WBB Notebook: at Rutgers

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The No. 18/20 University of Iowa women’s basketball team heads to Piscataway, New Jersey, 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.
 
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

• Sunday’s contest will be streamed on BTN and Lisa Byington and Vera Jones will have the call.
• 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.

 
HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS

• Iowa has won 36 consecutive games on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including back-to-back undefeated seasons.
• The Hawkeyes finished the 2019-20 home schedule, 15-0.
• 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 (23-5, 14-3) are ranked third in the Big Ten behind Northwestern (24-3, 15-2) and Maryland (25-4, 15-2).
• Senior Kathleen Doyle (18.4), sophomore Monika Czinano (16.0), and senior Makenzie Meyer (14.6) 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 8.6 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 96 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 RUTGERS

• Rutgers is 20-8 overall and 10-6 in Big Ten Conference action, winning its last two contests over Ohio State (59-57) and Wisconsin (63-43).
• Two Scarlet Knights average double-figure scoring, including freshman guard Arella Guirantes (20.1) and senior forward Tekia Mack (11.5).
• Guirantes is leading the Big Ten in four areas, including points per game (20.1) and ranks ninth, nationally in total points.
• As a team, Rutgers is leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (34.7) and scoring defense (55.4) and ranks second in blocked shots (134) and blocked shots per game (4.8).
• Nationally, the Scarlet Knights rank 14th and 17th, respectively, in field goal percentage defense (34.7) and scoring defense (55.4).

 
THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 8-2, winning the last eight consecutive contests.
• The Hawkeyes have won all seven meetings since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014.
• The Scarlet Knights are coached by C. Vivian Stringer. Stringer coached at Iowa from 1983-1995. She collected career win No. 1000 on Nov. 13, 2018. Stringer registered 269 of those wins as Iowa’s head coach.
• Iowa defeated Rutgers, 72-66, during the regular season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena last year. In the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes met the Scarlet Knights in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, coming out victorious, 72-67. In the pair of games Makenzie Meyer averaged 10.5 points and Kathleen Doyle averaged 8.5. Doyle had 12 assists and Meyer had eight.

 
CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP DOYLE

• Senior guard Kathleen Doyle was named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Top-30 team by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top-10 list by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, announced on Feb. 11. Iowa is one of eight schools, nationally, that has both a male (junior Luka Garza) and a female on the Naismith Trophy Midseason team.
• The WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Selection Committee named Doyle to the 2020 Wade Trophy Top-40 watch list on Feb. 19.
• Doyle was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team on Feb. 20.
• Doyle tabbed Naismith Women’s Player of the Week, on Jan. 14, following her performances in the Hawkeyes wins No. 12 Indiana (Jan. 12) and No. 16 Maryland (Jan. 9).
• Doyle averaged 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the pair of upset wins over the Hoosiers and Terrapins.
• Against the Hoosiers, Doyle challenged for a triple-double in the Hawkeyes’ double-overtime win (91-85), posting 31 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
• In Iowa’s win over Maryland, Doyle registered 21 points, three rebounds, and two assists, leading the Hawkeyes to their third consecutive win over the Terrapins.

 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING

• The Hawkeyes are leading the country in assist/field goal percentage (70.4 percent) with 568 assists on 807 baskets.
• The Hawkeyes are third in field goal percentage (49.2), and fifth in total assists (568) and assists per game (20.3).
• Iowa is ranked in the top 15, nationally, in four additional categories, including, 10th in scoring offense (80.1), 12th in 3-point percentage (37.2) and assist turnover ratio (1.31), and 15th in free-throws made (411).

 
THE NATION’S TOP 50

• Sophomore Monika Czinano is leading the country in field goal percentage (70.5), shooting 191-for-271. Czinano’s 191 made field goals ranks 22nd in the country despite missing a game at Penn State (Jan. 30).
• Senior Kathleen Doyle is fifth in the nation in total assists (176), ninth in assists per game (6.3), 15th in free throws made (141), 16th in free throw attempts (179), 23rd in total points (514), and 41st in points per game (18.4).
• Senior Makenzie Meyer ranks 24th in 3-pointers made (73), 27th in 3-point percentage (42.2), 40th in 3-pointers per game, and 46th in free throw percentage (83.7).
• Senior Amanda Ollinger is ranked 34th in the country with 54 blocked shots and 40th in blocked shots per game (1.93).

 
HAWKEYES RANK B1G

• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in seven categories, including field-goal percentage (49.2), total assists (568), assists per game (20.3), 3-point percentage (37.2), free throws made (411), 3-pointers made (219), and 3-pointers per game (7.8).
• Iowa ranks second in scoring offense (80.1), assist turnover ratio (1.31), free-throw attempts (553), free-throw percentage (74.3), and fewest fouls (414).
• The Hawkeyes are third in fouls per game (14.8) and 3-pointers attempted (588).

 
B1G INDIVIDUALS

• Three Hawkeyes rank in the Big Ten top-10 points per game, including senior Kathleen Doyle (18.4), who ranks fourth, sophomore Monika Czinano (16.0), who ranks sixth, and senior Makenzie Meyer, who ranks ninth. 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 (70.5) and ranks third in field goals made, sinking 191-of-271 shots taken despite missing the game at Penn State (Jan. 30).
• Doyle leads the league in total assists (176) and assists per game (6.3), ranks second in free-throw made (141), third in free-throw attempts (179), and fourth in total points (514), points per game (18.4), and field goal attempts (375), and ties for fourth in free-throw percentage (78.8).
• Meyer leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers made (73), free-throw percentage (83.7), and 3-pointers per game (2.61). She ranks second in 3-point percentage (40.9), and fourth in 3-pointers attempted (173).
• Senior Amanda Ollinger ranks second in defensive rebounds per game (6.3). Ollinger is tied for third in total rebounds per game (8.6), ranks third in blocked shots (54) and blocks per game (1.93), and ranks fourth in total rebounds (242).

 
HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE

• Iowa’s 49.2 field goal percentage is leading the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA.
• Through 28 games this season, Iowa is averaging 80.1 points per game, a mark that ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally.
• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (37.2) 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 four 100-point games this season, including a 100-72 win over Towson (Nov. 28), a 102-50 win over NC Central (Dec. 14), 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 568 assists on 807 baskets.
• Senior Kathleen Doyle ranks second all-time at Iowa in assists, tallying 693 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 176 assists on the season, followed by fellow senior Makenzie Meyer with 104 assists.

 
B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Doyle tabbed two consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week awards on Jan. 6 and Jan. 13.
• Doyle averaged 26 points, six assists, and six rebounds per game in upset-wins over No. 16 Maryland (Jan. 9) and No. 12 Indiana (Jan. 12). She posted 31 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, challenging for a triple double against the Hoosiers.
• Doyle earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week, averaging 24.0 points, 5.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game with a 70.8 shooting percentage vs. Illinois (Dec. 31) and at Northwestern (Jan. 5).
• Doyle scored a career-high 33 points in 25 minutes, leading the Hawkeyes’ to a program-record 108 points over Illinois. Doyle shot 78.6 percent from the field and was 9-for-9 from the free-throw line against the Illini. In Iowa’s matchup at Northwestern, Doyle tallied 15 points and seven assists.
• Doyle was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll on Nov. 25, Jan. 27, and Feb. 10.
• 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.
• Doyle challenged for a triple-double in the Hawkeyes’ overtime win over Princeton (Nov. 20), tallying 21 points, seven rebounds and nine 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 1,235 points at Iowa and ranks 25th.
• Meyer was the 38th Hawkeye to reach 1,000 points, following fellow senior Kathleen Doyle.
• Doyle scored her 1,500th career point against Minnesota (Feb. 27) with nine points in the first half to reach the career marker.
• 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 (1,507) 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.

 
Up Next
Iowa travels to Indianapolis for the 2020 Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes open tournament play on Friday. Game time and opponent are yet to be determined