WBB Notebook: at No. 11/13 Ohio State

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team returns to action Thursday, Feb. 4, at Ohio State inside the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

• Thursday’s contest will air live on BTN. Lisa Byington and Christy Winters-Scott are on the call.
• 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 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 on the AP Poll, including No. 10 Maryland, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 13 Michigan, No. 17 Indiana, and No. 22 Northwestern.
• The conference is represented by five schools on the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, including No. 10 Maryland, No. 12 Michigan, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 17 Indiana, and No. 20 Northwestern. Iowa is receiving eight votes.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

• Ohio State is 10-2 on the season and 6-2 in conference play, losing its two conference games to Nebraska, 55-63, and Northwestern, 57-69.
• Across the nation, the Buckeyes rank sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (23.2) and 10th in turnovers per game (11.8)
• Five Buckeyes are averaging double figures, including Jacy Sheldon (16.0), Dorka Juhasz (14.9), Madison Greene (13.8), Braxtin Miller (12.1), and Aaliyah Patty (11.8).
• Juhasz is leading Ohio State with 11.4 rebounds per game, including 3.9 offensive rebounds per game. She is followed by Patty (6.3).

THE SERIES

• Ohio State leads the all-time series, 37-34, winning six of the last 10 matchups, including a 84-82 overtime win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena earlier this season.
• In the Hawkeyes’ first matchup with the Buckeyes, sophomore McKenna Warnock and freshman Caitlin Clark each recorded double-doubles. Warnock scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Clark scored 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

HAWKS ON THE SEASON

• Iowa is 10-4 on the season and 6-4 in conference play, winning in its most recent contest over Minnesota, 94-68.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 25.3 points. Junior Monika Czinano and sophomore McKenna Warnock follow, averaging 20.0 and 12.5 points per game, respectively.
• Warnock leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 9.5 rebounds per game, while Clark and Czinano follow with 6.4 and 6.3 per game, respectively.
• Sophomore Gabbie Marshall is leading Iowa with 33 steals. Clark’s 22 steals and Martin ‘s 19 follow 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 ties the second-most in the NCAA.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES

• Freshman Caitlin Clark has recorded five double-doubles on the season, including Western Illinois (Dec. 22), accomplishing her first career double-double against in-state opponent, Drake (Dec. 2), with 30 points and 13 assists. The freshman’s third double-double was achieved against Minnesota (Jan. 6) included a career-high 37 points and 11 rebounds, and her fourth against Ohio State (Jan. 13) included 27 points and 10 rebounds. Clark’s most recent double-double was accomplished with 22 points and 11 assists against Minnesota (Jan. 31).
• Sophomore Warnock has five career double-doubles, adding three this season. She recorded her third career double-double, tallying 14 points and 13 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa (Nov. 25), her fourth against Ohio State with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and her fifth against Minnesota with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
• Junior Monika Czinano recorded double-doubles in both matchups against Northwestern this season. In the first meeting (Jan. 9), Czinano posted 28 points and 12 rebounds. On the Hawkeyes home court (Jan. 28), Czinano recorded a career-high 34 points and added 11 rebounds.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING

• As a team, Iowa is ranked in top-7, nationally, in four statistical categories, including second in field goal percentage (51.5), third in scoring offense (88.5), fourth in assists per game (20.9), and seventh in total assists (292).
• The Hawkeyes rank in the top-25 in four additional categories, including assist/turnover ratio (1.32), 17th in free-throw percentage (77.7) and 3-point percentage (37.8), and 25th in 3-pointers per game (8.7).
• Junior Monika Czinano, freshman Caitlin Clark, and sophomore McKenna Warnock rank among the top 25 nationally in 15 statistical categories, including Czinano’s leading field-goal percentage (70.1), 122-of-174 from the field.
• Clark ranks second in triple-doubles (1), fifth in assists (93), final points (354), and points per game (25.3), eighth in assists per game (6.6), 10th in 3-pointers attempted (121), 11th in 3-point field goals made (43), 13th in field goals made (117), 14th  in free throws made (77) and 3-pointers per game (3.07), 18th in field goal attempts (257), and 21st in free throw attempts (95).
• Warnock ranks 17th in defensive rebounds per game (8.0), and Czinano ranks eighth in field goals made (122).

B1G STANDINGS

• As a team, the Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten Conference in field-goal percentage (51.5), assists per game (20.9), total assists (292), and 3-pointers attempted (323).
• Iowa ranks second in scoring offense (88.5), 3-point percentage (37.8), 3-pointers made (122), 3-pointers per game (8.7), and free throws made (213).
• The Hawkeyes rank third in free-throw percentage (77.7), rebound margin (4.9), and free throw attempts (274).

RANKING B1G INDIVIDUALS

• Hawkeye individuals rank in the Big Ten top-five in 21 statistical categories.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Big Ten in five statistical categories, including final points (354), total assists (93), assists per game (6.6), field goals attempted (257), and 3-pointers attempted (121).
• Clark is ranked second in seven additional statistical categories, including triple doubles (1), points per game (25.3), field goals made (117), free throws made (77), 3-pointers per game (3.07), 3-pointers made (43), and free-throw attempts (95).
• Junior Monika Czinano leads the conference in field-goal percentage (70.1) and field goals made (122) ranks third in final points (280), and fourth in points per game (20).
• Sophomore McKenna Warnock is leading the conference in defensive rebounds per game (8.0), and ranks third in rebounds per game (9.5) and total rebounds (124).
• Sophomore Gabbie Marshall ranks third in the conference in steals (33) and ranks fifth in steals per game (2.36).

B1G RECORD-BREAKING HAWK

• Junior Monika Czinano posted a double-double, scoring 28 points and pulling down 12 rebounds at No. 22/23 Northwestern (Jan. 9). Czinano shot 13 of 14 from the field. Czinano’s field goal percentage (.929) is a Big Ten Record with a minimum of 12 attempts in a Big Ten contest, shooting 13-of-14 against the Wildcats. On three occasions, a Big Ten women’s basketball player has made 12 of 13 (.917) — the last being Indiana’s Quacy Barnes on Feb. 22, 1998 against Michigan State.
• Against No. 23 Northwestern (Jan. 28), Czinano made 15-consecutive buckets — a Big Ten single-game record. With Czinano making her final three shots in Iowa’s previous game against Purdue (Jan. 18), her streak ran 18-consecutive makes — another Big Ten record. The previous co-record holder, Iowa’s Megan Gustafson and Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes, each made 17 in a row. Gustafson made 17 in a row over a three-game stretch from Nov. 9-17, 2018 (1 vs. Oral Roberts, 13 at WKU, 3 vs. NC Central) — the only other time it’s happened within the same season. Holmes made 17 in a row in consecutive games, crossing over seasons making her last four shots in the Big Ten semifinals  (Mar. 7) against Maryland and added 13 against Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 25).

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

• Junior Monika Czinano was named to the NCAA Starting Five on Wednesday, Feb. 3 — the first of her career.
• Freshman CaitlinClark was the first Big Ten freshman to be named the ESPN National Player of the Week on Dec. 14.
• The NCAA named Clark to the NCAA Starting five — a list of the top five women’s basketball players for the week — on Dec. 9 and Dec. 30.

YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?

• In the nation, Clark ranks second in triple-doubles (1), fifth in assists (93), final points (354), and points per game (25.3), eighth in assists per game (6.6), 10th in 3-pointers attempted (121), 11th in 3-point field goals made (43), 13th in field goals made (117), 14th  in free throws made (77) and 3-pointers per game (3.07), 18th in field goal attempts (257), and 21st in free throw attempts (95).
• Clark leads the Big Ten in five statistical categories, including final points (354), total assists (93), assists per game (6.6), field goals attempted (257), and 3-pointers attempted (121).
• Clark is ranked second in seven additional statistical categories, including triple doubles (1), points per game (25.3), field goals made (117), free throws made (77), 3-pointers per game (3.07), 3-pointers made (43), and free-throw attempts (95).
• In Iowa’s matchup with Minnesota (Jan. 31), Clark broke onto the Iowa freshmen all-time scoring list 1:20 into the first quarter and now ranks seventh, tallying 354 points on the season and passing former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson (352).
• Clark broke onto the Iowa freshman all-time assist list after tallying eight assists against Northwestern (Jan. 28) and now ranks sixth with 93 assists on the season.
• Clark is one of 10 women’s basketball players to record a triple-double this season, posting 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against Western Illinois (Dec. 22, 2020). Indiana’s Grace Berger is the only women’s basketball player to record two this season. 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 has recorded four double-doubles, including a triple-double this season and 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

• Freshman Caitlin Clark is the second Big Ten freshman to win both awards — Big Ten Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week — three times, in a season. The first to accomplish the milestone was Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui during the 2013-14 season.
• Clark has been named Freshman of the Week eight times this season and has tallied 13 Big Ten Weekly honors on the year, including the eight freshman honors, three Big Ten Player of the Week honors, and two Player of the Week Honor Roll nods.
• Junior Monika Czinano earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week nod on Feb. 1.
• 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.

RECORD WATCH

• Head coach Lisa Bluder is 15 wins away from the 800-career win mark.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes return to action on Sunday, Feb. 7, with a home matchup against No. 17/17 Indiana. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2.