| OPPONENT | #23/24 Iowa (13-4, 7-1) at Northwestern (11-7, 3-4) |
| LOCATION | Evanston, Ill. (Welsh Ryan Arena) |
| DATE | Friday, Jan. 28 |
| TIP-OFF | 5 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | B1G + |
The Setting
The No. 23/24 University of Iowa women’s basketball takes on Northwestern inside Welsh Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois, on Friday, Jan. 28. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.
Friday’s matchup marks the 76th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 57-18 and have won 11 of the last 15 matchups. Northwestern has won the last three meetings, including Iowa’s only Big Ten loss this season.
Northwestern is 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have lost four of their last five games since they defeated Iowa, 77-69, on Jan. 6.
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:
Friday’s contest will stream live on B1G+.
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 452-238 (.655) record and a 235-136 (.633) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 808-380 (.680).
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
- Friday’s matchup marks the 76th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 57-18 and have won 11 of the last 15 matchups. Northwestern has won the last three meetings, including Iowa’s only Big Ten loss this season.
- Northwestern is 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have lost four of their last five games since they defeated Iowa, 77-69, on Jan. 6.
- Two Wildcats average double-figure scoring, including senior guard Veronica Burton (16.9) and freshman forward Caileigh Walsh (10.0).
- Burton has tallied 73 steals in 18 games (4.1 per game) and averaged 6.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. She ranks second in the nation in total steals, third in steals per game, fifth in free throws made (105), sixth in free throw attempts (124), eighth in assist turnover ratio (2.79), 11th in total assists (109) and 12th in assists per game (6.1).
- Senior forward Courtney Shaw nearly averages a double-double with 8.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
- Shaw ranks eighth nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.4) and Walsh ranks 36th in blocked shots (33) and 37th in blocked shots per game (1.94).
- 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 13-4 overall and 7-1 in Big Ten play, winning six straight and losing their only Big Ten contest to Northwestern on Jan. 6.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 25.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied nine 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 20.4 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.6 (Warnock) and 5.8 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 2.9.
- Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark, Martin and Warnock have tallied 28, 25, 19 and 17 steals, respectively. Senior Tomi Taiwo has tallied 14 steals while averaging 14.0 minutes per game.
THE BEST IN THE NATION (AND BIG TEN)
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the country in assists per game (8.2), total assists (140) and triple doubles (4), ranks second in points per game (25.4) and total points (431), third in free throws made (108), 10th in free throw attempts (120), 11th in field goals made (143), 16th in defensive rebounds per game (7.9), 18th in free-throw percentage (.900), 21st in double-doubles (9), 54th in assist turnover ratio (2.07), 91st in total rebounds (143), 94th in rebounds per game (8.4), 95th in 3-pointers made (37) and 100th in 3-pointers per game (2.18).
- Senior Monika Czinano ranks third in field-goal percentage (.649), 12th in points per game (20.4), 14th in field goals made (137), 33rd in total points (327) and 45th in free-throw percentage (.855).
- 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 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 530-of-1071 shots taken, and free-throw percentage (.851), making 258-of-303 free throws attempted.
- The Hawkeyes rank in the top-21 in seven additional categories, including third in scoring offense (84.7), fourth in assists per game (20.1), sixth in total assists (342), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (30.8), eighth in assist turnover ratio (1.35), 14th in scoring margin (17.9) and 21st in free throws made (258).
YOU GET AN ASSIST, YOU GET AN ASSIST, EVERYONE GETS AN ASSIST
- Iowa currently leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally in assists per game (20.1) and ranks sixth in the country in total assists (342). Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes and the nation with 139 assists the season and 8.2 assists per game.
- Iowa tallied 37 assists against Penn State (Jan. 25) to break the program’s single-game record, the Big Ten record against a Big Ten opponent and to tie the Big Ten record for most in a game – previously the Iowa record was 36 against North Carolina Central (Nov. 17, 2018) and the Big Ten single-game record is tied by Penn State (vs. Delaware St., Nov. 16, 2021) and Maryland (vs. Loyola Maryland, Dec. 11, 2017).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark broke the Iowa single-game assist record, tallying 16 and breaking the Big Ten record in a regular-season Big Ten game. Former Hawkeye Kathleen Doyle previously held the Iowa record with 15 assists against Nebraska (Feb. 6, 2020) and Illinois’ Maggie Acuna against Wisconsin (Jan. 15, 2006).
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.