| OPPONENT | #RV/RV Iowa (9-4, 3-2) vs. #RV/RV Nebraska (13-3, 2-3) |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) |
| DATE | Sunday, Jan. 16 |
| TIP-OFF | 5 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | B1G Network |
The Setting
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Nebraska on Sunday, Jan. 16 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) on B1G Network.
Sunday’s matchup marks the 34th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 18-15 and have won 11 of the last 14 matchups, including both matchups during the 2020-21 season and the pairs first matchup this season.
The Hawkeyes defeated the Huskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena, 95-86, on Jan. 9. Sophomore Caitlin Clark and junior McKenna Warnock registered double-doubles with Clark tallying 31 points and 12 assists and Warnock recording 23 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Monika Czinano added 20 points and redshirt junior Kate Martin was 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, tallying 12 points. The Huskers also had four score in double figures including junior guard Sam Haiby (18), junior guard Jaz Shelley (14), freshman center/forward Alexis Markowski (14) and sophomore guard Ashley Scoggin (13). Shelley pulled down 11 rebounds to register a double-double.
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:
Sunday’s contest will air live on B1G Network. Sloane Martin (play-by-play) and Christy Winters Scott (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 448-238 (.653) record and a 221-135 (.621) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 804-380 (.679).
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
- Sunday’s matchup marks the 34th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 18-15 and have won 11 of the last 14 matchups, including both matchups during the 2020-21 season and the pairs first matchup this season.
- The Hawkeyes defeated the Huskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena, 95-86, on Jan. 9. Sophomore Caitlin Clark and junior McKenna Warnock registered double-doubles with Clark tallying 31 points and 12 assists and Warnock recording 23 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Monika Czinano added 20 points and redshirt junior Kate Martin was 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, tallying 12 points. The Huskers also had four score in double figures including junior guard Sam Haiby (18), junior guard Jaz Shelley (14), freshman center/forward Alexis Markowski (14) and sophomore guard Ashley Scoggin (13). Shelley pulled down 11 rebounds to register a double-double.
- Nebraska is 13-2 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play, falling to Iowa (95-86) and Indiana (72-65) most recently.
- Three Huskers average double-figure scoring, including Shelley (13.8), Haiby (11.0), and Markowski (10.3).
- Shelly leads the Huskers with 7.5 rebounds per game, followed by Markowski (6.6) and junior forward Bella Cravens (6.4).
- Shelley and Haiby average 4.3 and 3.8 assists per game.
- Scoggin and Shelley both rank in the top 25 nationally in 3-point percentage. Scoggin ranks 17th (.449) and Shelley ranks 25th (.435).
- As a team, Nebraska ranks eighth in total assists (281) and scoring margin (21.2), ninth in total rebounds (699), 10th in defensive rebounds per game (30.4) and scoring offense (81.3), 12th in free throws made (233), 13th in free throw attempts (328) and 15th in blocked shots (80).
- Head coach Amy Williams is in her sixth season at the helm of the Nebraska women’s basketball program. Williams is 98-66 at Nebraska and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and led the Huskers to the NCAA Tournament First Round, during her second season (2017-18).
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Hawkeyes are 9-4 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play, defeating Purdue and Nebraska most recently.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 25.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied six on the season, including two triple-doubles, while Warnock has registered two and O’Grady has recorded one.
- Senior Monika Czinano and Warnock average 19.0 and 12.8 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.9 (Warnock) and 5.4 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team, averaging 2.6 assists per game.
- Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark and Martin have tallied 11, 19 and 17 steals, respectively.
THE BEST IN THE NATION (AND BIG TEN)
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark ranks second in points per game (25.2), third in free throws made (89), fourth in assists per game (7.2), fifth in total assists (94), eight in total points (327), ninth in free throws made (99), 19th in defensive rebounds per game (7.5), 21st in free-throw percentage (.899), 24th in field goals made (98), 31st in double-doubles (6) and 96th in assist turnover ratio (1.88).
- Senior Monika Czinano ranks third in field-goal percentage (.658), 29th in points per game (19.0), 42nd in field goals made (98), 58th in free-throw percentage (.842) and 95th in total points (228).
- Junior McKenna Warnock ranks 18th in 3-point percentage (.444).
- In the Big Ten Conference, two Hawkeyes are statistical leaders, including Clark’s points per game, assists per game, total assists and free-throw percentage and Czinano’s field goal percentage.
WHERE THEY RANK AS A TEAM
- Iowa leads the country in free-throw percentage, making 198-of-230 free throws attempted (.861).
- The Hawkeyes rank in the top-25 in five additional categories, including second in field goal percentage (.480), 10th in assists per game (18.8), 11th in scoring offense (81.0), 16th in defensive rebounds per game (30.1), and 23rd in assist turnover ratio (1.19).