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THIS WEEK
The No. 17/15 University of Iowa women’s basketball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena this weekend, hosting Purdue on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for youth, and free for UI students.
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
- Sunday’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. 24, Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 13th nationally.
- As of Jan. 24, the Hawkeyes own an RPI of 10.
- Iowa has registered three wins over ranked opponents this season (vs. #25/20 West Virginia, #23/20 Minnesota, and #14/18 Rutgers).
SCOUTING PURDUE
- Purdue is 15-6 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten Conference.
- The Boilermakers are receiving six votes in this week’s USA Coaches Poll.
- Purdue has won five of its last six contests. Its lone loss came to Rutgers, 65-63, in overtime in Piscataway, New Jersey.
- Sophomore guard Karissa McLaughlin leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. Junior guard Dominique Oden averages 15.4 points per contest.
- Junior forward Ae’Rianna Harris leads the team in rebounding, averaging 9.3 per game.
- Harris leads the nation in blocked shots (67) and ranks fourth in blocked shots per game (3.35).
- McLaughlin leads the nation in minutes played (742:06) and ranks fifth nationally in free throw percentage (92.5).
- As a team, Purdue ranks ninth nationally in blocked shots (110) and 13th in blocked shots per game (5.5).
THE SERIES
- Purdue leads the all-time series, 40-31.
- The Boilermakers defeated the Hawkeyes, 62-57, on Jan. 10 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Seniors Megan Gustafson (19 points) and Hannah Stewart (17 points) led the Hawkeyes in scoring. Gustafson also grabbed 13 rebounds.
- Sophomore guard Karissa McLaughlin and junior guard Dominique Oden led the Boilermakers with 16 points each.
STREAK SNAPPED
- Iowa snapped No. 14 Rutgers’ 10-game winning streak with a 72-66 victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday.
- Senior Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 32 points on 13-for-16 shooting from the field. She grabbed 12 rebounds to register her NCAA-leading 18th double-double of the season.
- Juniors Kathleen Doyle (17 points) and Makenzie Meyer (11) also scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes.
- The Hawkeyes made 12-of-16 fourth quarter free throws to seal the win over the Scarlet Knights.
- Iowa was the first team to score 70 or more points on the Scarlet Knights this season.
- Iowa shot 50 percent (24-for-48) from the field — the highest percentage registered against Rutgers this season.
STEWART COMES UP B1G
- Senior Hannah Stewart registered a steal, layup, blocked shot, and rebound in the final 3:19 to seal Iowa’s win over No. 14 Rutgers on Jan. 23.
- With 1:28 left, the Minot, North Dakota, native scored on a driving layup to give Iowa a 65-62 lead. On the next Rutgers’ possession, Stewart blocked a shot and brought down the rebound to force a shooting foul and put the game out of reach.
NOT 1, NOT 2, NOT 3, BUT 4
- The Hawkeyes have won four straight Big Ten contests, including wins over Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and No. 14 Rutgers.
- Two of Iowa’s last four wins have come on the road, including wins at Minnesota (81-63) and Illinois (94-75).
- Iowa is off to its best start in Big Ten play since 2014-15. The Hawkeyes finished the 2014-15 season 26-8 overall, 14-4 in the Big Ten, and made a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
- In the last four games, the Hawkeyes are averaging 80.5 points and holding their opponents to 66.2 points.
- Iowa is shooting 58.5 percent from the field, dishing out 23.3 assists, and committing just 12.5 turnovers per game during that span.
- Four Hawkeyes are averaging double figures in the last four games. They include: Megan Gustafson (28.5), Tania Davis (13.5), Kathleen Doyle (13.8), and Hannah Stewart (10.8).
NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
- Senior Megan Gustafson was named to the 2018 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Award Midseason Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday.
- Gustafson is one of four Big Ten women’s basketball student-athletes included on the top-15 list (Ae’Rianna Harris – Purdue, Shakira Austin – Maryland, and Kenisha Bell – Minnesota). The award’s semifinalists will be announced in February.
- The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native currently ranks in the top three nationally in eight statistical categories, and leads the nation in four categories, including double-doubles (19), field goal percentage (71.3), total points (503), and points per game (26.5).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
- Senior Megan Gustafson recorded her 73rd career double-double with 32 points and 12 rebounds against Rutgers on Jan. 23.
- 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 18 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 50 of her last 58 games.
HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE
- Iowa’s 52.1 field goal percentage leads the nation.
- Through 19 games this season, Iowa is averaging 80.5 points per game, a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten and 18th 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 631:00 minutes this season — an average of 33.2 minutes per game.
- According to Her Hoop Stats, Gustafson averages 1.37 points per possession this season — the best rate in the country. Gustafson also ranks second in points per scoring attempt at 1.45.
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 71.3 percent, while Stewart ranks 25th at 58.4 percent. They rank first and fifth, respectively, in the Big Ten.
- Stewart and Gustafson are scoring a combined 38.9 points per game and averaging 18.9 rebounds per contest.
- The duo has 739 points, 359 rebounds, 78 assists, and 43 blocks. They are shooting a combined 66.5 percent (315-for-474) from the field.
(AS)SISTER SISTER
- Junior Kathleen Doyle has registered five or more assists in nine of the last 10 games, including Big Ten contests against Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, and Rutgers.
- 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 12 games this season, Doyle is averaging 5.7 assists per game.
- In eight 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 2,306 career points.
SHARING IS CARING
- Through 19 games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 22.2 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 91 (4.8 per game).
- In eight 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 1,225 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 (52.1) and assists (422). They also rank second in assists per game (22.2), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.60), and 18th in scoring offense (80.5).
- Senior Megan Gustafson ranks in the top three nationally in eight statistical categories. She leads the nation in field goal percentage (71.3), double-doubles (18), total points (503), field goals made (211), and points per game (26.5), and ranks third in defensive rebounds per game (10), rebounds (246), and rebounds per game (12.9).
- Senior Hannah Stewart ranks 25th nationally in field goal percentage (58.6).
STEWART SHINES IN STARTING ROLE
- Senior Hannah Stewart has started all 19 games for the Hawkeyes — the first 19 starts of her career.
- Stewart is averaging 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
- The Minot, North Dakota, native has scored 10 or more points in 16 of Iowa’s 19 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 19 games this season, Davis is averaging 11.0 points and 4.8 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 travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a contest against the Wolverines on Thursday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is at 5 p.m. (CT) at the Crisler Center. The game will air live on BTN with Chris Vosters and Christy Winters Scott on the call.
