WBB Notebook: vs. Western Illinois

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa hosts Western Illinois University inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Tip-off is set for 1 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.

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 61-consecutive wins on their home court.

B1G IN THE RANKS

• Six Big Ten teams are ranked in the Week 5 AP Poll, including No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 17 Michigan, No. 19 Indiana, and No. 25 Michigan State. Iowa and Rutgers are each receiving six votes.
• The conference is represented by five schools on the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, including No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Indiana, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Northwestern, and No. 19 Michigan. Iowa (17), Rutgers (15), and Michigan State (1) are receiving votes.

SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS

• Western Illinois is 6-1 on the season, winning its most recent game, 79-57, at Bellarmine.
• Two Leathernecks average double-figure scoring, including Evan Zars (11.0) and Danni Nichols (10.1).
• Zars leads Western Illinois with 9.3 rebounds per game, followed by Grace Bilmore with 5.0.
• Elizabeth Lutz leads the Leathernecks with 2.7 steals per game.
• As a team, Western Illinois is averaging 64.1 points, 11.9 assists, and  3.4 blocks per game.

THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 8-2, with Iowa winning the last six matchups.
• The Hawkeyes last played the Leathernecks dering the 2015-16 season, Iowa won 96-81 in overtime.

HAWKS ON THE SEASON

• Iowa is 4-1 on the season with its most recent game, ending in a loss to Michigan State, 82-86.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 29.8 points. Junior Monika Czinano and sophomore McKenna Warnock follow, averaging 20.8 and 13.8 points per game, respectively.
• Warnock leads the Hawkeyes in rebounds, averaging 8.8 per game, while Clark and Czinano follow with 6.0 and 5.8 per game, respectively.
• Clark is leading Iowa with 11 steals and sophomore Gabbie Marshall follows with 10 steals 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 five statistical categories, including points per game (29.8), final points (149), field goals made (52), field goal attempts (107), and 3-pointers attempted (49).
• Clark also is in the top 3 of the Big Ten, ranking second in total assists (32), assists per game (6.4), 3-pointers made (18), and 3-pointers per game (3.6).
• Monika Czinano leads the conference in field-goal percentage (68.8) and ranks fourth in field goals made (44).
• McKenna Warnock ranks fifth in rebounds per game (8.8).

YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?

• Caitlin Clark was the first Big Ten freshman to be named the ESPN National Player of the Week on Dec. 14.
• Clark is leading the nation in points per game (29.8), ranks eighth in final points (149), ninth in assists per game (6.4) and 10th in field goals made (52).
• In the conference, Clark is leading five statistical categories, including points per game, final points, field goals made, field goal attempts (107), and 3-pointers attempted (49).
• 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 13 assists are the most from a Big Ten Freshman since Maryland’s Destiny Slocum had 13 against Illinois on February 9, 2017.

SHE’S KIND OF A B1G DEAL

• Freshman Caitlin Clark swept the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player and Freshman of the Week awards for the second consecutive week, the conference announced Dec. 14.
• Clark is the first Big Ten freshman to win both awards, twice, in a season since Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard (2015-16 season). She racked up two Player of the Week and three Freshmen of the Week nods in the first three weeks of the season.
• The West Des Moines, Iowa, native averaged 34.5 points, seven rebounds, five assists, 1.5 steals, and a block against No. RV/24 Iowa State and Michigan State. In Iowa’s comeback win over Iowa State, Clark made the game-winning shot with 22 seconds remaining on a deep, step-back 3-pointer, giving the Hawkeyes their fifth-consecutive win over the Cyclones. She scored 34 points, pulled in seven rebounds, dished out six assists, and registered two steals against the in-state rivals.
• Against Michigan State, Clark posted a career-high 35 points and two blocks, and added seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal to fill her stat line.
• On the season, Clark leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally, averaging 29.8 points per game. She also leads the conference in field goals attempted (107), total points (149), field goals made (52), and total assists (32). Across the country, she ranks second in field goals attempted, third in total points and field goals made, and sixth in total assists.

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.

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 hosts Rutgers inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, Dec. 31 in Iowa City, Iowa. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.