IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa heads to East Lansing, Mich., to take on Michigan State inside Breslin Center on Saturday, Dec. 12. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. (CT).
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.
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.
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.
B1G IN THE RANKS
- Five Big Ten teams are ranked in the Week 2 AP Poll, including No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Indiana, No. 17 Northwestern, No. 18 Ohio State, and No. 19 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 with Iowa receiving 13 votes and Rutgers receiving seven votes.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
- Michigan State is 3-0 overall and Iowa will be its first Big Ten game.
- Three Spartans average double-figure scoring, including junior Nia Clouden (18.3), sophomore Alyza Winston (15.5), and junior Tory Ozment (10.3).
- Clouden and Ozment lead Michigan State with 9 total steals and average 30 steals per game each.
- As a team, Michigan State is leading the Big Ten in assist turnover ratio (1.84), assists per game (22.7), and steals (44). They rank secon in personal fouls per game (14.7), steals per game (14.7), turnover margin (12.33), and turnovers forced (24.67).
- Michigan State has held its opponents to 52.3 points per game.
THE SERIES
- Iowa leads the all-time series, 39-28.
- Last season, the two teams met once. The Hawkeyes came out on top at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 74-57.
- Sophomore McKenna Warnock recorded her second career double-double, scoring 22 points and pulling in 10 rebounds. Senior Alexis Sevillian pulled in six rebounds and went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
HAWKS ON THE SEASON
- Iowa is 4-0 on the season with its most recent win over Iowa State, 82-80.
- Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 28.5 points. Junior Monika Czinano, sophomore McKenna Warnock, and sophomore Gabbie Marshall follow, averaging 20.0, 15.0, and 10.0 points per game, respectively.
- Warnock leads the Hawkeyes in rebounds, averaging 8.0 per game, while Czinano and Clark follow with 5.8 per game.
- Clark and Marshall are leading Iowa with 10 steals each on the season.
- Clark recorded her first collegiate double-double against Drake adding 13 assists to her 30 points points to accomplish the feat.
- Sophomore McKenna Warnock earned her third career double-double, tallying 14 points and 13 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa. She also added six assists.
RANKING B1G INDIVIDUALS
- Caitlin Clark is leading the Big Ten in six statistical categories, including total assists (28), assists per game (7.0), field goal attempts (82), points per game (28.5), steals (10), and 3-pointers attempted (39).
- Clark also is in the top 3 of the Big Ten, ranking second in field goals made (41), final points (114), 3-pointers made (13), 3-pointers per game (3.5), and ranking third in free throws made (18).
- Gabbie Marshall is tied with Clark for the leading spot for total steals (10), ranks third in 3-pointer made (9), and fourth in 3-point percentage (56.2)
- Monika Czinano ranks third in field goals made (34) and field goal percentage (70.8), fourth in fianl points (80), and fifth in points per game (20.0).
- McKenna Warnock ranks third in total rebounds (32), and fifth in 3-pointers made (8) and 3-point percentage (50.0).
SHE’S KIND OF A B1G DEAL
- Freshman Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player and Freshman of the Week, the conference announced Dec. 7.
- Clark’s Player of the Week nod is the first Big Ten weekly honor for a Hawkeye since Kathleen Doyle earned the award on Feb. 10, 2020. Clark is the first Big Ten student-athlete to be honored with both awards in a single week since Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard on Jan. 25, 2016. She is the second Hawkeye to win both in the same week — Sam Logic earned both honors twice in 2012 (Feb. 14, Feb. 28).
- Clark averaged 26.5 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and 2.5 steals in the Hawkeyes’ wins over Drake and Wisconsin. In Iowa’s in-state bout versus Drake, Clark tallied 30 points, 13 assists, four steals, three rebounds, and a block. Against Wisconsin, she posted 23 points, five assists, five rebounds, and a steal.
- 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).
YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?
- Nationally, Caitlin Clark ranks second in points per game (28.5), third in total assists (28), sixth in assists per game (7.0) and final points (114), eighth in field goals made (41), and ninth in 3-pointers attempted (39).
- Clark is the only freshman since 2015-16 to put up 30 points and have at least 10 assists in a single game. At Drake, Clark tallied 30 points and 13 assists.
- Clark’s 30-pts is the most from a Big Ten freshman since Michigan’s Haillie Thome scored 31 against Minnesota on Jan. 31, 2016.
- Clark’s 13 assists are the most from a Big Ten Freshman since Maryland’s Destiny Slocum had 13 against Illinois on February 9, 2017.
- The West Des Moines, Iowa, native is leading the Big Ten and ranks second in the NCAA in average assists per game (8.5). She’s also leading the Big Ten in points per game (28.5) and ranks seventh in the country.
HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS
- Iowa has won 39 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.
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
- The Hawkeyes are seven wins away from Iowa’s home win streak record (46).
- Head coach Lisa Bluder is 21 wins away from the 800-career win mark.
UP NEXT
Iowa travels to Ohio State on Sat., Dec. 19 in Columbus, Ohio. Tip-off is yet to be announced.
