WBB Travels to Minnesota on Monday

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THIS WEEK 

The No. 17/17 University of Iowa women’s basketball team travels to Minneapolis for a Monday night matchup with No. 18/20 Minnesota. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. (CT) in Williams Arena. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Monday’s contest will air live on ESPN2. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst) will have the call from Williams Arena. 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.

NATIONAL RANKINGS 

• Iowa is ranked No. 17 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Hawkeyes jumped up two spots in the AP Poll and three spots in the Coaches Poll from last week. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of six conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll. No. 9 Maryland, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 23 Michigan State, and No. 25 Indiana are also ranked within the top-25, while Rutgers (41 votes) is receiving votes. 
• Iowa is one of seven conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the Coaches Poll. They include: No. 9 Maryland, No. 20 Minnesota, No. 24 Michigan State, Indiana (44 votes), Rutgers (13 votes), and Michigan (2 votes). 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa faces 10 teams who made the 2018 NCAA Tournament, including four nonconference opponents and six Big Ten foes. 
• The Hawkeyes are 3-2 on the season in games against 2018 NCAA Tournament opponents, including wins over Drake, Western Kentucky, and Nebraska. 
• As of Jan. 11, Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 13th nationally. 

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

• Minnesota is 12-3 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play this season. The Gophers started the season 12-0 before dropping their last three contests (at Michigan, vs. Illinois, at Michigan State). 
• The Gophers are 10-1 in Williams Arena this season, including a Big Ten win over Wisconsin. Their lone home loss came to Illinois, 66-62, on Jan. 6. 
• Four Gophers are averaging double figures in scoring. Redshirt senior guard Kenisha Bell leads the team with 18.5 points per game. 
• Junior forward Taiye Bello leads the team on the boards, averaging 12.3 rebounds per game. 
• Bell ranks third nationally in three throw attempts (118) and 10th in free throws made (81). 
• Taiye Bello ranks fourth nationally in offensive rebounds per game (5), fifth in rebounds (184), and eighth in rebounds per game (12.3).
• The Gophers are led by first-year head coach Lindsay Whalen. 

THE SERIES 

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 50-27. 
• The teams have split the last 10 meetings, 5-5. 
• Iowa and Minnesota met three times last season. The Gophers won, 77-72, in Minneapolis on Jan. 21, before the Hawkeyes evened the series with a, 92-84, victory on Feb. 4. Minnesota outlasted the Hawkeyes, 90-89, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on March 2. 
• In three games against the Gophers last season, senior Megan Gustafson averaged 31.0 points and 13.3 rebounds. Gustafson broke a Big Ten Tournament and Iowa single-game record, scoring 48 points on 19-for-26 shooting from the field on March 2, 2018. 

(AS)SISTER SISTER 

• Junior Kathleen Doyle has registered five or more assists in each of the last six games, including Big Ten contests against Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Purdue. 
• Doyle finished one assist shy of her fifth career double-double in Iowa’s win over Nebraska on Jan. 3. Her nine assists marked a season high. 
• In eight games this season, Doyle is averaging 5.8 assists per game. 
• In four Big Ten games, Doyle is averaging 7.0 assists per game — the second-best mark in the conference. 

IT WAS FOR FREE! SO I SAID “SURE”

• The Hawkeyes are shooting 77.4 percent from the free throw line this season — a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten Conference and 14th nationally. 
• Three Hawkeyes are shooting 80 percent or better from the free throw line this season. Junior Makenzie Meyer is a perfect 18-for-18 from the line. Senior Tania Davis (85 percent) and junior Kathleen Doyle (81 percent) are also shooting above 80 percent. 
• Iowa was a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line against Iowa State on Dec. 5. Junior Kathleen Doyle (6-for-6), senior Megan Gustafson (5-for-5), junior Makenzie Meyer (2-for-2), and redshirt sophomore Alexis Sevillian (2-for-2) all made free throws in the contest. 
• 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. 

HISTORY MADE 

• Senior Megan Gustafson became the University of Iowa’s all-time leading scorer on Dec. 30, surpassing both the men’s and women’s records. 
• Ally Disterhoft (2013-17) set the previous women’s record of 2,102 in 2017. 
• Roy Marble held the men’s record of 2,116 since 1989. 
• Gustafson has 2,192 career points.

THE B1G DUO 

• Seniors Hannah Stewart and Megan Gustafson have dominated down low for the Hawkeyes.
• The duo ranks in the top-30 nationally in field goal percentage. Gustafson ranks third nationally at 70.0 percent, while Stewart ranks 26th at 57.1 percent. They rank second and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten. 
• Stewart and Gustafson are scoring a combined 38.8 points per game and averaging 18.8 rebounds per contest. 
• The duo has 582 points, 280 rebounds, 55 assists, and 35 blocks. They are shooting a combined 65 percent (245-for-377) from the field. 

SHARING IS CARING 

• Through 15 games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 21.9 assists per contest — the third-best mark in the NCAA. 
• Six Hawkeyes have dished out 20 or more assists this season. Junior Makenzie Meyer and senior Tania Davis lead the team with 68 (4.5 per game). 
• In four conference games, junior Kathleen Doyle is averaging 7.0 assists — the second-best mark in the Big Ten. 
• The Hawkeyes set new school assist records in back-to-back games. Iowa dished out 34 assists against Western Kentucky on Nov. 13, before besting that mark with 36 against North Carolina Central on Nov. 17. 

BALANCED ATTACK LEADS IOWA PAST WISCONSIN

• Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures in Iowa’s 71-53 win over Wisconsin on Jan. 7. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led the team with 21 points, while junior Kathleen Doyle (15), senior Hannah Stewart (11), and junior Makenzie Meyer (10) also scored in double figures. 
• The Hawkeyes forced 17 Badger turnovers, scoring 23 points off of those miscues. 
• Iowa dished out 23 assists on 29 made field goals. The Hawkeyes committed just 10 turnovers. 
• Four Hawkeyes registered four or more assists. Doyle led the team with seven, while Meyer and senior Tania Davis each chipped in five. Redshirt sophomore Alexis Sevillian dished out four. 

REBOUNDING RECORD FALLS

• Senior Megan Gustafson broke Iowa’s program record for career rebounds against Iowa State on Dec. 5. 
• Gustafson has 1,171 rebounds in her career. She bested the previous record of 1,067 set by Cindy Haugejorde in 1980. Gustafson registered her 1,000th career rebound at Western Kentucky (11/13). 

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Through 15 games this season, Iowa is averaging 80.5 points per game, a mark that ranks second in the Big Ten and 20th nationally. 
• Iowa’s 50.5 field goal percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth 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. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Senior Megan Gustafson recorded her 69th career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds at Purdue on Jan. 10. 
• Gustafson leads the nation with 14 double-doubles this season. 
• 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 46 of her last 54 games. 

2ND HALF DOMINANCE 

• Senior Megan Gustafson is averaging 14.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in the second half this season. 
• Gustafson is shooting 73.7 percent from the field and 76.9 percent from free throw range over the final 20 minutes of action. 
• In the fourth quarter alone, Gustafson averages 8.8 points and 3.1 rebounds. 
• She is shooting 73.1 percent from the field and 81.0 percent from the free throw line in the fourth quarter this season. 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• Senior Megan Gustafson ranks in the top-5 nationally in eight categories. She leads the nation in double-doubles (14), field goals made (161), and points per game (25.9), and ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (10) and total points (389),  third in field goal percentage (70.0), fourth in rebounds (193), and fifth in rebounds per game (12.9). 
• Senior Hannah Stewart ranks 26th nationally in field goal percentage (57.1). 

STEWART COMES UP B1G

• Senior Hannah Stewart has started all 15 games for the Hawkeyes this season — the first 15 starts of her career. 
• Stewart is averaging 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. 
• The Minot, North Dakota, native has scored 12 or more points in 11 of Iowa’s 15 games this season. 
• Stewart’s 57.1 field goal percentage ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation. 

SHE’S ON A ROLL

• Senior Megan Gustafson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the seventh time this season on Jan. 7. 
• Gustafson has been honored by the conference every week this season, including seven Player of the Week awards and two Honor Roll mentions.
• She led all scorers with 28 points and 17 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Nebraska on Jan. 3, registering her 12th double-double of the season. She also chipped in five blocks, two assists, and a steal. Gustafson recorded 16 points and eight rebounds in the final 20 minutes of action.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has 17 Player of the Week awards in her career — tied for the second most by a Big Ten athlete (Kelly Mazzante, Penn State). Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) holds the record for Player of the Week awards in a career with 19 (2008-11).
• Gustafson broke a 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 15 games this season, Davis is averaging 10.3 points and 4.5 assists. 
• With 2.6 seconds remaining, Davis hit a game-winning 3-pointer to give Iowa a 73-70 victory over Iowa State on Dec. 5. She ended the game with nine points, three assists, and two steals. 
• 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. 

ALL EYES ON GUSTAFSON

• Senior All-American Megan Gustafson was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 Watch List, ESPNW announced Jan. 9. 
• The list is comprised of 25 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.

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. 

UP NEXT 

Iowa returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, Jan. 17, hosting Michigan at 7 p.m. (CT). The game will air live on BTN.