The Iowa women’s basketball team is a ninth-seed and will compete in Big Ten Tournament.
By Mario Williams
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March is upon us.
And the madness will begin for the Iowa women’s basketball team Thursday morning in Indianapolis. Despite only winning eight games in conference play and already having played its first opponent Michigan twice, it’s a new month and a new season.
The two teams won on their home courts in the regular season, but things will be different in Indianapolis. Bankers Life Field House will be a neutral court.
“We have Michigan waiting for us,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “It’s going to be a difficult week, but at the same time, we’re taking one game at a time.”
In the previous two matchups, Iowa has beaten Michigan seven out of eight quarters. Michigan scored 30 points in the fourth quarter in the first game to walk away with a win. The Hawkeyes relish that they beat the Wolverines collectively each quarter but one.
“It was nice to be able to get a win against them after kind of letting one get away at their place,” sophomore Whitney Jennings said. “We have confidence going into this game, knowing that we can beat them.”
Proving everyone wrong
Aside from the Wolverines scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter to win against the Hawks, Indiana scored 32 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Hawks, and Purdue dominated on both ends of the floor to defeat Iowa in the Boilermakers’ best win of the season.
Much of Iowa’s downfall has definitely been because of the team’s youth. But even with 10 losses in the season, the Hawkeyes know each loss doesn’t define them.
“Our record really doesn’t show how good we can be,” freshman Megan Gustafson said. “Sometimes, you can see when we’re all working together, making good plays, and the outside shooters are hitting, we’re a really good team. With that, I think we can make a really good run in the tournament.”
Iowa’ goal was to finish its last four games of the regular season 4-0. The team got revenge on Indiana and Purdue in Carver-Hawkeye after the Hoosiers and Boilermakers had dominated on their home courts.
Iowa fell to Penn Sate again but closed the season with a win against Illinois. Junior Ally Disterhoft has noticed the change in the team.
“It’s been nice to see our team develop over the year,” she said. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of bumps in the road, and we recognize that, but I do think that on individual levels, people have improved.
Three Hawks receive honors
Gustafson, Disterhoft, and freshman Tania Davis have each received all-conference honors.
Disterhoft was named to the Big Ten second team for the second-consecutive season, and Gustafson and Davis were named to the All-Freshman team.
Aside from Disterhoft finishing in double figures in every contest for the Hawks, Davis and Gustafson have made tremendous impacts. Gustafson leads Iowa in field-goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks. Davis leads Iowa in assists.
Bluder noted that with the success of the freshmen early on, it will be a bright future for the young team.
“I’m glad that everybody else around this conference recognizes their excellence,” she said. “I’m very happy with both of those players being selected, and it just speaks volumes about the future of our program and what we’re going to accomplish in the future.”
