| OPPONENT | #23/24 Iowa (14-4, 8-1) vs. #22/19 Ohio State (15-4, 7-3) |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) |
| DATE | Monday, Jan. 31 |
| TIP-OFF | 8 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | B1G Network |
The Setting
No. 23/24 University of Iowa women’s basketball takes on No. 22/19 Ohio State inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (CT) on B1G Network.
Monday’s matchup marks the 73rd meeting between the two teams. The Buckeyes lead the series 38-34 and have won sever of the last 10 matchups, including the last three contests.
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:
Monday’s contest will air live on B1G Network. Jason Ross (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 453-238 (.656) record and a 236-136 (.634) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 809-380 (.680).
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
- Monday’s matchup marks the 73rd meeting between the two teams. The Buckeyes lead the series 38-34 and have won sever of the last 10 matchups, including the last three contests.
- Ohio State is 15-4 overall and 7-3 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes’ three losses against conference opponents were against No. 7 Michigan, twice, and No. 6 Indiana.
- Three Buckeyes average double-figure scoring, including junior guard Jacy Sheldon (20.9), senior Taylor Mikesell (18.9) and junior forward Rebeka Mikulasikova (10.1).
- Mikesell leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (3.89), 3-pointers made (74) and 3-point percentage (.484).
- Senior forward Courtney Shaw nearly averages a double-double with 8.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while the team ranks second in the nation in 3-point percentage (40.0) and field-goal percentage (.476).
- Kevin McGuff was named head coach of The Ohio State University women’s basketball program on April 16, 2013, becoming the eighth coach in program history. McGuff’s 19-year head coaching career consists of nine years at Xavier University (214-73) and two years at the University of Washington (41-26) before arriving in Columbus. He holds a .698 overall winning percentage with a career mark of 426-184.
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Hawkeyes are 14-4 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play, winning seven straight and losing their only Big Ten contest to Northwestern on Jan. 6.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 25.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock, senior Monika Czinano and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied 10 on the season, including a Big Ten record four triple-doubles, while Warnock has registered two and Czinano and O’Grady have recorded one apiece.
- Czinano and Warnock average 20.6 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.3 (Warnock) and 6.4 (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, 21 and 19 steals, respectively. Senior Tomi Taiwo has tallied 14 steals while averaging 14.6 minutes per game.
THE BEST IN THE NATION (AND BIG TEN)
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the country in assists per game (8.1), points per game (25.5) and triple doubles (4), ranks second in total assists (145) and total points (459), third in free throws made (117), seventh in field goals made (151) and free throw attempts (120), 13th in defensive rebounds per game (8.0) and free-throw percentage (.907), 16th in double-doubles (10).
- Senior Monika Czinano ranks fourth in field-goal percentage (.646), 12th in points per game (20.6), 14th in field goals made (146), 28th in total points (351) and 37th in free-throw percentage (.868).
- In the Big Ten Conference, two Hawkeyes are statistical leaders, including Clark’s assists per game, points per game, triple doubles, 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 (.491), making 554-of-1129 shots taken, and free-throw percentage (.854), making 276-of-323 free throws attempted.
- The Hawkeyes rank in the top-16 in seven additional categories, including third in scoring offense (84.0), fourth in assists per game (19.9), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (31.1), eighth in total assists (358), 10th in assist turnover ratio (1.29), 12th in scoring margin (17.2) and 16th in free throws made (276).
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 (19.9) and ranks eighth in the country in total assists (358). Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes and the nation with 8.1 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.