WBB Notebook: vs. Penn State

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Penn State on Thursday, Feb. 18, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

• Thursday’s contest will air live on Big Ten Network. Chris Vosters and Meghan McKeown 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. 9 Maryland, No. 11 Michigan, No. 14 Indiana, No. 15 Ohio State, and No. 24 Northwestern. Rutgers is receiving 10 votes.
• The conference is represented by five schools on the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, including No. 10 Maryland, No. 11 Michigan, No. 12 Indiana, tied for No. 13 Ohio State, and No. 22 Northwestern. Rutgers  received five votes, Iowa received two votes, and Michigan State received one.

SCOUTING PENN STATE

• Penn State is 8-9 on the season and 5-8 in conference play, losing its last two matchups at Indiana (65-90) and against Michigan State (65-78).
• Three Nittany Lions average double figures, including Kelly Jekot (15.9), Johnasia Cash (14.9) and McKenna Marisa (14.5).
• Cash leads Penn State in rebounds, averaging 9.4 per game. Jekot follows with 6.8 rebounds per game.
• Cash leads the Lions in blocked shots (16) on the season, and Shay Hagans leads in steals (32).

THE SERIES

• Penn State leads the all-time series, 29-23. Iowa has won four-consecutive matchups over the Nittany Lions, including a 100-57 win inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena last season. In the last 10 matchups with the Nittany Lions, the Hawkeyes have won six.
• Iowa is 13-10 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Penn State.
• The Hawkeyes also won on Penn State’s home court last season, 77-66. McKenna Warnock tallied 16 points and seven rebounds.
• Inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Czinano scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. Warnock scored 10 points and recorded five rebounds.

HAWKEYES ON THE SEASON

• Iowa is 11-6 on the season and 7-6 in conference play, winning its most recent contests over Nebraska, 88-81.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 26.6 points. Junior Monika Czinano and sophomore McKenna Warnock follow, averaging 19.2 and 12.7 points per game, respectively.
• Warnock leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 9.4 rebounds per game, while Clark and Czinano follow with 6.4 and 6.0 per game, respectively.
• Sophomore Gabbie Marshall is leading Iowa with 39 steals. Clark’s 23 steals and Martin ‘s 22 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.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING

• As a team, Iowa is ranked in the top-10, nationally, in four statistical categories, including second in field goal percentage (50.7) and scoring offense (87.4), sixth in assists per game (19.9), and ninth in total assists (339).
• The Hawkeyes rank in the top-25 in four additional categories, including 12th in free-throw percentage (78.6), 16th in 3-point percentage (37.9), 21st in assist/turnover ratio (128), and 25th in 3-pointers per game (8.8).
• Junior Monika Czinano, freshman Caitlin Clark, and sophomore McKenna Warnock rank among the top 20 nationally in 14 statistical categories, including Czinano’s leading field-goal percentage (67.1), 141-of-210 from the field.
• Clark ranks second in points per game (26.6), triple-doubles (1), fifth in total assists (112), final points (453), and 3-pointers attempted (154), seventh in field goals made (151) and 3-pointers per game (3.35), ninth in assists per game (6.6) and 3-pointers made (57), 15th in free-throws made (94), and 17th in field goal attempts (323).
• Warnock ranks 20th in defensive rebounds per game (7.9), and Czinano ranks 14th in field goals made (141).

B1G STANDINGS

• As a team, the Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten Conference in field-goal percentage (50.7), assists per game (19.9), assists (339), 3-pointers made (149) and 3-pointers attempted (393).
• Iowa ranks second in scoring offense (87.4), free-throw percentage (87.4), 3-pointers per game (8.8), and free throws made (253).
• The Hawkeyes rank third in 3-point percentage (37.9).

RANKING B1G INDIVIDUALS

• Hawkeye individuals rank in the Big Ten top-five in 22 statistical categories.
• Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Big Ten in eight statistical categories, including points per game (26.6), assists (112), total points (453), 3-pointers attempted (154), field goals made (151), assists per game (6.6), free throws made (94), and field goal attempts (323).
• Clark is ranked second in four additional statistical categories, including triple- doubles (1), 3-pointers per game (3.35), 3-pointers made (57), and free-throw attempts (113), and ranks fourth in free-throw percentage (83.2) and 3-point percentage (37.0).
• Junior Monika Czinano leads the conference in field-goal percentage (67.1), ranks second in field goals made (141), and fourth total points (327).
• Sophomore McKenna Warnock is leading the conference in defensive rebounds per game (7.9), and ranks fourth in total rebounds (141) and rebounds per game (9.4).
• Sophomore Gabbie Marshall ranks third in the conference in steals (39) and ranks fifth in steals per game (2.29).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES

• Freshman Caitlin Clark has recorded six double-doubles on the season, including a triple-double against Western Illinois (Dec. 22). She recorded the others against Drake (Dec. 2), Minnesota (Jan. 6), at Ohio State (Jan. 13), and at Minnesota (Jan. 31). Clark’s most recent double-double was accomplished with 39 points and 10 rebounds at Nebraska (Feb. 11).
• Sophomore McKenna 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 at 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.

B1G RECORD-BREAKING HAWKJ

• 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

• Freshman Caitlin Clark was named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Midseason Team on Feb. 9. She is one of 30 athletes considered for the Player of the Year award.
• Clark was named to the Dawn Staley Late Season Watch List on Feb. 5. The list included 16 of the nation’s top guards in women’s basketball.
• Clark was named to the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week, twice — Jan. 5 and Feb.17.
• Junior Monika Czinano was named to the NCAA Starting Five on Wednesday, Feb. 3 — the first of her career.
• Clark 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, Dec. 30, and Feb. 17.

YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?

• In the nation, Clark ranks second in points per game (26.6), triple-doubles (1), fifth in total assists (112), final points (453), and 3-pointers attempted (154), seventh in field goals made (151) and 3-pointers per game (3.35), ninth in assists per game (6.6) and 3-pointers made (57), 15th in free-throws made (94), and 17th in field goal attempts (323).
• Clark leads the Big Ten in eight statistical categories, including points per game (26.6), assists (112), total points (453), 3-pointers attempted (154), field goals made (151), assists per game (6.6), free throws made (94), and field goal attempts (323).
• Clark is ranked second in four additional statistical categories, including triple- doubles (1), 3-pointers per game (3.35), 3-pointers made (57), and free-throw attempts (113), and ranks fourth in free-throw percentage (83.2) and 3-point percentage (37.0).
• 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 third, tallying 453 points on the season.
• Clark broke onto the Iowa freshman all-time assist list after tallying eight assists against Northwestern (Jan. 28) and now ranks fourth with 110 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 six double-doubles, including a triple-double this season and recorded seven 30-point games, including a collegiate-best 39 points in Iowa’s win over Nebraska (Feb. 11).
• 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 has tallied 16 Big Ten Weekly honors on the season, including 10 freshman honors, four Big Ten Player of the Week honors, and two Player of the Week Honor Roll nods. Clark’s 10 Freshman of the Week honors and four Player of the Week nods tie Big Ten Records. The first Big Ten student-athlete to receive 10 Freshman of the Week awards was Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard during the 2015-16 season. Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B. is the only other freshman to earn four Player of the Week nods. Her four Big Ten Player of the Week honors as a freshman are believed to be the NCAA record.
• 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 14 wins away from the 800-career win mark.
• Caitlin Clark ranks third on Iowa’s all-time freshman scoring list with 451 points on the season. The record holder is Jaime Printy with 501 points during the 2009-10 season.
• Clark ranks fourth on Iowa’s all-time freshman assist list with 110 on the season. Kathleen Doyle holds the record with 148 her freshman season (2016-17).

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes return to action on Sunday, Feb. 21 when the Hawkeyes take on the Hoosiers inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall — the second meeting for the two teams this season. Tip off and TV designation have not been set.