Top-25 Matchup Set for Thursday in Carver

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THIS WEEK 

The No. 16/16 University of Iowa women’s basketball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, hosting Michigan State. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $12 for adults and free for youth and UI students. 

HAWKEYE LIGHTS APP

• Fans are encouraged to download the ‘Hawkeye Lights’ App to join Thursday’s pregame light show.
• Apple Users: apple.co/2sRZDwt  
• Android Users: tinyurl.com/y7qe3fgg 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Thursday’s contest will air live on BTN. Lisa Byington (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (analyst) will have the call from Carver-Hawkeye 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. 16 in the both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP Poll. 
• Iowa is one of five conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll. No. 10 Maryland, No. 16 Iowa, No. 20 (tied) Rutgers, and No. 23 Michigan State are all ranked in the top-25, while Minnesota is receiving two votes. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of four teams ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They include: No. 8 Maryland, No. 16 Iowa, No. 21 Michigan State, and No. 24 Rutgers. 

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. 4, Iowa’s RPI is 13. 
• Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 11th nationally (updated Feb. 4). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered three wins over ranked opponents this season (vs. #25/20 West Virginia, #23/20 Minnesota, and #14/18 Rutgers). 

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

• Michigan State is 16-5 overall and 6-4 in conference action this season. 
• The Spartans are ranked No. 23 in this week’s AP Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll. 
• Michigan State is 3-4 in road contests this season, including a 1-4 mark when playing on the road in the Big Ten. The Spartans are 12-0 at home. 
• The Spartans enter Thursday’s game on a three-game win streak, including victories over Illinois, Michigan, and Purdue. 
• Five Spartans are averaging double figures. Jenna Allen leads the team with 14.5 points per game. 
• Allen also leads the team on the boards, averaging 7.1 per contest. 
• Four Spartans averaged four or more rebounds per game. 
• As a team, the Spartans rank fourth nationally in assists per game (20.3). The yalso rank fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.1), and sixth in total assists (426) and assist/turnover ratio (1.44). 

THE SERIES 

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 37-28.
• Michigan State won the first meeting, 84-70, in East Lansing. The Spartans out-rebounded the Hawkeyes, 48-34, and registered 14 offensive boards. Three Spartans scored in double figures, including Nia Clouden (27), Jenna Allen (20), and Mardrekia Cook (14). 
• Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 30 points. She became Iowa’s all-time leading rebounder, registering 14 boards in the contest. 
• Junior Kathleen Doyle also scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes with 10 points. 
• The Hawkeyes defeated the Spartans, 71-68, in overtime in East Lansing
• last season.
• Two of the last three meetings went to overtime. Iowa is 2-0 in those contests. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 36 points and 17 rebounds last season. Junior Kathleen Doyle also scored in double figures (11 points). 

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

• In just 15 games this season, junior Kathleen Doyle has registered a team-high 38 assists (2.5 per game). 
• She recorded a career-high six steals in 29 minutes of game action at Michigan on Feb. 1. 
• The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native is averaging 2.6 steals in 11 conference games this season — the second-highest average in the Big Ten. 

6 OF THEIR LAST 7 

• The Hawkeyes have won six of their last seven Big Ten contests, including wins over No. 20 Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, No. 14 Rutgers, Purdue, and Penn State.
• Three of Iowa’s last six wins have come on the road, including wins at No. 20 Minnesota (81-63), Illinois (94-75), and Penn State (81-61). 
• 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. 

UNHAPPY VALLEY

• Iowa improved to 17-5 overall and 8-3 in the Big Ten with an, 81-61, win at Penn State on Feb. 3. 
• All 12 available Hawkeyes saw action in the win. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 30 points, shooting 72.2 percent (13-for-18) from the field. She also registered 11 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in the victory. 
• Senior Hannah Stewart grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. She scored six points, dished out four assists, and denied one shot in 28 minutes of action. 
• Junior Makenzie Meyer registered her highest point total since scoring 20 vs. West Virginia on Nov. 23. She scored 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, including a 3-for-5 performance from 3-point range. 
• Junior Kathleen Doyle netted 10 points, dished out six assists, grabbed three rebounds, and registered three steals in the victory. 

THE MEGAN GUSTAFSON AWARD 

• For the 10th time this season, senior Megan Gustafson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. 
• It is the 20th Big Ten Player of the Week Award of Gustafson’s career. She now owns the conference record for career weekly awards, besting Jantel Lavender’s (Ohio State) previous mark of 19. 
• Gustafson also broke her own single-season record with her 10th honor this season.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native averaged 28.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and shot 75.0 percent from the field in two road contests last week.
• Gustafson has been honored by the conference every week this season, including 10 Player of the Week awards and three Honor Roll mentions.

STEWART COMES UP B1G

• Senior Hannah Stewart has started all 22 games for the Hawkeyes — the first 22 starts of her career. 
• Stewart is averaging 12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. 
• The Minot, North Dakota, native has scored 10 or more points in 17 of Iowa’s 22 games this season. 
• 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. 

SENIOR CLASS AWARD

• Senior Megan Gustafson was named 1-of-10 finalists for the Senior Class Award on Feb. 6. 
• The finalists were chosen from a list of 30 candidates announced earlier this season. 
• To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in the community, classroom, character and competition. 
• Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 25.

OOPS, SHE DID IT AGAIN

• Senior Megan Gustafson recorded her 75th career double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds against Penn State on Feb. 3. 
• 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 20 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 52 of her last 61 games, including 16 of her last 17 games. 

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Iowa’s 52.3 field goal percentage leads the nation.
• Through 22 games this season, Iowa is averaging 80.2 points per game, a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten and 15th 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 ranks second nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 70.4 percent. She has made an NCAA-best 245 field goals this season on 348 attempts (ranks 19th 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 1.44. 

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 ranks second nationally at 70.4 percent, while Stewart ranks 21st at 58.4 percent. They rank first and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten. 
• Stewart and Gustafson are scoring a combined 38.6 points per game and averaging 18.8 rebounds per contest. 
• The duo has 850 points, 414 rebounds, 94 assists, and 55 blocks. They are shooting a combined 66.0 percent (363-for-550) from the field. 

(AS)SISTER SISTER 

• Junior Kathleen Doyle has registered five or more assists in 11 of her 15 games played. 
• 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 15 games this season, Doyle is averaging 5.7 assists per game. 
• In 11 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 2,388 career points.
• Gustafson also broke Iowa’s program record for career rebounds against Iowa State on Dec. 5. 
• Gustafson has 1,266 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 22 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 106 (4.9 per game). 
• In 11 conference games, junior Kathleen Doyle is averaging 6.2 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. 

ALL EYES ON GUSTAFSON

• Senior Megan Gustafson has been named to several Player of the Year award Watch List. 
• On Feb. 5, Gustafson was named to the midseason Wade Watch List. She is one of 35 student-athletes on the list for the WBCA’s Wade Trophy. 
• Gustafson was one of 20 student-athletes included on the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Watch List, ESPNW announced Feb. 4. 
• On Jan. 25, Gustafson was named to the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Award Midseason Watch List. Gustafson is one of four Big Ten student-athletes included on the top-15 list. 
• Gustafson was named to the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List on Oct. 26. The award recognizes the top centers in women’s basketball. 

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 22 games this season, Davis is averaging 10.9 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 travels to Columbus, Ohio, for a matchup with Ohio State on Sunday. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. (CT) on BTN.