| OPPONENT | Iowa (22-7, 14-4) vs. Nebraska (22-7, 11-5) |
| LOCATION | Indianapolis, Ind. (Gainbridge Fieldhouse) |
| DATE | Sunday, March 6 |
| TIP-OFF | 3 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | ESPN2 |
The Setting
No. 2 seeded University of Iowa women’s basketball plays No. 5 seed Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament Championship on Sunday, March 6 inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2.
Iowa leads the series 52-22, but Iowa swept the Hoosiers during the regular season.
Indiana is 22-7 overall and 11-5 in Big Ten play, losing its only Big Ten matchups at Michigan (Jan. 31), at Nebraska (Feb. 14) against Iowa (Feb. 19, Feb. 21) and Maryland (Feb. 25).
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. Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Stephanie White (color) are on the call, while Christy Winters Scott will report from the sidelines.
PROGRAM QUICK HITS
- The Iowa Hawkeyes are 22-7 overall and finished Big Ten play 14-4 to clench a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title — Ohio State shares the regular-season title. It is the Hawkeyes’ 13th Big Ten Championship (10 regular, 3 tournament) in program history and first regular season title since 2008. Iowa has never won the Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Titles in the same season.
- In the Big Ten Tournament , Iowa is 3-3 all time in the Finals and is 2-3 under P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder’s leadership. This marks the program’s fifth Championship appearance under Bluder — third in four years. Both of Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament Titles under Bluder were won as two seeds (2001, 2019).
- Iowa is ranked 12th in the latest AP Poll, 14th in the NCAA Final Top-16 Reveal and 18th in the USA TODAY Sports/WBCA Coaches Poll.
- Iowa defeated 17 of its 29 opponents by double figures, including 11 20-plus point wins (six in Big Ten play).
- The Hawkeyes lead the country in field-goal percentage (.505) and free-throw percentage (.842) and ranks in the top-25 in eight additional categories, including second in scoring offense (84.9), third in assists per game (19.4), sixth in total assists (563), 11th in assist turnover ratio (1.29), 14th in defensive rebounds per game (29.7), 16th in free throws made (441), 20th in 3-point percentage (35.6) and 22nd in scoring margin (13.9).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the nation in total assists (234), total points (803), assists per game (8.1), points per game (27.7), free throws made (184) and triple doubles (5) and has tallied 11 30-plus point games this season, tallying the most 30-point games in Division I women’s basketball this season.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year and earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors (coaches and media). Senior Monika Czinano earned first team all-Big Ten honors (coaches and media) — her third Big Ten postseason honors — and junior McKenna Warnock earned second team All-Big Ten honors by the media and was selected as an honor roll honoree by the coaches.
- Bluder registered her 800th win this season and is one-of-five active Division I women’s head coaches to accomplish the feat in their career. She is in her 38th season as a head coach and 22nd at Iowa.
- Bluder owns a 461-241 (.657) record and a 232-139 (.625) conference mark at Iowa. In her 38 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 817-383 (.681).
SCOUTING INDIANA (5 seed)
- Iowa leads the series 52-22, but Iowa swept the Hoosiers during the regular season.
- Indiana is 22-7 overall and 11-5 in Big Ten play, losing its only Big Ten matchups at Michigan (Jan. 31), at Nebraska (Feb. 14) against Iowa (Feb. 19, Feb. 21) and Maryland (Feb. 25).
- Five Hoosiers average double-figure scoring, including senior guard Grace Berger (16.2), junior forward Mackenzie Holmes (15.7), senior forward Aleksa Gulbe (12.1), senior guard Ali Patberg (12.0) and redshirt-senior guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (11.5).
- Holmes (7.0), Gulbe (6.3), Berger (6.2) and Cardano-Hillary (5.0) all average at least five rebounds per game.
- In two games against Iowa this season, Indiana averaged 86.5 points, 27 rebounds, 11 assists and 10.5 steals per game, while shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 27 percent from 3-point range and 8.48 from the free-throw line.
- Head coach Teri Moren is in her eighth season at the helm of the Indiana women’s basketball program. Moren led the Hoosiers to the first Elite Eight appearance in program history, sixth-consecutive 20-win season and a new program-record 16 wins in Big Ten play.
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Iowa Hawkeyes are 22-7 overall and 14-4 in Big Ten play. Iowa clenched a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title on Feb. 27 — Ohio State shares the title. It is the Hawkeyes’ 13th Big Ten Championship (10 regular, 3 tournament) in program history and first regular-season title since 2008.
- Iowa defeated 17 of its 29 opponents by double figures, including 11 20-plus point wins (six in Big Ten play).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 27.7 points, 8.1 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 15 on the season (24 career), including a Big Ten record five triple-doubles, while Warnock and Czinano have registered two apiece and O’Grady has recorded one.
- Czinano and Warnock average 20.8 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 6.6 (Warnock) and 6.0 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 3.4.
- Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark, Martin and Warnock have tallied 44, 43, 33 and 30, respectively.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year (coaches and media). Clark also earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors (coaches & media), senior Monika Czinano earned first team All-Big Ten accolades (coaches and the media) and junior McKenna Warnock earned second team All-Big Ten Honors by the media and was honorable mention from the coaches. Redshirt junior Kate Martin was named Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award honoree.
THE B1G TOURNAMENT
- In 28 Big Ten Tournaments, 12 teams were also the Big Ten regular-season champions.
- In the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa is 3-3 all time in the Finals and is 2-3 under P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder’s leadership. This marks the program’s fifth Championship appearance under Bluder — third in four years. Both of Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament Titles under Bluder were won as two seeds (2001, 2019).
- In the quarterfinals, Iowa defeats No. 7 seed Northwestern, 72-59. Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures, including senior Monika Czinano (21), sophomore Caitlin Clark (19) and redshirt junior Kate Martin (150. Clark pulled down 12 rebounds to register her 15th season and 24th career double double. Clark tallied a career-high three blocks.
- In the Semifinals, Clark registered her third season and career 40-point game, tallying 41 points to record the fourth-most points in a Big Ten Tournament game. Clark and senior Monika Czinano (22) each finished, scoring in double-figures. Martin tallied a career-high 11 rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double with eight points. Freshman Addison O’Grady blocked a career-high four shots, helping Iowa to a season-high single-game record (9).
- Coach Bluder tied Sharon Versyp (Indiana, Purdue) for most career Big Ten tournament wins (25).