IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team travels to Drake on Wednesday for its first road contest of the season at Knapp Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT).
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
- The game will air live on ESPN+ and Mediacom MC22, Larry Morgan and Laura Leonard are on the call. The broadcast will also air on 1350 ESPN.
- 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 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 Week 2 AP Poll, including No. 13 Indiana, No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 19 Ohio State, and No. 24 Michigan, as well as Rutgers receiving a vote.
- 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 with Iowa receiving 13 votes and Rutgers receiving seven votes.
SCOUTING DRAKE
- Drake is 1-1 on the season.
- The Bulldogs played their last contest on Nov. 28 — a 61-69 loss to Green Bay
- Sophomore forward Grace Berg leads the Bulldogs, averaging 17.0 points per game, and junior guard Maddie Monahan follows with 14.5.
- Senior forward Monica Burich is leading Drake in rebounds, pulling in nine per game. Berg and freshman forward Courtney Becker each adds eight rebounds per game.
- As a team, the Bulldogs average 68 points per game, while holding opponents to 65.5.
- Jennie Baranczyk was named the sixth head women’s basketball coach at Drake University in April, 2012. The Bulldogs won three-straight MVC titles from 2017-2019 and advanced to NCAA Tournaments in each of those seasons. Baranczyk played under Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder from 2000-04.
SCOUTING DRAKE — THE SERIES
- Iowa leads the series, 27-25.
- The Hawkeyes have won 17 of the last 18 contests, dating back to 2002.
- Last season, Iowa defeated the Bulldogs, 79-67, in Iowa City. Junior Monica Czinano tabbed 17 points and two blocks, and senior Alexis Sevillian shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and finished the game with 11 points..
SEASON OPENERS
- Iowa is 37-10 all-time in season openers after beating Northern Iowa on Nov. 25, 96-81.
- The Hawkeyes are 21-0 in season openers under head coach Lisa Bluder.
- Iowa defeated Florida Atlantic, 85-53, in its season opener at Carver-Hawkeye Arena last season.
ON THE SEASON
- Iowa is 1-0 on the season — its sole win over Northern Iowa, 96-81.
- Freshman Caitlin Clark put up 27 points, pulled in eight rebounds, tabbed four assists, and had three steals over the Panthers.
- Sophomore McKenna Warnock earned her third career double-double, tallying 14 points and 13 rebounds. She also added six assists.
- Junior Monika Czinano added 19 points and five rebounds.
SHE’S KIND OF A B1G DEAL
- Freshman Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Women’s Basketball Co-Freshman of the Week, the conference announced Nov. 30. Clark was also named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll. Clark shared the freshman honor with Maryland’s Angel Reese.
- It is the first honor of Clark’s career and the first for the Hawkeyes this season.
- The West Des Moines, Iowa, native scored 27 points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out four assists, registered three steals, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line – believed to be the best debut for a Hawkeye freshman.
- Clark’s 27 points are the most in a Big Ten debut since Maryland junior Eleanna Christinaki had 32 points in a win over Coppin State (Dec. 20, 2017). Her 27 points are believed to be the most in a Big Ten freshmen debut since Illinois’ Robin Preacely had 27 points against Illinois State (Dec. 1, 1992).
HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS
- Iowa has won 37 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 57-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.
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.
UP NEXT
Iowa hosts its first Big Ten contest on Sat., Dec. 5 against the Wisconsin Badgers. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (CT), and the game will stream on BTN+.
