| OPPONENT | #22/21 Iowa (7-3, 1-0) vs. Northwester (9-3, 1-0) |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) |
| DATE | Thursday, Jan. 6 |
| TIP-OFF | 7 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | B1G Network |
The Setting
The No. 22/21 University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts the Northwestern Wildcats on Thursday, Jan. 6 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on B1G Network.
Thursday’s matchup marks the 75th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 57-17 and have won 11 of the last 14 matchups.
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 air live on B1G Network. Mike Hall (play-by-play) and Meghan McKeown (color) are on the call.
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 446-237 (.653) record and a 221-135 (.621) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 802-379 (.679).
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
- Thursday’s matchup marks the 75th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 57-17 and have won 11 of the last 14 matchups. Northwestern has won the last two meetings.
- Northwestern is 9-3 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have not played a game since Dec. 17 (a 19-day break).
- Two Wildcats average double-figure scoring, including senior guard Veronica Burton (17.6) and freshman forward Caileigh Walsh (10.3).
- Burton has tallied 44 steals in 12 games (3.7 per game) and averaged 5.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. She ranks fourth in the nation in free throws made (72), fifth in steals per game (3.67), 15th in assists per game (5.9), and 20th in free-throw percentage (91.1)
- Senior forward Courtney Shaw nearly averages a double-double with 9.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
- Shaw ranks fourth in offensive rebounds per game (4.8) and Walsh ranks 22nd in blocked shots (27) and blocked shots per game (2.25).
- Head coach Joe McKeown is in his 14th season at the helm of the Northwestern women’s basketball program. He currently ranks fourth among active Big Ten coaches in total wins. Additionally, McKeown has guided the Wildcats to eight winning seasons, shattering the win total in his first 13 years with the program (208).
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Hawkeyes are 7-3 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, winning their most recent contest, 93-56, over the Evansville Purple Aces.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 24.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. Clark’s 6.8 assists and 24.2 points per game rank fourth in the country, while she ranks eighth nationally with eight defensive rebounds per game and is the only Division I women’s basketball player to tally two triple-doubles this season.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied five on the season, including two triple-doubles, while Warnock and O’Grady have each registered one.
- Senior Monika Czinano and Warnock average 17.9 and 12.3 points per game. The pair also average 7.3 (Warnock) and 5.1 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Czinano ranks seventh in the nation in field goal percentage (63.6).
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team, averaging 3.0 assists per game.
- Martin, junior Gabbie Marshall and Clark have tallied 17, 16 and 16 steals, respectively.
- Iowa leads the country in free-throw percentage (.837), ranks 9th in field-goal percentage (47.2), 10th in assists per game (18.8), 11th in defensive rebounds per game (30.6), 16th in scoring offense (81), 26th in assist turnover ratio (1.19) and 31st in scoring margin (17).