Maya_aflakpi
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Iowa City, IA — Today at 1 p.m., the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes women's basketball team hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers. For both teams, it is the second Big Ten Conference game of the season. This matchup is highly anticipated as the Gophers, under the guidance of Coach Dawn Plitzuweit, have shown significant improvement with an impressive 11-1 record this season.
In the Gophers' recent press conference following their win against Lindenwood, Coach Plitzuweit emphasized the importance of the team's 9-day break, stating, "It is good for us to have some time to kind of get our legs under us first and then get back to hopefully playing at a high level." This break precedes a challenging encounter, considering Iowa's reputation for having the second-fewest losses in regular-season home games in the Big Ten.
Under Lisa Bluder's leadership, Iowa has made an impressive start to the season, standing at 12-1. Notably, the team has a dominant 9-1 record in the last 10 meetings with the Gophers. Beyond the statistics, Hawkeye’s basketball has played a pivotal role this season, influencing attendance records in 25 of 32 games. This success has significantly impacted women's basketball, receiving well-deserved attention and media coverage.
While Caitlin Clark rightfully enjoys the spotlight as the country's leading scorer at 30.5 points per game, the highlights below aim to shift the focus to the broader team dynamics and highlight the contributions of other players who have been making a mark this season.
Iowas' Highlights:
Gophers' Highlights:
The game is scheduled to be televised by the Big Ten Network; you can watch it at https://www.foxsports.com/live/btn.
For live updates and discussions during this BIG matchup, join the conversation on the message board: https://gopherhole.com/boards/threads/big-game-2-gophers-visit-iowa-12-30-23.113745/
This is a game you won't want to miss!
In the Gophers' recent press conference following their win against Lindenwood, Coach Plitzuweit emphasized the importance of the team's 9-day break, stating, "It is good for us to have some time to kind of get our legs under us first and then get back to hopefully playing at a high level." This break precedes a challenging encounter, considering Iowa's reputation for having the second-fewest losses in regular-season home games in the Big Ten.
Under Lisa Bluder's leadership, Iowa has made an impressive start to the season, standing at 12-1. Notably, the team has a dominant 9-1 record in the last 10 meetings with the Gophers. Beyond the statistics, Hawkeye’s basketball has played a pivotal role this season, influencing attendance records in 25 of 32 games. This success has significantly impacted women's basketball, receiving well-deserved attention and media coverage.
While Caitlin Clark rightfully enjoys the spotlight as the country's leading scorer at 30.5 points per game, the highlights below aim to shift the focus to the broader team dynamics and highlight the contributions of other players who have been making a mark this season.
Iowas' Highlights:
- The University of Iowa holds the longest winning streak in the Big Ten.
- Notable players include sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke (13.9) and graduate student and guard Kate Martin (12.0), both consistently scoring in double figures.
- Junior guard Sydney Affolter has displayed solid rebounding, recording five or more rebounds in seven games.
- Kate Martin consistently scores 10 or more points, achieving this in eight of the last nine games.
- Gabbie Marshall, a fifth-year guard, made history as the first Iowa women's basketball player with 200+ 3-pointers and 200+ steals in a career.
- Stuelke and Clark combine for 14.5 rebounds a game.
Gophers' Highlights:
- The Gophers are on an 8-game winning streak, matching last season's 11 wins.
- In the fourth quarter, Minnesota's defense allows only 32.7% shooting.
- The starting lineup of Battle, Braun, Grocholski, Heyer, and Hart has remained consistent in all 12 games.
- Niamya Holloway, returning from a knee injury last season, averages 2.2 steals in less than 14 minutes per game.
- In 81.3% of their games, either Mara Braun scores 20+ points or Amaya Battle has three or fewer turnovers.
- Mara Braun is the first Gopher in five seasons to score 20+ points in five consecutive games.
The game is scheduled to be televised by the Big Ten Network; you can watch it at https://www.foxsports.com/live/btn.
For live updates and discussions during this BIG matchup, join the conversation on the message board: https://gopherhole.com/boards/threads/big-game-2-gophers-visit-iowa-12-30-23.113745/
This is a game you won't want to miss!
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