustafson averaged 29.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in a pair of games this week, shooting 77.4 percent from the field and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. 
• In an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup against No. 1 Notre Dame, Gustafson netted 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting (68.8 percent). She also registered 10 rebounds to collect her 60th career double-double.
• On Dec. 2, Gustafson scored a season-high 32 points on 13-of-15 shooting (86.6 percent) from the field in just 23 minutes action against Robert Morris. The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. She pulled down 12 rebounds to notch the 61st double-double of her career.
• Gustafson broke a Big Ten single-season record last year, winning nine Player of the Week honors. She was also named to the conference’s honor roll six times. 

TANIA DAVIS: THE RETURN

• Senior Tania Davis returned to the starting lineup in Iowa’s season opener for the first time since Dec. 17, 2017. 
• Through seven games this season, Davis is averaging 12.0 points and 4.3 assists. She’s shooting 86.4 percent from the free throw line. 
• Davis averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 assists in 12 games before tearing her ACL in 2017-18.  
• The Flint, Michigan, native’s sophomore season was also cut short due to injury. In 23 games in 2016-17, Davis averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 assists. 

CALL IT A COMEBACK

• The Hawkeyes trailed by 24 points with 2:10 remaining in the first half before coming back to defeat No. 25/20 West Virginia, 84-81, on Nov. 23.
• It marked the largest comeback in Big Ten Conference history, besting the previous mark of 21 (Nebraska vs. Creighton on Dec. 6, 2015). 
• It also ties for the fifth-largest comeback in Division I history. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson scored 17 of her 28 total points in the fourth quarter. She shot 8-for-9 from the field and pulled down six rebounds over the final 10 minutes. 

1,000 REBOUNDS CLUB

• Senior Megan Gustafson became just the second Hawkeye in program history to register 1,000 career rebounds. 
• She joins career rebounding record holder Cindy Haugejorde (1976-80). 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native needs four rebounds to break Haugejorde’s record of 1,067. 
• Gustafson needs 23 points to became the third Hawkeye in program history to score 2,000 points in her career. 
• Gustafson has the chance to become just the seventh Big Ten student-athlete to register 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career.  

STEWART COMES UP B1G

• Senior Hannah Stewart has started all seven games for the Hawkeyes this season — the first seven starts of her career. 
• In seven games, Stewart is averaging 13.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. 
• The Minot, North Dakota, native has scored 12 or more points in six of Iowa’s seven games this season. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Megan Gustafson recorded her 61st career double-double with 32 points and 12 rebounds against Robert Morris on Dec. 2. 
• Gustafson broke the program record (men or women) with her 49th career double-double (25 points, 15 rebounds) against Minnesota on Feb. 4, 2018. Gustafson surpassed former Iowa men’s basketball player Kevin Kunnert’s career total of 48 set in 1971-73. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native had 28 double-doubles last season — the second most in the NCAA. 
• She has registered a double-double in 38 of her last 46 games. 

ALL EYES ON GUSTAFSON

• Senior All-American Megan Gustafson was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top-30 Watch List, ESPN’s SportsCenter and ESPNW announced Nov. 6. 
• The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team and Most Outstanding Player Award. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national women’s college basketball media members.
• Gustafson was named to the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Oct. 26. 
• Named after the three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its second year recognizes the top centers in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.

MEET THE CAPTAINS 

• For the second straight year, senior Hannah Stewart and junior Kathleen Doyle have been named captains by their teammates. 
• Stewart shot a career-best 49.3 percent from the field as a junior. 
• Doyle, a second team All-Big Ten selection, returns for her junior season after leading the Big Ten with 7.5 assists per game in conference play. 

UP NEXT 

Iowa returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday, Dec. 8, hosting IUPUI at 2 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for youth, and free for UI students. The Hawkeyes will sign autographs following the contest.