WBB Notebook: vs. Minnesota

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The No. 18/20 University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Mediacom Court on Thursday in Iowa City, Iowa. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT), and the game will be streamed on BTN+.
 
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

• Thursday’s contest will be streamed on BTN+.
• The game can also be streamed on the Fox Sports app. A subscription is required.
• 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 fourth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. He has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television.
• Lang is in her fourth 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.

 
TICKETS

• Single-game tickets are available for purchase online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets, in person at the UI Athletics Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, or by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS.

 
SENIOR DAY

• Thursday is Senior Day. The Hawkeyes will honor Kathleen Doyle, Makenzie Meyer, Amanda Ollinger and Paula Valino-Ramos — and two managers following the game.

 
HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS

• Iowa has won 35 consecutive games on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a 14-0 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) during the 2018-19 season.
• Baylor is leading the country with 54-consecutive wins on their home court.

 
NATIONALLY RANKED HAWKEYES

• Iowa is ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• Iowa is one of four conference teams that are ranked in the AP Poll, including No. 7 Maryland, No.14 Northwestern, No. 18 Iowa, and No. 22 Indiana.
• The Hawkeyes are one of four Big Ten teams ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They include: No. 7 Maryland, No. 19 Northwestern, No. 20 Iowa, and No. 24 Indiana.

 
ON THE SEASON

• The Hawkeyes (22-5, 13-3) are ranked third in the Big Ten behind Maryland (23-4, 14-2) and Northwestern (23-3, 13-2).
• Senior Kathleen Doyle (18.4), sophomore Monika Czinano (15.7), and senior Makenzie Meyer (14.3) lead the Hawkeyes in points per game.
• Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures against Wisconsin (Jan. 19), including Meyer (22), Doyle (21), and Czinano (20), becoming the first to do so in the same game since Megan Gustafson (25), Ally Disterhoft (22), and Chase Coley (20) did against Michigan at the Big Ten Tournament (March 3, 2016). The trio did it again at Purdue (Feb. 9) with Doyle and Meyer each scoring 22 and Czinano putting up 20 points. They’re the first three Hawkeyes to record two, triple 20-point games in a single season.
• Doyle recorded an Iowa single-game record of 15 assists against Nebraska (Feb.6).
• Freshman McKenna Warnock scored 22 points against Michigan State (Jan. 26), recording the first 20-point game by a freshman since Doyle (21) did during the 2016-17 season. She tabbed her second 20-point game against Wisconsin (Feb. 16) with 20 points.
• Ollinger tallied a career-high eight blocks in Iowa’s 66-61 win over Maryland (Jan. 9).
• Doyle scored a career high 33 points in 26 minutes against Illinois (Dec. 31) and added a second 30-point game against Indiana, finishing the double-overtime game with 31 points.
• Ollinger leads the Hawkeyes in rebounds, averaging 8.8 per game. Ollinger recorded a career-high 20 rebounds against Iowa State (Dec. 11).

 
BLUDER’S WINNINGEST BUNCH

• Seniors Kathleen Doyle, Makenzie Meyer, and Amanda Ollinger are the winningest Hawkeyes under Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, accumulating 95 wins in their careers.
• The trio surpassed the 2013-14 and 2015-16 senior classes’ 94 wins with its 100-57 win over Penn State (Feb. 23).

 
SCOUTING MINNESOTA

• Minnesota is 15-12 overall and 5-11 in Big Ten Conference action on a four-game drought.
• Four Gophers average double-figure scoring, including freshman guard Jasmine Powell (12.0), senior forward Taiye Bello (12.0), freshman guard Sara Scalia (11.0), and redshirt junior guard Gadiva Hubbard (10.9).
• Taiye Bello leads the big ten in total rebounds (253) and rebounds per game (9.7) and ranks second in offensive rebounds per game (4.0) and double doubles (11)
• Minnesota has held its opponents to 66.3 points per game.
• As a team, Minnesota is leading the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (75.6) and ranks second in fewest turnovers (361) and turnovers per game (13.4).
• Nationally, the Gophers rank in the top 25 in 3-point percentage (36.2) — a mark that ranks third in the Big Ten.

 
THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 52-27.
• The Hawkeyes have won nine-consecutive contests in Carver-Hawkeye Arena over the Gophers.
• Iowa defeated the Gophers, 76-75, on their home court (Jan. 16) after heading into the fourth quarter with a nine-point deficit.
• Sophomore Monika Czinano led the Hawkeyes with 21 points, senior Kathleen Doyle tallied 17, and junior Alexis Sevillian had 11, knocking down the game winning 3-pointer.
• Senior Makenzie Meyer was credited with nine assists, while Doyle had eight. Doyle also pulled in six rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes.
• The Hawkeyes defeated the Gophers last season at Williams Arena, 81-63.
• In last season’s matchup, Kathleen Doyle put up 11 points, seven assists, and two rebounds and Alexis Sevillian recorded five points and an assist.

 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING

• Iowa leads the nation in field goals assisted (70.4 percent) with 544 assists on 773 baskets.
• The Hawkeyes rank fourth in field goal percentage (48.8) and fifth in total assists (544) and assists per game (20.1).
• Iowa is also ranked in the top 25 in four additional categories, including 10th in scoring offense (79.8), 12th in assist turnover ratio (1.29) and 3-point percentage (37.0), and 19th in free throws made (397).

 
THE NATION’S TOP 50

• Sophomore Monika Czinano is leading the country in field goal percentage (70.2), shooting 179-for-255. Czinano’s 179 made field goals ranks 28th in the country despite missing a game at Penn State (Jan. 30).
• Senior Kathleen Doyle is sixth in the nation in total assists (172), eighth in assists per game (6.4), 18th in free throws made (132), 22nd in free throw attempts (167), 27th in total points (498), and 37th in points per game (18.4).
• Senior Amanda Ollinger is ranked 33rd in the country with 53 blocked shots and 41st in blocked shots per game (1.96).
• Senior Makenzie Meyer ranks 38th in 3-point percentage (40.9) and 46th in free throw percentage (83.7) and 3-pointers made (67).

 
HAWKEYES RANK B1G

• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in seven categories, including field-goal percentage (48.8), total assists (544), assists per game (20.1), 3-point percentage (37.0), free throws made (397), 3-pointers made (211), and 3-pointers per game (7.8).
• Iowa ranks second in scoring offense (79.8 ppg), assist turnover ratio (1.29), free-throw percentage (74.5), and fewest fouls (399).
• The Hawkeyes are third in free-throw attempts (533), fouls per game (14.8), and 3-pointers attempted (570).

 
B1G INDIVIDUALS

• Two Hawkeyes rank in the Big Ten top-10 points per game, including senior Kathleen Doyle (18.4), who ranks fourth and sophomore Monika Czinano (15.7), who ranks sixth. The Hawkeyes are the only team with multiple athletes on the Big Ten top-10 scoring list.
• Czinano is leading the conference in field goal percentage (70.2) and ranks third in field goals made, sinking 179-of-255 shots taken.
• Doyle leads the league in total assists (172) and assists per game (6.4). She ranks fourth in total points (498), points per game (18.4), and field goal attempts (364), and third in free-throw percentage (79.0).
• Meyer leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (83.7), ranks third in 3-pointers made (65), ties for third in 3-pointers per game (2.5), and fourth in 3-pointers attempted (164) and 3-point percentage (40.9).
• Senior Amanda Ollinger ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (6.4) and total rebounds (236), and ties for third with 8.7 total rebounds per game. Ollinger ranks third in total blocks (53) and blocks per game (2.0).

 
HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE

• Through 27 games this season, Iowa is averaging 79.8 points per game, a mark that ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally.
• Iowa’s 48.8 field goal percentage is leading the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the NCAA.
• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (37.0) and rank 12th in the nation.
• Iowa scored 108 points in its win over Illinois on Dec. 31, marking the highest point total in program history.
• The Hawkeyes have recorded three 100-point games this season, including a 100-72 win over Towson (Nov. 28), a 108-72 win over Illinois (Dec. 31), and a 100-57 win over Penn State (Feb. 22).

 
HIGHLY ASSISTED

• The Hawkeyes are leading the country in assist/field goal percentage (70.4 percent) with 544 assists on 773 baskets.
• Senior Kathleen Doyle ranks second all-time at Iowa in assists, tallying 689 career assists.
• Doyle recorded an Iowa single-game record-breaking 15 assists against Nebraska (Feb.6).
• Doyle recorded nine assists against NC Central (Dec. 14), surpassing Cara Consuegra (576) to rank second all-time at Iowa in career assists.
• Doyle leads the Hawkeyes with 172 assists on the season, followed by fellow senior Makenzie Meyer with 108 assists.

 
B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

• Freshman McKenna Warnock earned the first Big Ten honor of her career when the conference announced Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Jan. 27).
• Warnock recorded her second career double-double, scoring a career-high 22 points and pulling in 10 rebounds in Iowa’s, 74-57, win over Michigan State (Jan. 26).
• Warnock scored 19 of her team-leading 22 points in the second half, knocking down seven made shots on eight attempts.
• The Marshall, Wisconsin, native averaged 8.5 rebounds in the Hawkeyes’ wins over Ohio State (Jan. 23) and Michigan State, tallying seven against Ohio State.

 
B1G HONOR ROLL

• Three Hawkeyes have earned Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week Honor Roll, including seniors Kathleen Doyle (Nov. 25, Jan. 27), Makenzie Meyer (Dec. 16, Dec. 23), and sophomore Monika Czinano (Jan. 20).
• Doyle broke the Hawkeyes’ single-game assist record against Nebraska (Feb. 6), assisting 15 of Iowa’s 28 made baskets in the 76-60 win over the Cornhuskers and marking her the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to record 15 assists in a single game against a Big Ten opponent since Tori Jankoska (Michigan State) did against Minnesota (Feb. 21, 2016). Her 15 points and 15 assists marked her third double-double of the season and seventh of her career. At Purdue, Doyle and Meyer led the Hawkeyes with 22 points apiece, marking her 11th 20-point game of the season.
• Doyle averaged 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the Hawkeyes’ wins over Ohio State (Jan. 23) and Michigan State (Jan. 26). She scored 26 points, shooting 75 percent from the field and went 9-for-9 from the free throw line against Ohio State. Against Michigan State, she tallied 20 points and recorded a career-high seven steals against the Spartans.
• Czinano averaged 20.5 points during the Minnesota (Jan. 16) and Wisconsin (Jan. 19) games, making 18 of her 20 shots attempted.
• Meyer registered 24 points, shooting 9-for-14, while adding five assists and four rebounds in the Hawkeyes’ home victory over in-state foe Drake (Dec. 21).
• Meyer averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a .632 field-goal percentage last week in the Hawkeyes’ wins over in-state rival Iowa State (Dec. 11) and North Carolina Central (Dec. 14).
• Doyle challenged for a triple-double in the Hawkeyes’ overtime win over Princeton on Nov. 20. She finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

 
WELCOME TO THE 1,000-POINT CLUB

• Senior Makenzie Meyer scored her 1,000th career point in the Hawkeyes, 79-67, win over Drake on Dec. 21. She currently has 1,211 points at Iowa and ranks 26th.
• Meyer was the 38th Hawkeye to reach 1,000 points, following fellow senior Kathleen Doyle.
• Doyle scored her 1,000th-career point in Iowa’s 85-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14. She put up seven points in the first quarter to break into the 1,000-point club against FAU.
• Doyle was the 37th Hawkeye to reach 1,000 points and now ranks 13th (1,491) all-time at Iowa.

 
OH CAPTAINS, OUR CAPTAINS

• For the third consecutive year, senior Kathleen Doyle has been named captain by her teammates along with senior Makenzie Meyer and junior Alexis Sevillian.
• Doyle, a first team All-Big Ten selection, returns for her senior season after leading the Big Ten with 6.3 assists per game in conference play.

 
PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN

• Senior Kathleen Doyle earned unanimous preseason All-Big Ten recognition, the conference office announced Oct. 21.
• Doyle, a 2018-19 first team All-Big Ten selection (coaches), earns the second preseason honor of her career. The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native finished last season ranked 15th nationally in assists per game (5.9) and tied for 31st in total assists (170). The senior led the Big Ten with 6.3 assists per game in conference action last season. She scored in double figures 20 times in 29 games, and dished out five or more assists on 21 occasions.

 
Up Next
Iowa heads to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Rutgers in the Hawkeyes last regular-season matchup on Sunday in Rutgers Athletic Center. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. (CT), and the game will air live on BTN.