B1G Championship Game Set for Sunday

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THIS WEEK 

The No. 10/10 University of Iowa women’s basketball team takes on top-seeded Maryland in the 2019 Big Ten Tournament Championship game on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Sunday’s contest will air live on ESPN2. Tiffany Greene (play-by-play), LaChina Robinson (analyst), and Christy Winters-Scott (sideline) will have the call from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. 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.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

• Iowa is 25-23 in the Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes are 19-17 in the tournament under head coach Lisa Bluder. The 19 wins are the second-most for a current head coach (Sharon Versyp, 24, Indiana/Purdue). 
• The Hawkeyes will make their fifth championship game appearance on Sunday. Iowa claimed tournament titles in 1997 and 2001. 
• Iowa’s most recent championship game appearance came in 2014. The fifth-seeded Hawkeyes fell to third-seeded Nebraska, 72-74, in Bankers Life Field House. 

IN THE RANKINGS

• Iowa is ranked No. 10 in this week’s AP Poll and USA Today Coaches poll. 
• The Hawkeyes entered the top-10 for the second time this season (Week 16). Prior to this season, it is Iowa’s first top-10 appearance in both major polls since 1996. 
• The Hawkeyes are one of three conference teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll. No. 8 Maryland and No. 10 Iowa are ranked within the top-25, while Rutgers is receiving seven votes. 
• Iowa is also one of three Big Ten teams ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They include: No. 8 Maryland, No. 10 Iowa, and Rutgers (6 votes).

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa faced 10 teams who made the 2018 NCAA Tournament in the regular season, including four nonconference opponents and six Big Ten foes. 
• As of March 8, Iowa’s RPI is nine. Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 12th nationally (March 8). 
• The Hawkeyes have registered five wins over ranked opponents this season (No. 25/20 West Virginia, No. 23/20 Minnesota, No. 14/18 Rutgers, No. 23/21 Michigan State, and No. 7/8 Maryland). 
• On Feb. 5, the NCAA women’s basketball selection committee released its final top-16 reveal of the season. Iowa was a No. 2 seed in the Greensboro Regional. The Hawkeyes were the No. 8 overall seed. 

25 WINS

• Iowa reached the 25-win mark with a 72-67 win over Rutgers on Saturday. 
• The Hawkeyes have registered 25 wins in a season for the first time since 2014-15. Iowa finished the 2014-15 season with a 26-8 overall mark. 
• The Hawkeyes finished the regular season with a 14-4 record in conference action for the first time since 2014-15. Iowa finished the 2014-15 season with a 26-8 overall record and made a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. 

HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS 

• Iowa has won 19 consecutive games on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a 15-0 mark this season. 
• The last loss for the Hawkeyes at home was a 92-74 defeat against Nebraska on Jan. 28, 2018. 
• The Hawkeyes went undefeated on their home court in the regular season for the first time since 2014-15 (18-0). 

SCOUTING MARYLAND

• Maryland enters Sunday’s contest with a 28-3 overall record. The Terrapins claimed the regular season conference title with a 15-3 mark in the Big Ten.
• The Terrapins defeated Michigan State, 71-55, in the quarterfinals on Friday. Maryland then outlasted Michigan, 73-72, to earn a spot in the championship. 
• Junior guard Kaila Charles leads the team, averaging 16.3 points per game. 
• Freshman forward Shakira Austin leads the team on the boards, averaging 9.7 rebounds per contest. 
• Sunday is Maryland’s fifth straight appearance in the Big Ten Championship game. The Terrapins are 13-1 all-time in the conference tournament with three tournament titles. 

THE SERIES

• Maryland leads the all-time series, 6-2. 
• The Terrapins have won six of seven meetings since joining the Big Ten. 
• The Hawkeyes defeated No. 7/8 Maryland, 86-73, in Iowa City on Feb. 17. Senior Megan Gustafson led the Hawkeyes with 31 points (10-for-18) and 17 rebounds. Seniors Tania Davis (13) and Hannah Stewart (12), and junior Kathleen Doyle (12) also scored in double figures. 

IOWA DEFEATS RUTGERS IN B1G SEMIFINAL

• The Hawkeyes defeated Rutgers, 72-67, in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal on Saturday evening in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led all scorers with 20 points. She added 12 rebounds for her 84th career double-double. 
• Senior Hannah Stewart made 6-of-7 shots from the field. She netted 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds. 
• Junior Makenzie Meyer also scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes. She was 3-for-8 from 3-point range. 

HAWKEYES DOWN HOOSIERS IN B1G QUARTERFINAL

• The Hawkeyes downed Indiana, 70-61, in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday evening. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led the team with a game-high 30 points and a game-best 17 rebounds. 
• Junior Makenzie Meyer netted 12 points, making 4-of-9 attempts from 3-point range. 
• Junior Kathleen Doyle drew a charge, scored five points, and registered two blocks in the final 3:49 seconds to seal the win for the Hawkeyes. 

GOTTA CATCH EM ALL

• Senior Megan Gustafson broke her own school record for points in a single season on Friday. 
• Gustafson now has 852 points this season, besting her 2017-18 total of 823. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native broke her own school record for double-doubles in a single season. She has 29 double-doubles in Iowa’s 31 games. 
• On Saturday, Gustafson bested her own record for rebounds in a single season. She has 414 rebounds, besting her 2017-18 mark of 411. 

SENIORS STEP UP 

• Iowa’s three seniors — Tania Davis, Megan Gustafson, and Hannah Stewart — combined for all 15 of Iowa’s fourth quarter points against Rutgers on Saturday.
• Gustafson led the charge with six points and three rebounds. 
• Davis netted five points, including a 3-pointer that gave Iowa a six-point lead with 1:36 remaining. The Flint, Michigan, native also drained both of her free throw attempts with 15 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Hawkeyes. 

B1G DUO ON THE BOARDS

• Seniors Megan Gustafson and Hannah Stewart combined to record 30 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Indiana on March 8. 
• Gustafson grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds, while Stewart registered 13. 
• Indiana’s entire team record 32 rebounds. 

GOIN’ BACK-TO-BACK

• Senior Megan Gustafson was named the consensus Big Ten Player of the Year on Monday. 
• Gustafson became the first Hawkeye in program history to win the award twice. 
• She is the first Hawkeye student-athlete chosen as the coaches’ Player of the Year since 1998 (Tangela Smith). 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native is the ninth two-time Big Ten Player of the Year in conference history. She joins Jantel Lavender (OSU, four times), Jessica Davenport (OSU, three times), Kelsey Mitchell (OSU, three time), Anucha Browne (NW, two times), Tracey Hall (OSU, two times), Maggie Lucas (PSU, two times), Kelly Mazzante (PSU, two times), and Katie Douglas (PU, two times).
• Gustafson as also a unanimous first time All-Big Ten honoree (coaches & media) and named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.  

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

• Three Hawkeyes earned all-conference honors on Monday. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten honoree (coaches & media). 
• Junior Kathleen Doyle earned first team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and second team accolades from the media. 
• Senior Tania Davis was named a consensus honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. 
• Senior Hannah Stewart was named Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award honoree. 

B1G RECORDS FALL 

• Iowa set a Big Ten record with 392 assists during the conference season. The Hawkeyes topped Ohio State’s mark of 356 set in 1984-85. 
• The Hawkeyes averaged 21.8 assists per game during conference play — passing Iowa’s own record of 20.8 assists per game during the 2000-01 Big Ten season. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson made 211 field goals (11.7 per contest) during the conference season, besting the Big Ten record set by Northwestern’s Anucha Browne of 205 field goals (11.4 per game) in 1984-85. 

SHARING IS CARING

• Through 31 games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 22.0 assists per contest — the second-best mark in the NCAA. 
• Seven Hawkeyes have dished out 29 or more assists this season, while six have dished out 55 or more. Junior Kathleen Doyle has dished out a team-high 145 assists. She averages 6.0 assists per game. 
• In 18 conference games, Doyle averaged 6.3 assists — the best mark in the Big Ten. 
• The Hawke1es 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. 

THAT’S OUR HEAD COACH

• Head Coach Lisa Bluder was named one of 15 late-season candidates for the Naismith Coach of the Year on Feb. 27. 
• Four Big Ten coaches have earned the honor, including former Hawkeye head coach C. Vivian Stringer (1993). 

NAME A BETTER TRIO… WE’LL WAIT

• Iowa’s senior class of Tania Davis, Megan Gustafson, and Hannah Stewart owns an overall record of 88-42 (68 percent), including a 56-12 mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (82 percent). 
• Davis, Gustafson, and Stewart have started all 31 games for the Hawkeyes.
• Collectively, Iowa’s three seniors are averaging 49.5 points, 22.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game this season. 

THEY SEE US ROLLIN’

• The Hawkeyes have won nine of their last 10 contests.
• Two of Iowa’s last nine wins have come against top-25 teams, including No. 21 Michigan State and No. 7 Maryland. 
• In the last 10 games, senior Megan Gustafson is averaging 29.7 points and 14.8 rebounds. She is shooting 68.2 percent from the field and 86.4 percent from the free throw line. 
• Junior Kathleen Doyle is averaging 11.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists over the last 10 contests. 
• As a team, the Hawkeyes are averaging 78.2 points and holding opponents to 63.4 points. Iowa is shooting 51.2 percent from the field and holding opponents to a 37.9 shooting percentage. 

HAVE A (CAREER) DAY

• Senior Hannah Stewart registered the first double-double of her career in Iowa’s win over Nebraska on Feb. 25. She recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson pulled down a career-best 20 rebounds. 
• Junior Makenzie Meyer dished out a career-high 10 assists. She also recorded seven points, two steals, two rebounds, and a block in the victory. 

EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT

• Senior Megan Gustafson ranks first nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 70.3 percent. She has made an NCAA-best 343 field goals (stats updated through games on March 8). 
• No student-athlete in the history of NCAA women’s basketball has ever averaged 27 or more points, 13 or more rebounds, and shot 70 percent or better from the field. 
• According to Her Hoop Stats, Gustafson averages 1.36 points per possession this season — the best rate in the country. Gustafson also ranks first in points per scoring attempt at 1.46. 
• Gustafson is just the eighth athlete in Big Ten history to shoot 70 percent or better from the field and the first since 2011 (Carolyn Swords, Boston College). 

(AS)SISTER SISTER 

• Junior Kathleen Doyle has recorded five or more assists in 19 of her 24 games.
• Doyle was one assist shy of her fifth career double-double at Indiana (2/21).
• In 24 games this season, Doyle is averaging 6.0 assists per game. Her 6.0 assists per contests rank 13th nationally. 
• In 18 Big Ten games, Doyle is averaging 6.3 assists per game — the best mark in the conference.

OOPS, SHE DID IT AGAIN

• Senior Megan Gustafson recorded her 84th career double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds against Rutgers on March 9. 
• She broke her own program record with her 29th double-double of the season against the Scarlet Knights, besting her 2017-18 mark of 28.
• Gustafson broke the Big Ten record for double-doubles in a career against Illinois on Feb. 14. Jantel Lavender (2007-11) previously held the record of 77. 
• Gustafson’s 29 double-doubles this season ranks second nationally. 
• 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 61 of her last 70 games, including 25 of her last 26 games. 

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Iowa’s 52.0 field goal percentage leads the nation.  
• Through 31 games this season, Iowa is averaging 79.8 points per game, a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten and 11th 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. 

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

• In 24 games this season, junior Kathleen Doyle has registered a team-high 52 steals (2.2 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 2.3 steals in 18 conference games this season — the second-highest average in the Big Ten. 

THE MEGAN GUSTAFSON AWARD 

• Senior Megan Gustafson was honored by the Big Ten every week this season, including 13 Player of the Week nods and four Honor Roll mentions.
• She has 23 Big Ten Player of the Week awards in her career. Gustafson owns the conference record for career weekly awards, besting Jantel Lavender’s (Ohio State) previous mark of 19. She also owns the record for awards in a single season (12). 

OH MY, 40 

• Senior Megan Gustafson netted 41 points in Iowa’s win over No. 21 Michigan State on Feb. 7. It marks the second time she’s scored 40 or more points this season (Drake, 12/21). 
• Gustafson has surpassed 30 points 11 times this season — a mark that leads the NCAA. 
• She’s netted 20 or more points in 28 of Iowa’s 31 contests, including 17 games against Big Ten opponents. 

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. Gustafson has 2,655 career points.
• 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 also broke Iowa’s program record for career rebounds against Iowa State on Dec. 5. 
• Gustafson has 1,393 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). 

ALL EYES ON GUSTAFSON

• On March 9, senior Megan Gustafson was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Wooden Award. 
• On March 4, Gustafson was named one of 10 finalists for the Naismith Trophy. 
• 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 Feb. 19, Gustafson was named one of 10 semifinalist for the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. 
• Gustafson was named one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award on Feb. 15. The award recognizes the top centers in women’s basketball. 
• She was named 1-of-10 finalists for the Senior Class Award on Feb. 6.