Iowa, NC State Meet in Sweet 16 on Saturday

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THIS WEEK 

The No. 8/8 University of Iowa women’s basketball team travels to Greensboro, North Carolina, to take on No. 10/10 NC State in the NCAA Sweet 16 on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 10:30 a.m. (CT) at the Greensboro Coliseum. 

TICKETS 

Tickets behind the Iowa bench can be purchased here. 

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG 

• Saturday’s contest will air nationally on ESPN. Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) will have the call from Greensboro Coliseum. The game will also be available on the ESPN App and WatchESPN. 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 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.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

• Iowa enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. The Hawkeyes have been a No. 2 seed three times in program history (1993, 1996, 2019). Iowa is 7-2 all-time as a No. 2 seed. 
• This marks Iowa’s 26th trip to the NCAA Tournament. 
• Iowa is making its seventh trip to the Sweet 16 and its second under head coach Lisa Bluder. 
• The Hawkeyes have advanced to the Elite 8 three times. Iowa advanced to the Final Four in 1993. 
• Head coach Lisa Bluder has led the Hawkeyes to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances in 19 years.
• Iowa has advanced to the postseason in 18 of her 19 seasons (14 NCAA, 4 WNIT).  
• Iowa is 15-7 all-time when playing at home in the NCAA Tournament. 

IN THE RANKINGS

• Iowa is ranked No. 8 in this week’s AP Poll and USA Today Coaches poll. It marks Iowa’s highest national ranking since 1996. 
• Iowa is one of four Big Ten teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They include: No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Maryland, Rutgers (5 votes), and Michigan (1 vote). 
• Two Big Ten teams are ranked in the AP Poll. Iowa and Maryland are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.
• Six Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament. They include Iowa (2), Maryland (3), Rutgers (7), Michigan (9), Michigan State (9), and Indiana (10). 
• Three Big Ten teams accepted bids to the WNIT. They include Minnesota, Northwestern, and Ohio State. 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks eighth nationally. 
• The Hawkeyes have registered six wins over ranked opponents this season (No. 25/20 West Virginia, No. 23/20 Minnesota, No. 14/18 Rutgers, No. 23/21 Michigan State, No. 7/8 Maryland, and No. 8/8 Maryland). 

28 WINS

• The Hawkeyes registered win No. 28 on Sunday, March 24, marking the highest win total for the program under head coach Lisa Bluder. 
• Iowa has 28 wins for the first time since 1987-88. The Hawkeyes finished the 1987-88 season with a 29-2 record. 

HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS 

• Iowa has won 21 consecutive games on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a perfect 17-0 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 for the first time since 2014-15 (18-0). 
• Iowa’s two-day attendance of 23,096 marked a new NCAA First/Second Round record. 
• Iowa City’s second round attendance of 12,376 was higher than the combined two-day attendance at 11 other sites (Ames, Charlotte, College Park, College Station, Coral Gables, Corvallis, Raleigh, Stanford, Storrs, Syracuse, Waco). 

B1G RECORD BREAKER 

• Senior Megan Gustafson became the Big Ten’s all-time leading rebounder on March 24. 
• Gustafson surpassed Jantel Lavender’s (2008-11) previous record of 1,422. She has 1,438 rebounds in her career. 
• Gustafson is also on pace to break conference records for field goal percentage in a season (record is 69.0 by Maryland’s Brionna Jones in 2016-17) and a career (record is 65.0 by Jones from 2014-17). 

SCOUTING NC STATE

• NC State enters Saturday’s contest with a 27-5 record. 
• The Wolfpack defeated Maine, 63-51, in the first round, before notching a 72-57 victory over No. 17 Kentucky in the second round. 
• Graduate senior Kiara Leslie leads the team, averaging 15.9 points. She also averages 7.2 rebounds a game. 
• Redshirt junior guard Grace Hunter, freshman center Elissa Cunane (13.6), and junior Aislinn Konig (10.7) are also averaging double figures. 
• Senior forward DD Rogers leads the team on the boards, averaging 7.9 rebounds per contest. 
• The Wolfpack is coached by sixth year head coach Wes Moore. Both Moore and head coach Lisa Bluder are finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year award. 
• Iowa leads the all-time series, 1-0. The Hawkeyes defeated NC State, 56-50, in the NCAA First Round in Storrs, Connecticut. 

SWEET, SWEET VICTORY 

• The Hawkeyes defeated Missouri, 68-52, in the NCAA Second Round on March 24. 
• Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures. Senior Megan Gustafson led the way with 24. Junior Makenzie Meyer netted 18 and junior Kathleen Doyle registered 15. 
• Iowa shot 52.0 percent (26-for-50) from the field and held Missouri to 36.2 percent (21-for-58). 
• After giving up 20 points in the first quarter, Iowa held the Tigers to nine points in the second, 12 points in the third, and 11 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

FEELIN HOT, HOT, HOT

• Junior Makenzie Meyer is shooting 51.4 percent (18-for-25) from 3-point range and 66.3 (61-for-92) from the field in five postseason games (3 Big Ten Tournament games, 2 NCAA Tournament contests).
• The Mason City, Iowa, native is also averaging 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds over that span. 
• In two NCAA Tournament games this season, Meyer is shooting 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from 3-point range and 64.7 (11-for-17) from the field. 
• Meyer tied a career-high with five 3-pointers made in Iowa’s win over Mercer. She was 5-for-7 from distance. Two days later, Meyer was 4-for-7 from 3-point range to help Iowa to a win over Missouri.

SURVIVE & ADVANCE

• Iowa defeated Mercer, 66-61, in the NCAA First Round on March 22.  
• Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures. Senior Megan Gustafson led the way with 30 points, while junior Makenzie Meyer netted 16, and senior Hannah Stewart poured in 12. 
• Gustafson and Stewart each notched double-doubles. Gustafson netted 30 points and pulled down 16 rebounds for her 31st double-double of the season. Stewart registered 12 points and 11 rebounds to post her second career double-double. 
• Junior Makenzie Meyer tied a career-high with five 3-pointers made. She was 5-for-7 from distance. 

STEWART’S FOURTH QUARTER 

• Senior Hannah Stewart scored eight points and pulled down five rebounds in the fourth quarter against Mercer on March 22 to seal the win for the Hawkeyes. 
• She posted the second double-double of her career against the Bears with 12 points and 11 rebounds. She also dished out four assists.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE RECORD WATCH

• Senior Megan Gustafson has 32 double-doubles this season, one shy of tying the NCAA record for double-doubles in a season. 
• Courtney Paris (Oklahoma; 2006, 2007) and Natalie Butler (George Mason; 2018) share the current record of 33. 
• Gustafson’s 87 career double-doubles ranks fourth all-time in the NCAA. 
• Her 32 double-doubles this season are an Iowa program record. She bested her own previous record of 28 (2017-18) against Rutgers on March 9. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native 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 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. 
• She has registered a double-double in 64 of her last 73 games, including 28 of her last 29 contests.

GUSTAFSON BREAKS (ANOTHER) RECORD… WHAT ELSE IS NEW? 

• Senior Megan Gustafson broke or tied four records against Mercer on March 22. 
• Gustafson broke the Big Ten record for points and rebounds in a single season. She now has 951 points this season, besting Rachel Banham’s (Minnesota) previous mark of 917 set in 2015-16. Her 459 rebounds this season surpassed Amanda Zahui B’s previous mark of 426 set in 2014-15.
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native also broke a pair of NCAA Tournament records. She made 13 straight field goals against Mercer, passing the previous record for consecutive field goals made of 11 set by Teaira McCowan (2018) and Terry Carmichael (1985). 
• Gustafson shot 87.5 percent (14-for-16) from the field, matching Brooke Smith’s tournament record set in 2006. 

“ALEXA: PLAY WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!” 

• The Hawkeyes claimed the Big Ten Tournament title with a 90-76 win over top-seeded Maryland on March 10. 
• Senior Megan Gustafson led the Hawkeyes with 45 points (17-for-24), 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Her 45 points were a Big Ten Championship record. Senior Tania Davis (14) and junior Kathleen Doyle (13) also scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes. 
• Gustafson was named the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while senior Hannah Stewart was named to the All-Tournament team. 
• The Hawkeyes defeated Rutgers, 72-67, in the semifinal and Indiana, 90-76, in the quarterfinals to advance to the championship game. 

NAME A BETTER TRIO… WE’LL WAIT

• Iowa’s senior class of Tania Davis, Megan Gustafson, and Hannah Stewart owns an overall record of 91-42 (68 percent), including a 58-12 mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (83 percent). 
• Davis, Gustafson, and Stewart have started all 34 games for the Hawkeyes.
• Collectively, Iowa’s three seniors are averaging 49.4 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game this season. 

ESPNW PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

• Senior Megan Gustafson was named the unanimous ESPNW Player of the Year on March 15. 
• She is the first ESPNW Player of the Year in program history. She is the first Big Ten student to earn women’s basketball national player-of-the-year honors since 1999. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native also earned unanimous first team All-America honors from ESPNW on March 14. 

RECORD BOOK… SHARPIE

• Senior Megan Gustafson broke her own school record for points and double-doubles in a single season against Indiana on March 8. 
• Gustafson now has 951 points this season, besting her 2017-18 total of 823. 
• The Port Wing, Wisconsin, has a single-season high 32 double-doubles in Iowa’s 34 games this season. 
• On March 10, Gustafson bested her own record for rebounds in a single season. She now has 459 rebounds, besting her 2017-18 mark of 411. 

SENIORS STEP UP 

• Iowa’s three seniors — Tania Davis, Megan Gustafson, and Hannah Stewart — averaged a combined 52.3 points, 25.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game in the Big Ten Tournament. 
• Davis, Gustafson, and Stewart scored a combined 67 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists in the championship game against Maryland on March 10. 
• The trio combined for all 15 of Iowa’s fourth quarter points to lead Iowa to a win over Rutgers. 

GOIN’ BACK-TO-BACK

• Senior Megan Gustafson was named the consensus Big Ten Player of the Year.
• 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.  
• 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). 

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

• Three Hawkeyes earned all-conference honors.
• 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 

• The Hawkeyes set a Big Ten record for assists in a single-season with 739 total assists, surpassing Maryland’s mark of 694 assists in 2016-17. 
• 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 34 games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 21.7 assists per contest — the second-best mark in the NCAA. 
• Seven Hawkeyes have dished out 33 or more assists this season, while six have dished out 58 or more. Junior Kathleen Doyle has dished out a team-high 156 assists. She averages 5.8 assists per game. 
• In 18 conference games, Doyle averaged 6.3 assists — the 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. 

THAT’S OUR HEAD COACH

• Head Coach Lisa Bluder was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year on March 21. 
• Four Big Ten coaches have earned the honor, including former Hawkeye head coach C. Vivian Stringer (1993). 

EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT

• Senior Megan Gustafson ranks first nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 70.1 percent. She has made an NCAA-best 393 field goals.
• No student-athlete in the history of NCAA women’s basketball has ever averaged 28 or more points, 13 or more rebounds, and shot 70 percent or better from the field. 
• According to Her Hoop Stats, Gustafson averages 1.34 points per possession this season — the best rate in the country. Gustafson also ranks first in points per scoring attempt at 1.44. 
• 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 27 games.
• In 27 games this season, Doyle is averaging 5.8 assists per game. Her 5.8 assists per contests rank 15th nationally. 
• In 18 Big Ten regular season games, Doyle averaged 6.3 assists per game — the best mark in the conference.

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE 

• Iowa’s 52.0 field goal percentage leads the nation.  
• Through 34 games this season, Iowa is averaging 79.1 points per game, a mark that ranks first in the Big Ten and 14th 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. 

OH MY, 40 

• Senior Megan Gustafson netted 45 points in Iowa’s win over Maryland on March 10. It marks the third time she’s scored 40 or more points this season (Drake, 12/21, Michigan State, 2/7). 
• Gustafson has surpassed 30 points 13 times this season — a mark that leads the NCAA. 
• She’s netted 20 or more points in 31 of Iowa’s 34 contests.