Top-20 Matchup Set for Wednesday in Carver

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THIS WEEK 

The No. 18/15 University of Iowa women’s basketball team returns to Iowa City this week, hosting No. 14/18 Rutgers on Wednesday. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  

STORM CARVER

• With a top-20 matchup set for Wednesday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the UI Athletics Department is encouraging people to Storm Carver. Tickets can be purchased online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets, over the phone at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena ticket window. 
• Admission for youth (18& younger) and UI students is free. Adults tickets are $12. 
• General public parking is free. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Wednesday’s contest will be streamed live 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.

NATIONAL RANKINGS 

• Iowa is ranked No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 17 in the AP Poll. 
• Iowa is one of six conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll. No. 11 Maryland, No. 14 Rutgers, No. 17 Iowa, and No. 23 Michigan State are all ranked in the top-25, while Minnesota (21 votes) and Indiana (1 vote) are receiving votes. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of six Big Ten teams ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They include: No. 10 Maryland, No. 15 Iowa, No. 18 Rutgers, No. 21 Michigan State, Purdue (6 votes), and Minnesota (4 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 4-2 on the season in games against 2018 NCAA Tournament opponents, including wins over Drake, Western Kentucky, Nebraska, and Minnesota. 
• As of Jan. 21, Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 13th nationally. 
• As of Jan. 21, the Hawkeyes own an RPI of 12. 

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers is 15-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Big Ten Conference action. 
• The Scarlet Knights are on a 10-game winning streak. They are currently ranked No. 14 in the AP and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll. 
• Redshirt senior forward Stasha Carey and redshirt sophomore guard Arella Guirantes lead the Scarlet Knights, averaging 11.3 points a piece. 
• Senior forward Caitlin Jenkins averages a team-high 7.1 rebounds.
• As a team, Rutgers leads the Big Ten and is ranked ninth nationally in scoring defense (53.9) and field goal percentage defense (33.8). 
• The Scarlet Knights ranked 17th nationally in blocked shots (91) and 24th in blocked shots per game (5.1). 

THE SERIES 

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 5-2. 
• The Hawkeyes have won all five meetings since Rutgers joined the Big Ten.
• The Scarlet Knights are coached by C. Vivian Stringer. Stringer coached at Iowa from 1983-1995. She collected career win No. 1000 on Nov. 13, 2018. Stringer registered 269 of those wins as Iowa’s head coach. 
• Iowa defeated Rutgers, 77-67, in overtime in Piscataway, New Jersey last season. Megan Gustafson led the Hawkeyes with 27 points (10-for-14). and 14 rebounds. Kathleen Doyle netted 14 points and dished out nine assists. Doyle hit the game-tying 3-pointer with :09 remaining to send the game to overtime. 

SHARP SHOOTING LEADS HAWKEYES PAST ILLINOIS

• The Hawkeyes improved to 14-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten with a, 94-75, win at Illinois on Jan. 20. 
• Iowa shot 61.9 percent (39=for-63) from the field and 50.0 percent (11-for-22) in the contest. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led the Hawkeye attack with 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field, including her first career 3-pointer. She pulled down 12 rebounds to notch her 17th double-double of the season. 
• Senior Tania Davis (19), junior Kathleen Doyle (17), and senior Hannah Stewart (13) also scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes. 
• Iowa dished out 24 assists on 39 made field goals. 
• The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Illinois, 38-21. They outscored the Illini, 46-28, in the paint. 

SENIOR STANDOUTS

• Iowa’s three seniors — Tania Davis, Megan Gustafson, and Hannah Stewart — combined for 59 points, 21 rebounds, and eight assists against Illinois on Jan. 20. 
• The trio shot a combined 74.3 percent from the field (26-for-35). 
• In the last three games (wins vs. Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois) Iowa’s seniors collectively averaged 57.0 points, 32.0 rebounds, and 12.0 assists. They are shooting 71.4 percent from the field (75-for-105) in Iowa’s last three contests. 

3 WINS, 7 DAYS 

• Last week, Iowa defeated Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois is a seven-day span. 
• Two of Iowa’s three wins last week came on the road (at Minnesota, at Illinois). 
• As a team, the Hawkeyes averaged 83.3 points and held opponents to 66.3 points in the last three games. 
• The Hawkeyes shot 60.8 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range last week. 
• Iowa averaged 24.7 assists per game 
• Four Hawkeyes averaged double figures in scoring. They include: Megan Gustafson (27.3), Tania Davis (16.7), Hannah Stewart (13.0), and Kathleen Doyle (12.7). 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Senior Megan Gustafson recorded her 72nd career double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds against Illinois on Jan. 20. 
• She is just the second student-athlete in Big Ten women’s basketball history to register 70 or more double-doubles. 
• Jantel Lavender holds the current Big Ten record with 77 double-doubles. 
• Gustafson leads the nation with 17 double-doubles this season. 
• She 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 49 of her last 57 games. 

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Iowa’s 52.2 field goal percentage leads the nation.
• Through 18 games this season, Iowa is averaging 81.0 points per game, a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten and 17th nationally. 
• 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. 

WORKIN’ ON HER FITNESS 

• No other center in the country plays as many minutes per game than senior Megan Gustafson. 
• Gustafson has played 592:00 minutes this season — an average of 32.8 minutes per game.
• According to Her Hoop Stats, Gustafson averages 1.36 points per possession this season — the best rate in the country. Gustafson also ranks second in points per scoring attempt at 1.44. 

DIFFERENCE MAKER 

• After missing the first seven games of the season with a pair of broken bones in her left (nonshooting) hand, junior Kathleen Doyle has made a big impact in her return.
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 3.9 fewer turnovers with Doyle in the lineup. In seven games without Doyle, Iowa averaged 16.3 turnovers per game. In 11 games with Doyle in the lineup, the Hawkeyes are averaging 12.4 turnovers per game. 
• Doyle has also stepped up Iowa’s defensive intensity. She leads the team with 27 steals (2.5 per game). She is averaging 2.6 steals per game in Big Ten contests — the second-best mark in the conference. 
• As a team, the Hawkeyes averaged 6.1 steals per game without Doyle on the floor. With Doyle in the lineup, Iowa averages 7.1 steals per game. 

THE B1G DUO 

• Seniors Hannah Stewart and Megan Gustafson have dominated down low for the Hawkeyes.
• The duo ranks in the top-25 nationally in field goal percentage. Gustafson leads the nation at 70.7 percent, while Stewart ranks 23rd at 58.6 percent. They rank first and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten. 
• Stewart and Gustafson are scoring a combined 39.1 points per game and averaging 19.0 rebounds per contest. 
• The duo has 703 points, 342 rebounds, 75 assists, and 42 blocks. They are shooting a combined 66.1 percent (300-for-454) from the field. 

(AS)SISTER SISTER 

• Junior Kathleen Doyle has registered five or more assists in eight of the last nine games, including Big Ten contests against Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois.
• 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 11 games this season, Doyle is averaging 5.6 assists per game. 
• In seven Big Ten games, Doyle is averaging 6.3 assists per game — the second-best mark in the Big Ten.

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 2,274 career points.

SHARING IS CARING 

• Through 18 games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 22.4 assists per contest — the second-best mark in the NCAA. 
• Six Hawkeyes have dished out 20 or more assists this season. Senior Tania Davis leads the team with 85 (4.7 per game). 
• In seven conference games, junior Kathleen Doyle is averaging 6.3 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. 

REBOUNDING RECORD FALLS

• Senior Megan Gustafson broke Iowa’s program record for career rebounds against Iowa State on Dec. 5. 
• Gustafson has 1,213 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). 

NATIONALLY SPEAKING 

• As a team, the Hawkeyes lead the nation in field goal percentage (52.2) and total assists (403), rank second in assists per game (22.4), third in assist/turnover ratio (1.61), and 17th in scoring offense (81.0). 
• Senior Megan Gustafson ranks in the top-3 nationally in eight categories. She leads the nation in double-doubles (17), field goals made (198), field goal percentage (70.7), total points (471), and points per game (26.2), ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (10), and third in rebounds (234) and rebounds per game (13.0). 
• Senior Hannah Stewart ranks 23rd nationally in field goal percentage (58.6). 

STEWART COMES UP B1G

• Senior Hannah Stewart has started all 18 games for the Hawkeyes. 
• Stewart is averaging 12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. 
• The Minot, North Dakota, native has scored 10 or more points in 16 of Iowa’s 18 games this season. 

SHE’S ON A ROLL

• For the eighth time this season, senior Megan Gustafson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. 
• Gustafson has been honored by the conference every week this season, including eight Player of the Week awards and three Honor Roll mentions.
• Gustafson averaged 27.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, and shot 74.0 percent from the field in three Iowa wins last week.
• She has 18 Player of the Week awards in her career — the second most by a Big Ten athlete. 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 18 games this season, Davis is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 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. 

UP NEXT 

Iowa returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, hosting Purdue. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on BTN Plus.