By Jordan Zuniga
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Hawkeye fans had an exciting weekend. The football team routed Ohio State, wrestle-offs took place, and the women’s basketball team returned to the hardwood.

While it was only an exhibition game, there was definitely excitement in the 3,430-person atmosphere at Carver-Hawkeye on Sunday during Iowa’s 85-56 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead.

To coach Lisa Bluder, it was just “one of [her] 30 practices.”

When the starting lineups were announced, it was clear which player Hawkeye faithful came to see. While the first four Hawkeyes announced got a solid roar from the crowd, when Tania Davis was announced as the fifth starter, Carver came to life.

Davis did not disappoint her supporters; she looked every bit as crafty as her old self, even with the addition of a brace on her right leg. She put up 12 points while dishing out 2 assists and grabbing 3 boards in her first game action since tearing an ACL in February.

Playing for 28 minutes gave Davis more self-assurance as the Hawkeyes head into the regular season.

“I have a lot more confidence,” Davis said. “[After] getting this game under my belt, playing efficiently the way I did, getting my teammates involved, and playing hard on the defensive end, I have a lot more confidence than what I had coming in.”

Pre-season All-American Megan Gustafson posted-up for 22 points and boxed out for 5 rebounds. Gustafson also owned the paint, swatting away three of the Dragons’ shots.

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The 6-3 surprise was senior forward Chase Coley. Her name was among the starters, and she was ready to go early.

Coley was the only Hawkeye awake to start the game, as she promptly put up 6 of the Hawkeyes first 8 points and racked up 8 for the game.

However, her best work came on the glass, where she tied for the team-high in rebounds with 10, 6 on offense.

For Coley, it was the result of Bluder’s constant badgering in practice that paid off Sunday night.

“Coach Bluder gets on me in practice about rebounding,” Coley said. “So I focused on that for the night and [will] for the rest of the season.”

Along with Davis, Coley, and Gustafson, sophomore guards Kathleen Doyle and Makenzie Meyer were also a part of the starting lineup for Iowa, a rotation Hawkeye fans should expect for the opener on Nov. 10.

Three guards is a little unusual to see in a basketball lineup, but so is having just 11 players, which is the reason Bluder cited for the unique rotation.

“What you see is what we have,” Bluder said. “We don’t have a lot of other pieces to our puzzle, but I really like those three working together.”

Following the exhibition win, it’s time for the real action to begin. On Nov. 10, the Hawkeyes will take on Quinnipiac at 5 p.m. in Carver.

After Quinnipiac, Iowa will face either No. 16 Missouri or Western Kentucky at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Carver.