Iowa Women’s Basketball Team Set for Showdown with Buckeyes
By Kif Richmann
Last year the Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball team made to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. They lost a heart-breaker to OSU.
Now the AP #21 Hawkeyes (13-3, 1-2) get a chance at payback, as they welcome the #20 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-4, 1-1) to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday. Not only is this a big game in the Big Ten, it is also bobble-head night for Iowa’s star guard, Kachine Alexander.
Tip off is scheduled for 3 pm, and the game will be featured nationally on CBS.
Iowa's Kachine Alexander will have her work cut out for her on her own bobblehead night. (photo via NCAA.com)
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder talks about rivalry game with OSU
Bluder discusses slowing down Big Ten leading scorer and rebounder Jantel Lavender
Kachine Alexander on last year’s Big Ten championship and matchup against Samantha Prahalis
Ohio State’s offense starts with 6’4″ center Jantel Lavender, who leads the Big Ten in points-per-game (24.5) and total rebounds (158). Keeping Lavender under control will fall to more than one player, as the Hawkeyes will likely put a double team on Lavender whenever possible.
Iowa’s 6’5″ center Morgan Johnson will likely shoulder most of the Lavender duty, as Johnson is the only player on the Hawkeye roster taller than Lavender. Hawkeye fans should be enthusiastic about this matchup, as “Not in my House” Johnson is third in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 2.4 per game.
On the perimeter, two of the best and most passionate competitors in college basketball will duel, as Iowa guard Kachine Alexander will face OSU’s Samantha Prahalis, a fiery and often opposing-fan-aggravating opponent.
Although Prahalis’ fierceness and passion has made her into a top guard in the Big Ten, she can be frustrated into making mistakes. If Alexander can deter Prahalis enough, expect a turnover or two and even a possible foolish foul from Samantha.
As Iowa will have a tough interior challenge against a big Buckeye team, Bluder’s bunch will likely rely heavily on 3 point shooting. Expect Iowa, which has attempted more 3 pointers than any Big Ten team (396), to live or die behind the arc. (FYI- #2 in Big Ten 3 pts attempted is Michigan with 334, 62 less than the Hawks.)
Iowa will need shooters Jaime Printy, Kelly Krei and Kamille Wahlin to be on point in order to get past the Buckeyes.
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes overcome Halftime Deficit, beat K-State
By: Nick Fetty
The 18th-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team rolled to 8-1 after beating the previously undefeated Kansas State Wildcats 68-62 in front of more than 7,000 fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday afternoon.
Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder has the #18 Hawkeyes off to an 8-1 start (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The Hawks got off to a bit of a slow start scoring just 13 points in the first 10 minutes but they maintained the lead throughout most of the first half. Sophomore guard Jamie Printy drained a three with just five minutes left in the half, giving Iowa a 21-13 lead and forcing the Wildcats to burn their first timeout.
The timeout must have been just the thing the Wildcats needed because they went on a 16-4 rally in the final 5 minutes of the half, claiming a 29-25 lead going into halftime. Junior guard Kamille Wahlin had a hard time finding her rhythm in the first half, making just 1 of 8 field goal attempts accounting for just 2 of her 4 first half points. Printy had a very accurate first half, going 4-5 from the field and racking up 9 points.
After what head coach Lisa Bluder described as a “lackluster” first half performance, the Hawks found their groove in the second half. Iowa regained the lead 4 minutes into the second half and held on to it for the rest of the game. The Hawks almost had a scare in the final minutes of the game when K-State pulled it to within 3 but precise free throw shooting (16-19 all game) helped to keep the Hawkeyes’ undefeated home game streak going.
Printy was once again the Hawks’ top performer, finishing with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Sophomore center Morgan Johnson also had an impressive game, posting 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks.
The Hawks went just 2-8 from behind the arc all game and all 8 of those attempts came in the first half.
“Today we got high percentage shots,” head coach Lisa Bluder said. “We also got to the rim with some good penetration, too.”
The Hawkeyes take on the #19 Iowa State Cyclones in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this Thursday. This will be the first time ever in the series that both teams come into the contest ranked. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
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