WBB Notebook: at Northwestern

IOWA CITY, Iowa —The University of Iowa women’s basketball team heads to Evanston, Illinois, to take on Northwestern on Saturday, Jan. 9 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

• Saturday’s contest will air live on BTN. Lisa Byington and Meghan McKeown are on the call from Welsh-Ryan Arena.
• The game can also be streamed on the Fox Sports Go app. A subscription is required.
• Live stats are available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

AUDIO COVERAGE

• Rob Brooks 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.

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 42-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 on the AP Poll, including No. 12 Maryland, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 19 Indiana, No. 22 Northwestern, and No. 23 Michigan State. Iowa is receiving 18 votes.
• The conference is represented by five schools on the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, including No. 12 Maryland, No. 14 Michigan, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 18 Indiana, No. 23 Northwestern, and No. 24 Michigan State. Iowa is receiving 37 votes.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN

• Northwestern is 5-2 on the season and 3-2 in conference play, winning most recently at Wisconsin, 80-55.
• The Wildcats are leading the nation in assist turnover ratio (1.74) and turnover margin (13.86). They rank third nationally in turnovers per game, and fifth in steals (14.6) and turnovers forced (24.14).
• Veronica Burton ranks second in the country and leads the Big Ten in steals per game (4.57). Sydney Wood adds 2.86 steals per game.
• Burton is leading the Wildcats with 17.4 points per game, while Lindsey Pulliam and Sydney Wood follow with 14.6 points per game, each.
• Courtney Shaw pulls in 6.4 rebounds per game and Wood averages 5.9 rebounds.
• Burton averages 5.1 assists per game and Jordan Hamiltonaverages 3.9 assists.

THE SERIES

• Iowa leads the all-time series, 57-15, winning 11 of the last 12 contests over the Wildcats.
• The Hawkeyes last loss at Northwestern was during the 1999-00 season. Iowa lost, 52-53.
• Last season, the two teams met once at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Hawkeyes won, 77-51.
• Junior Monika Czinano led the Hawkeyes with 21 points, while sophomore McKenna Warnock added 12 points.

HAWKS ON THE SEASON

• Iowa is 8-1 on the season and 4-1 in conference play with its most recent win over Minnesota, 192-79, and only loss to Michigan State, 82-86.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 27.6 points. Junior Monika Czinano and sophomore McKenna Warnock follow, averaging 19.3 and 14.3 points per game, respectively. It Big Ten play, Clark is averaging 28.8 points.
• Warnock leads the Hawkeyes in rebounds, averaging 7.9 per game, while Clark, Czinano, and redshirt sophomore Kate Martin follow with 7.1, 5.2, and 4.3 per game, respectively.
• Sophomore Gabbie Marshall is leading Iowa with 20 steals and Clark follows with 17 steals on the season. Against Western Illinois (Dec. 22), Marshall recorded six steals — the most from a Hawkeye this season.
• Clark recorded her first collegiate triple-double against Western Illinois, tallying 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Clark is the first Hawkeye to reach the accomplishment since Sam Logic against Baylor (March 27, 2015) and marks the 10th triple-double in program history, which tied the second-most in the NCAA.
• Clark accomplished her first career double-double against in-state opponent, Drake, with 30 points and 13 assists. The freshman’s third double-double was achieved against Minnesota (Jan. 6, 2021) included a career-high 37 points and 11 rebounds.
• Sophomore McKenna Warnock recorded her third career double-double, tallying 14 points and 13 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING

• As a team, Iowa is ranked in top-20 nationally in 11 statistical categories, including being ranked the fourth-best scoring offense with 92.1 points per game and ranked fifth in field-goal percentage, shooting 51.4 from the field.
• The Hawkeyes rank sixth in the NCAA in total assists (180) and assists per game (20.0), ninth in free throws made (150), 11th in fre-throw percentage (79.4), 12th in 3-pointers made (85), 15th in assist turnover ratio (1.36), 18th in 3-pointers per game (9.4), 19th in 3-point percentage (.397), and 20th in won-lost percentage (88.9).
• Freshman Caitlin Clark is one of six women’s basketball players to record a triple-double this season, posting 13points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against Western Illinois (Dec. 22, 2020).
• Clark and junior Monika Czinano rank among the  top 10 nationally in 12 statistical categories, including Clark ranking second in points per game (27.6), third in field goals made (82), fifth in total assists (57), field goal attempts (173), 3-pointers attepted (78), and 3 -pointers made (30), and ninth in free throws made (54), and Czinano ranking seventh in field-goal percentage (.667) and ninth in field goals made (72).

RANKING B1G INDIVIDUALS

• Freshman Caitlin Clark is leading the Big Ten conference in 11 statistical categories, including points per game (27.1), total points (248), field goals made (82), total assists (57), field goal attempts (173), 3-pointers attempted (78), 3-pointers made (30), assists per game (6.3), free throws made (54), and free-throw attempts (63).
• Clark is one of six Division I women’s basketball players to register a triple-double this season. Indiana’s Grace Berger and Rutgers’ Arella Guirantes also posted triple-doubles this season.
• Monika Czinano leads the conference in field-goal percentage (.667), ranks second in field goals made (72), third in total points (174), and fifth in points per game (19.3).
• Sophomore McKenna Warnock ranks second in 3-pointer percentage (.514), fourth in 3-pointers made (18) and total rebounds (63), and fifth in rebounds per game (7.9).
• Sophomore Gabbie Marshall ranks fourth in the conference in steals (20).

B1G STANDINGS

• As a team, the Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten Conference in six statistical categories, including total assists (180), free-throw attempts (189), free throws made (150), free-throw percentage (.794),3-pointers attempted (214), and 3-pointers made (85).
• Iowa ranks second in assists per game (20), total rebounds (345), and 3-pointers per game (9.4).
• The Hawkeyes rank third in field-goal percentage (51.4), scoring offense (92.1), and 3-point percentage (.397).

YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?

• Caitlin Clark recorded her first collegiate triple-double against Western Illinois, tallying 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Clark is the first Hawkeye to reach the accomplishment since Sam Logic against Baylor (March 27, 2015) and marks the 10th triple-double in program history, which tied the second-most in the NCAA.
• Clark was the first Big Ten freshman to be named the ESPN National Player of the Week on Dec. 14.
• The NCAA has named Clark to the NCAA Starting five — a list of the top five women’s basketball players for the week — twice, including Dec. 9 and Dec. 30.
• Clark is ranked second in the nation in points per game (27.1) and total points (248), ranks third in field goals made (82), fifth in total assists (57), field goal attempts (173), 3-pointers attempted (78), and 3-pointers made (30), ninth in assists per game (6.3) and free throws made (54), 14th in free-throw attempts (63), and 15th in 3-pointers per game (3.33).
• In the conference, Clark is leading 11 statistical categories, including points per game (27.1), total points (248), field goals made (82), total assists (57), field goal attempts (173), 3-pointers attempted (78), 3-pointers made (30), assists per game (6.3), free throws made (54), and free-throw attempts (63).
• Clark has recorded three double-doubles and a triple-double this season and has recorded four 30-point games, including a collegiate-best 37 points in Iowa’s win over Minnesota (Jan. 6).
• 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 against Drake (Dec. 2) are the most from a Big Ten Freshman since Maryland’s Destiny Slocum had 13 against Illinois on February 9, 2017.

THEY’RE KIND OF A B1G DEAL

• Sophomore McKenna Warnock earned her second Big Ten honor of her career, the conference announced on Jan. 4. Her first was a Freshman of the Week honor, on Jan. 27, 2020.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark has been named Freshman of the Week five times this season — the most recent wa announced on Jan. 4. Clark has been awarded the Freshman honor every week that the Hawkeyes have had a contest.
• Clark averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds, five assists, and 1.5 steals in a pair of Big Ten matchups against Rutgers and Illinois. In Iowa’s win over Rutgers, 90-84, Clark scored 12 of the Hawkeyes’ final 21 points. She followed up her Rutgers performance by scoring 21 points in 26 minutes of play at Illinois.
• Warnock played solid games against Rutgers and Illinois, averaging 18 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. From the field, she shot 72.2 percent and from 3-point range, she shot 69.2. The Marshall, Wisconsin, native recorded a career-high five 3-pointers against the Scarlet Knights, knocking down four in the first quarter.
• Clark swept the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player and Freshman of the Week awards for the third time onDec. 28.
• Clark is the second Big Ten freshman to win both awards, three times, in a season. The first to accomplish the milestone was Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui during the 2013-14 season.
• Clark has earned at least one weekly honor in four-of-five weeks of the season, only missing week four due to Iowa’s only game being postponed due to COVID-19.

RECORD WATCH

• The Hawkeyes (42) are four home wins away from Iowa’s home win streak record (46).
• Head coach Lisa Bluder is 17 wins away from the 800-career win mark.

UP NEXT

Iowa hosts Ohio State inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network.