Iowa Continues Road Swing at Penn State

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THIS WEEK 

The No. 13/12 University of Iowa women’s basketball team continues its road swing, traveling to University Park, Pennsylvania, for a road matchup with Penn State on Sunday. Tipoff is at 1 p.m. (CT) in the Bryce Jordan Center.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Sunday’s contest 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. 12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the AP Poll. 
• The Hawkeyes moved up four spots in the AP Poll and three spots in the Coaches Poll following wins over Rutgers and Purdue last week.
• Iowa’s No. 12 ranking in the Coaches Poll is the highest for the Hawkeyes since Iowa was ranked No. 11 on April 6, 2015. 
• Iowa is one of five conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll. No. 11 Maryland, No. 13 Iowa, No. 17 Rutgers, and No. 22 Michigan State are all ranked in the top-25, while Minnesota is receiving one vote. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of four teams ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They include: No. 10 Maryland, No. 12 Iowa, No. 19 Rutgers, and No. 22 Michigan State. 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa faces 10 teams who made the 2018 NCAA Tournament, including four nonconference opponents and six Big Ten foes. 
• As of Feb. 1, Iowa’s RPI is 11. 
• Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks ninth nationally. 
• The Hawkeyes have registered three wins over ranked opponents this season (vs. #25/20 West Virginia, #23/20 Minnesota, and #14/18 Rutgers). 

SCOUTING PENN STATE

• Penn State is 10-10 on the season and 3-6 in conference action. 
• The Nittany Lions are 8-6 when playing in the Bryce Jordan Center. 
• Penn State played its last game on Jan. 27. The Nittany Lions’ Thursday game at Michigan State was postponed due to weather.  
• Senior guard Teniya Page leads the Nittany Lions, averaging 19.9 points per game. Junior guard Siyeh Frazier is also averaging double figures with 10.0 points.
• Page ranks fourth nationally in free throws made (118), eighth in free throws attempted (149), 15th in total points (398), and 22nd in points per game (19.9). 
• Sophomore forward Alisia Smith leads the team on the glass, averaging 7.4 rebounds per contest. 
• As a team, the Nittany Lions are averaging 68.9 points per game and holding opponents to 69.3 points. 
• Penn State is ranked 14th nationally in free throws made (309) and 26th in free throws attempted (423). 

THE SERIES 

• Penn State leads the all-time series, 30-19. 
• The Nittany Lions have won three of the last five matchups between the two teams. 
• Iowa and Penn State met just once last season. The Hawkeyes defeated the Nittany Lions, 80-76, in Iowa City. 
• Megan Gustafson led the Hawkeyes in last season’s win, registering 33 points, 14 rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. 

SOMEBODY CALL 9-1-1, WE’D LIKE TO REPORT A THEFT 

• Junior Kathleen Doyle registered a career-high six steals in 29 minutes of game action at Michigan on Feb. 1. 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native is averaging 2.5 steals per game. 
• In 10 Big Ten games, Doyle is averaging 2.3 steals per game — a mark that ranks second in the Big Ten. 

4 OF THEIR LAST 5 

• The Hawkeyes have won five of their last six Big Ten contests, including wins over No. 20 Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, No. 14 Rutgers, and Purdue.  
• Two of Iowa’s last five wins have come on the road, including wins at No. 20 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. 

B1G CROWD, B1G WIN

• Iowa improved to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten with a 72-58 win over Purdue on Jan. 27.
• The Hawkeyes secured the win in front of 9,319 people. It marked Iowa’s largest crowd since Feb. 21, 2016 (vs. Indiana, 9,838).
• Senior Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 25 points and 11 rebounds. The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native registered 16 second-half points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. 
• Senior Hannah Stewart registered career highs in points (21) and field goals made (10). She shot 83 percent from the field (10-for-12). 
• Junior Kathleen Doyle dished out a game-high nine assists. She also chipped in seven points, six rebounds, and two steals. 
• Iowa’s defense held Purdue to just nine points in the second quarter and 11 points in the fourth quarter. 
• Iowa was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. 

THE MEGAN GUSTAFSON AWARD 

• For the ninth time this season, senior Megan Gustafson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. 
• Gustafson has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week 19 times, tying the conference record for weekly awards in a career (Jantel Lavender, Ohio State). 
• Gustafson also tied her own single-season record of nine set in 2017-18.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native averaged 28.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and shot 64 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line in Iowa wins over No. 14 Rutgers and Purdue last week. 
• Gustafson has been honored by the conference every week this season, including nine Player of the Week awards and three Honor Roll mentions.

STREAK SNAPPED 

• Iowa snapped No. 14 Rutgers’ 10-game winning streak with a 72-66 victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 23.
• Senior Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 32 points on 13-for-16 shooting from the field. She grabbed 12 rebounds to register her 18th double-double. 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.
• 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. 
• Stewart has started all 21 games for the Hawkeyes — the first 21 starts of her career. 
• Stewart is averaging 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. 
• The Minot, North Dakota, native has scored 10 or more points in 17 of Iowa’s 21 games this season. 

OOPS, SHE DID IT AGAIN

• Senior Megan Gustafson recorded her 74th career double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds against Purdue on Jan. 27.
• 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 ranks second nationally with 19 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 51 of her last 60 games, including 15 of her last 16 games. 

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Iowa’s 52.2 field goal percentage leads the nation.
• Through 21 games this season, Iowa is averaging 80.1 points per game, a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten and 16th 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. 

EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT

• Senior Megan Gustafson leads the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 70.3 percent. She has made an NCAA-best 232 field goals this season on 330 attempts (ranks 22nd nationally). 
• According to Her Hoop Stats, Gustafson averages 1.35 points per possession this season — the second-best rate in the country. Gustafson also ranks third in points per scoring attempt at 1.43. 

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 70.3 percent, while Stewart ranks 22nd at 58.4 percent. They rank first and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten. 
• Stewart and Gustafson are scoring a combined 38.8 points per game and averaging 18.5 rebounds per contest. 
• The duo has 814 points, 389 rebounds, 85 assists, and 51 blocks. They are shooting a combined 65.8 percent (347-for-527) from the field. 

(AS)SISTER SISTER 

• Junior Kathleen Doyle has registered five or more assists in 10 of the last 12 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 14 games this season, Doyle is averaging 5.6 assists per game. 
• In 10 Big Ten games, Doyle is averaging 6.1 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 2,358 career points.
• Gustafson also broke Iowa’s program record for career rebounds against Iowa State on Dec. 5. 
• Gustafson has 1,255 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). 

SHARING IS CARING 

• Through 21 games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 22.0 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 102 (4.9 per game). 
• In 10 conference games, junior Kathleen Doyle is averaging 6.1 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. 

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 Jan. 25. 
• 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). 

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 21 games this season, Davis is averaging 11.0 points and 4.9 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 Thursday, Feb. 7, hosting No. 22/22 Michigan State. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. (CT) on BTN.