| OPPONENT | #2 Iowa (24-7, 14-4) vs. #10 Creighton (21-9, 15-5) |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) |
| DATE | Sunday, March 20 |
| TIP-OFF | Noon (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | ABC |
The Setting
No. 2 seeded University of Iowa women’s basketball plays No. 10 seed Creighton in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Sunday, March 20 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Tipoff is set for noon (CT) on ABC.
Sunday’s meeting is the 14th between Iowa and Creighton. Iowa leads the series 7-6, winning four of the last five meeting but falling in the most recent matchup at the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
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 air live on ABC. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Christy Thomaskutty (color) are on the call.
PROGRAM QUICK HITS
- The Iowa Hawkeyes are 24-7 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. Iowa clenched a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title on Feb. 27 — Ohio State shares the regular season title. The Hawkeyes followed up the regular season title with the Big Ten Tournament title with a win over Indiana on March 6 — the first time in program history that the Hawkeyes won both in the same season. The Hawkeyes’ have tallied 14 Big Ten Championships (10 regular, 4 tournament) in program history, winning their first regular-season title since 2008 and the second tournament title in four years (2019, 2022).
- Iowa was ranked eighth in the latest AP Poll, 14th in the NCAA Final Top-16 Reveal and 10th in the USA TODAY Sports/WBCA Coaches Poll.
- Iowa defeated 18 of its 31 opponents by double figures, including 12 20-plus point wins (six in Big Ten play).
- The Hawkeyes lead the country in field-goal percentage (.507) and free-throw percentage (.845) and rank in the top-25 in eight additional categories, including second in scoring offense (84.9), third in total assists (609) and assists per game (19.6), ninth in assist turnover ratio (1.33), defensive rebounds per game (29.8) and free throws made (475), 17th in scoring margin (14.5) and 25th in 3-point percentage (.355).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the nation in total assists (246), total points (848), assists per game (7.9), points per game (27.4), free throws made (196), triple doubles (5) and 30-point games (11), while ranking fourth in free throw attempts (223), fifth in field goals made (282), 11th in 3-pointers made (88), 14th in 3-pointers per game (2.84), 17th in free-throw percentage (.879), 20th in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and 21st in double doubles (15).
- Clark was named a first team AP All-American and senior Monika Czinano was named an AP All-America honorable mention, the Associated Press announced on Wednesday.
- Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year and earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors (coaches and media). 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.
- Iowa has made 14 consecutive postseason appearances (12 NCAA, 2 WNIT) when a postseason tournament was held. The 2020 postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Hawkeyes have made postseason tournament appearances in 20 of head coach Lisa Bluder’s 22 seasons at Iowa, receiving 16 NCAA Tournament and four WNIT (2003, 2005, 2016, 2017) bids, including three Sweet 16 appearances — two consecutive — most recently in 2021.
- 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 462-241 (.657) record and a 232-139 (.625) conference mark at Iowa. In her 38 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 818-383 (.681).
SCOUTING CREIGHTON (10 seed)
- Sunday’s meeting is the 14th between Iowa and Creighton. Iowa leads the series 7-6, winning four of the last five meeting but falling in the most recent matchup at the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
- Creighton is 21-9 overall and finished their conference season 15-5.
- Three Bluejays average double-figure scoring, including sophomore forward Emma Ronsiek (14.8) sophomore guard Lauren Jensen (12.4) and sophomore guard/forward Morgan Maly (12.2).
- Jensen leads Creighton in 3-point percentage (.437), ranking ninth in the country and averaging 2.53 3-pointers per game.
- As a team, the Bluejays lead the country in assists per game (20.7), total assists (621) and assist turnover ratio (20.7). Senior guard Tatum Rembao leads Creighton in assist turnover ratio (2.94), total assists (185) and assists per game (6.2), ranking seventh, ninth and 10th, respectively.
- Head coach Jim Flanery is in her 20th season at the helm of the Creighton women’s basketball program. Flanery has led the Bluejays to the NCAA Tournament five times, including 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2021 and advancing to the second round in four-of-five appearances.
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Iowa Hawkeyes are 24-7 overall and 14-4 in Big Ten play, including an eight-game win streak heading into the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
- Iowa defeated 18 of its 31 opponents this season by double figures, including 12 20-plus point wins (six in Big Ten play).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 27.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.
- Clark, senior Monika Czinano, junior McKenna Warnock and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied 16 on the season (25 career), including a Big Ten record five triple-doubles, while Czinano has registered three, Warnock tallied two and O’Grady recorded one.
- Czinano and Warnock average 21.0 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 6.5 (Warnock) and 6.0 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 3.5.
- Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark, Martin and Warnock have tallied 49, 46, 34 and 33, respectively.
NCAA FIRST ROUND
- No. 2 seed Iowa Hawkeyes defeated No. 15 seed Illinois State Redbirds, 98-58, in the NCAA Tournament First Round, improving Iowa’s first-round record to 13-7 all time.
- Iowa’s 98 points are the most that the program has scored in a NCAA Tournament game, besting the previous record (89) set against Oregon during the 2001 tournament.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark registered her 16th season and 25th career double-double with 27 points and 10 assists.
- Four Hawkeyes scored in double-figures, including Clark (27), senior Monika Czinano (18), senior Tomi Taiwo (13) and junior Gabbie Marshall (13).
- Iowa shot 20-21 from the free-throw line, recording the Hawkeyes’ best free-throw percentage in an NCAA Tournament game.
- Iowa set its own NCAA Tournament assist record against Illinois State, tallying 25.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin tied her career-high blocks with three on the day.
THE BEST IN THE NATION
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the nation in total assists (246), total points (848), assists per game (7.9), points per game (27.4), free throws made (196), triple doubles (5) and 30-point games (11), while ranking fourth in free throw attempts (223), fifth in field goals made (282), 11th in 3-pointers made (88), 14th in 3-pointers per game (2.84), 17th in free-throw percentage (.879), 20th in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and 21st in double doubles (15).
- Senior Monika Czinano leads the nation in field-goal percentage (.683) and ranks seventh in field goals made (265), 13th in points per game (21.0) and total points (629) and 39th in free-throw percentage (.846).
WHERE THEY RANK AS A TEAM
- The Hawkeyes lead the country in field-goal percentage (.507) and free-throw percentage (.845).
- Iowa ranks in the top-25 in eight additional categories, including second in scoring offense (84.9), third in total assists (609) and assists per game (19.6), ninth in assist turnover ratio (1.33), defensive rebounds per game (29.8) and free throws made (475), 17th in scoring margin (14.5) and 25th in 3-point percentage (.355).