| OPPONENT | #9/12 Iowa (4-0) vs. RV/– Duke (6-0) |
| LOCATION | Durham, N.C. (Cameron Indoor Stadium) |
| DATE | Thursday, Dec. 2 |
| TIP-OFF | 8 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | HAWKEYE RADIO NETWORK |
The Setting
The No. 9 University of Iowa women’s basketball team heads to Durham, N.C. to square off against the Duke Blue Devils in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
Iowa and Duke have competed once before, with the Hawkeyes falling, 47-71, on Dec. 4, 2008, in Durham, N.C.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Rob Brooks (play-by-play) and Jamie Cavey Lang (color) call the action. Brooks is in his sixth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. Brooks has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television. Lang is in her sixth 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.
TV: Thursday’s contest will be televised nationally on ESPN. Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Rebecca Lobo (color) will call the action.
PROGRAM QUICK HITS
- The Hawkeyes finished the 2020-21 season 20-10 overall and 11-8 in Big Ten play, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game and the NCAA Sweet 16.
- The Hawkeyes finished the season ranked in the top-11 nationally in 11 statistical categories, including first in field goal percentage (51.3) and 3-point percentage (40.8), second in scoring offense (86.1), third in free-throw percentage (80.0), and fifth in assists per game (20.1).
- Head Coach Lisa Bluder and staff led Iowa to its 12th 20-win season over the last 14 seasons and 14th in Bluder’s tenure.
- Freshman Caitlin Clark earned consensus first team All-America status with honors from WBCA, USBWA, and The Athletic. Associated Press named Clark to their second team.
- Clark was named National Co-Freshman of the Year by The Athletic, USBWA, and the WBCA.She was also named the Dawn Staley Award recipient — an award that goes to the best guard in women’s basketball.
- In the Big Ten, Clark was named Freshman of the Year, unanimous first team All-Big Ten, unanimously selected to the all-freshman team. Junior Monika Czinano earned first team all-Big Ten honors. The pair were also named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team.
- Clark and Czinano led the country in seven statistical categories, including Czinano leading the country in shooting percentage (66.8) and Clark leading in points per game (26.6), total assists (214),
- Iowa has made 13 consecutive postseason appearances (11 NCAA, 2 WNIT) when a postseason tournament was held. The 2020 postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Hawkeyes have made a postseason tournament appearance in 19 of head coach Lisa Bluder’s 21 seasons at the helm of the program, receiving 14 NCAA Tournament and four WNIT (2003, 2005, 2016, 2017) bids, including eight Sweet 16 appearances — most recently in 2021.
- Bluder is one of six active Division I women’s head coaches to win 795 games or more in her career. She completes her 37th season as a head coach and 21st at Iowa in 2020-21.
- Bluder owns a 443-234 (.654) record and a 221-135 (.621) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 799-376 (.680).
Scouting Duke
- Thursday’s matchup is the second meeting between the Hawkeyes and the Blue Devils. During the 2008-09 season, Iowa fell to Duke, 47-71.
- Duke received 15 votes in the latest Associated Press poll.
- Duke is 6-0 on the season with wins over Winthrop, Dayton, UNCW, Alabama, Appalachian State, and Troy.
- Junior guard Celeste Taylor leads the Blue Devils, averaging 15 points per game followed by redshirt-senior guard/forward Lexi Gordon (12.8), freshman guard Shayeann Day-Wilson (12.2) and senior forward Imani Lewis (12).
- Lewis, Taylor and redshirt-senior guard/forward Jade Williams lead with 7.5, 6.7 and 6.5 rebounds per game, respectively.
- Former WNBA and Olympic Champion Kara Lawson was named Duke University’s fifth head women’s basketball coach July 11, 2020.