The Hawkeyes will seek to keep the same intensity from last year despite losing three leaders to graduation.
By Rod Engblom
ROSEMONT, Illinois—The University of Iowa women’s basketball team had a successful year with seniors Samantha Logic, Bethany Doolittle, and Melissa Dixon leading the charge, finishing the 2014-15 season with a Sweet 16 appearance.
Now with the trio gone, there’s a void to be filled, both in scoring and in the leadership position that guides the team.
The three seniors who graduated lead the team in scoring. Logic led the team in minutes, averaging 35.1 per game. Melissa Dixon made 124 of 275 three-point field goals during the season while Bethany Doolittle shot 48-percent from the field.
Although Logic, Dixon, and Doolittle took the spotlight last season, there still are some solid scorers on the team this season.
“It was definitely tough losing those three seniors,” senior Kali Peschel said. “But as a team we learned a lot from them, especially in the returners. We got Ally [Disterhoft] and Whitney [Jennings] coming back in that starting lineup and they’re going to be really big for us in the offensive game.”
Last season, Disterhoft, a junior, averaged 32.5 minutes a game and was part of the starting lineup. Jennings averaged 9.1 points per game and also played in every game.
“I don’t think it’s because of losing certain players you’re going to lose that intensity,” head coach Lisa Bluder said. “I think you have a culture that you establish in your program that continues to roll.”
Even after finding a tremendous amount of success last season, the hunger to win is still there.
“Being able to get a little bit of a taste of what it’s like to play at the Sweet 16 is going to motivate us even more,” Peschel said. “For me, going there my junior year, I just want to get back there and you don’t want to cut yourself short and I don’t think this team is going to do that.”
Along with the points that last seniors were able to put up, the team also lost a strong core of leadership.
With this role empty, Disterhoft has stepped up to fill that void.
“I’ve been trying to step more into that vocal leadership role,” Disterhoft said. “I think you always need to improve as a player, so both offensively and defensively I’m trying to get stronger.”
Taking this leadership on the Iowa women’s basketball team is also a sweet feeling for Disterhoft, an Iowa City product.
“It’s kind of cool because it’s come full circle,” Disterhoft said. “I grew up watching these girls, looking up to them, and they were my roll models and to be able to now be that person for a young girl or to maybe set that example is really special.”
Despite the multiple losses the team had after last season, the Hawkeyes are confident in their game and are ready to take on this upcoming season in full stride.
“I don’t think that losing players changes your intensity,” Bluder said. “It’s something that we try to build it’s something that’s a part of our culture, it’s something that we don’t have to recreate.”
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