| OPPONENT | #23/RV Iowa (12-4, 6-1) vs. Penn State (9-8, 3-4) |
| LOCATION | University Park, Pa. (Bryce Jordan Center) |
| DATE | Tuesday, Jan. 25 |
| TIP-OFF | 5 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | B1G Network |
The Setting
The No. 23 University of Iowa women’s basketball takes on Penn State inside Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Jan. 25. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) on B1G Network.
Tuesday’s matchup marks the 54th meeting between the two teams. Penn State leads the series 29-24, but Iowa has won the last five consecutive contests.
Last season, Iowa defeated the Nittany Lions in Iowa City, Iowa, 96-78.
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:
Tuesday’s contest will air live on B1G Network. Mike Hall (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 451-238 (.655) record and a 234-136 (.632) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 807-380 (.680).
SCOUTING PENN STATE
- Tuesday’s matchup marks the 54th meeting between the two teams. Penn State leads the series 29-24, but Iowa has won the last five consecutive contests.
- Last season, Iowa defeated the Nittany Lions in Iowa City, Iowa, 96-78.
- Penn State is 9-8 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play, falling most recently to Wisconsin, 69-57.
- Junior forward MaKenna Marisa leads the Nittany Lions, averaging 21.8 points per game, followed by sophomore forward Ali Brigham with 10.9. Marisa ranks eighth in the country in points per game.
- As a team, Penn State ranks 46th nationally in blocked shots per game (4.5) and third in the Big Ten with redshirt-freshman guard Leilani Kapinus leading the team with 21 and Brigham with 19 on the season.
- Head coach Carolyn Kieger is in her third season at the helm of the Penn State women’s basketball program. Kieger mentored three players to All-Big Ten honors last season as well as freshman Maddie Burke as the consensus pick for the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year and the All-Freshman team by the coaches and media.
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Hawkeyes are 12-4 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play, winning five straight and losing their only Big Ten contest to Northwestern on Jan. 6.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 25.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied eight on the season, including a Big Ten record four triple-doubles, while Warnock has registered two and O’Grady has recorded one.
- Senior Monika Czinano and Warnock average 20.2 and 11.8 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.7 (Warnock) and 5.6 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 2.8.
- Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark, and Martin have tallied 28, 25 and 19 steals, respectively. Senior Tomi Taiwo has tallied 13 steals while averaging 14.2 minutes per game.
THE BEST IN THE NATION (AND BIG TEN)
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the country in points per game (25.7) and triple doubles (4), ranks second in assists per game (7.6), third in total assists (122) and total points (411), fourth in free throws made (104), ninth in field goals made (137), 11th in free throw attempts (116), 13th in defensive rebounds per game (8.0), 21st in free-throw percentage (.897), 25th in double-doubles (8), 73rd in assist turnover ratio (1.94) and 88th in rebounds per game (8.5).
- Senior Monika Czinano ranks third in field-goal percentage (.648), 19th in points per game (20.2), 27th in field goals made (125), 35th in free-throw percentage (.869) and 54th in total points (303).
- In the Big Ten Conference, two Hawkeyes are statistical leaders, including Clark’s points per game, triple doubles, assists per game, total assists, total points, field goals made and free-throw percentage and Czinano’s field goal percentage.
WHERE THEY RANK AS A TEAM
Iowa leads the country in field-goal percentage (.488), making 487-of-998 shots taken, and free-throw percentage (.859), making 250-of-291 free throws attempted.
- The Hawkeyes rank in the top-30 in seven additional categories, including fourth in scoring offense (83.3), sixth in assists per game (19.1) and defensive rebounds per game (30.9), 11th in assist turnover ratio (1.29), 15th in scoring margin (17.2), 22nd in total assists (305) and 28th in free throws made (250).
TRIPLE-DOUBLE THREAT
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark has registered four triple-doubles this season and leads the country in most career triple-doubles by an active player with five.
- Clark joins the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Hardin, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, Division I men’s and women’s basketball to record back-to-back 30-point triple doubles since 2000.
- Clark is one of 10 women’s basketball players (15 times) to register back-to-back triple doubles in their careers — the only to do so with 30-plus points in the pair. Clark registered 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists at Minnesota (Jan. 20) and 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Nebraska (Jan. 16).
- The Des Moines, Iowa, native is the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to register consecutive triple-doubles and four triple doubles in one season.
- Clark registered her first triple double of the season against Southern University (Nov. 17) with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, her second against Michigan State (Dec. 5) with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, her third against Nebraska (Jan. 16) with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and her fourth at Minnesota with 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
- Clark’s fifth career triple-double is the second most from a Hawkeye – former Hawkeye Sam Logic tallied six in her career.