WBB Notebook: vs. Northern Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team opens the 2020-21 season on Wednesday, hosting Northern Iowa. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

• The game will be streamed live on BTN Plus. To see if your cable package gives you access to BTN Plus content, sign up for BTN Plus, or learn more about it, visit btnplus.com.
• Live stats are available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

FAN INFORMATION

• Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, there will be no men’s and women’s basketball general admission single game or season ticket sales to home games at this time.
• Visit hawkeyesports.com/fancutouts to purchase fan cutout(s) for all winter sports in Carver-Hawkeye Arena; 20 percent of the revenue will benefit UI Dance Marathon, with the remainder of the profits supporting the UI student-athletes’ scholarship fund.
• Programs, posters, and magnets will not be printed this season.

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 fifth 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 fifth 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.

B1G IN THE RANKS

• Five Big Ten teams are ranked in the preseason AP Poll, including No. 12 Maryland, No. 16 Indiana, No. 17 Northwestern, No. 20 Ohio State, and No. 25 Michigan.
• The conference is represented on the preseason USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, including No. 12 Maryland, No. 16 Indiana, No. 17 Northwestern, No. 20 Ohio State, and No. 25 Michigan.

SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA

• Northern Iowa finished the 2019-20 season with an 18-11 overall record.
• The Panthers return statistical leaders senior Karli Rucker, senior Bre Gunnels, junior Kam Finley, and redshirt senior Megan Maahs. Rucker led the Panthers in scoring and assists, averaging 13.7 points and 3.7 assists per game, and Gunnels led the team in rebounds per game (6.4).
• UNI played its last contest on Nov. 13 — a 78-73 win over Missouri.
• Senior guard Karli Rucker led UNI with 13.7 points per game. Junior guard Kam Finley ranked second with 9.9 points per game.
• Senior forward Bre Gunnels led the Panthers with 6.4 rebounds per game, and Maahs followed with 5.2 per contest.
• As a team, the Panthers averaged 69.2 points per game and held opponents to 63.9.
• UNI is led by head coach Tanya Warren in her 14th season as the head coach of the UNI Panther women’s basketball team. Warren is a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and guided the Panthers to league regular-season titles in 2011 and 2016. Warren has compiled an overall coaching mark of 246-177 – ranking her first all-time in victories in program history.

NORTHERN IOWA — THE SERIES

• Iowa owns a 22-3 advantage in the all-time series.
• The Hawkeyes have won 12 of the last 13 contests dating back to 2007.
• Last season, Iowa fell to UNI, 66-88, at McLeod Center.

SEASON OPENERS

• Iowa is 36-10 all-time in season openers.
• The Hawkeyes are 20-0 in season openers under head coach Lisa Bluder.
• Iowa defeated Florida Atlantic, 85-53, in its season opener at Carver-Hawkeye Arena last season.

HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS

• Iowa has won 36 consecutive games on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a 15-0 mark last 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 and continued the feat in 2019-20.
• Baylor is leading the country with 56-consecutive wins on their home court.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN

• Junior Monika Czinano earned preseason All-Big Ten recognition, the conference office announced Nov. 11.
• Czinano, a 2019-20 first team All-Big Ten selection (media), earns the first preseason honor of her career. The Watertown, Minnesota, native finished last season ranking second nationally in field-goal percentage (67.9), shooting 201-of-296 from the field.
• The sophomore averaged 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on the season. She scored in double figures during 25 contests, tabbing 10 20-point games — eight in conference play.

2019-20 RECAP

• Finished the season 23-7 overall and 14-4 in Big Ten action.
• The Hawkeyes ranked in the top-15 nationally in six statistical categories, including fourth in field-goal percentage (48.5), sixth in total assists (599) and assists per game (20), 11th in scoring offense (79.5), 12th in 3-point field-goal percentage (37.2), and 15th in assist turnover ratio (1.27).
• Head Coach Lisa Bluder and staff led Iowa to its 11th 20-win season over the last 13 seasons and 13th in Bluder’s tenure.
• Senior Kathleen Doyle was named Big Ten Player of the Year (media & coaches) — the third consecutive for the Hawkeyes. Megan Gustafson earned the honor in 2018 and 2019. Doyle is the sixth Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Player of the Year, she is preceded by Gustafson, Tangela Smith (1998), Toni Foster (1993), Franthea Price (1990), and Michelle Edwards (1988).
• Doyle earned consensus All-America status with nods from Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), United States Basketball Writers Association (WSBWA), and Associated Press (AP).
• Doyle also earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors (coaches & media). Sophomore Monika Czinano earned first team All-Big Ten honors from the media and second team accolades from the coaches. Senior Makenzie Meyer earned second team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media and was named Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award honoree. McKenna Warnock was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team by the coaches.
• Doyle was selected by the Indiana Fever as the 14th overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, making her the 14th Hawkeye to be drafted and the 16th to play in the WNBA.
• Czinano led the Big Ten in shooting percentage (67.9) and ranked second, nationally, shooting 201 of 296, and Meyer led the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (84.3).
• Bluder is one-of-eight active Division I head coaches to win 775 or more games in her career. She finished her 36th season as a head coach and 20th at Iowa in 2019-20.
• Bluder owns a 419-224 (.652) record and a 207-127 (.620) conference mark at Iowa. In her 36 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 775-366 (.679).

ROSTER AT A GLANCE

• The Hawkeyes return nine letterwinners, including two starters in Alexis Sevillian and All-Big Ten section Monika Czinano.
• Czinano ranked first in the Big Ten and second nationally last season in shooting percentage (67.9), making 201-of-296.
• McKenna Warnock returns after earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team, averaging 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
• Guard Caitlin Clark enters her freshman season after averaging 33.7 points, 50.9 percent from the field, 39.8 from 3-point range, and 79.7 from the free-throw line at Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, Iowa.
• Center Sharon Goodman joins the squad from Lime Springs, Iowa where she was the all-time leading scorer (1,798) rebounder (817), and blocker (266).
• Guard Lauren Jensen enters her first year after leading Lakeville North (Minn.) to four consecutive state tournaments and averaging 25 points her senior season.
• Forward Shateah Wetering begins her college career after averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.0 steals per game for Montezuma.

MEET THE CAPTAINS

• For the second consecutive year, senior Alexis Sevillian has been named captain along with senior Zion Sanders and redshirt sophomore Kate Martin by their teammates.

RECORD WATCH

• Head coach Lisa Bluder is 25 wins away from the 800-career win mark.

THE HEAD HAWK

• Lisa Bluder enters her 21st season as Iowa’s head coach.
• Under Bluder’s direction, the Hawkeyes have advanced to 18 postseason appearances (14 NCAA and four WNIT) in 19 seasons, including NCAA Tournament berths in 10 of the last 12 seasons with the exception of the 2020 postseason.
• Iowa has advanced to the postseason in 12 consecutive seasons (10 NCAA and two WNIT) with the exception of the 2020 postseason.