Hawkeyes Travel to Drake Saturday

THE SETTING

The Iowa Hawkeyes (6-4) travel to Des Moines Saturday to face the Drake Bulldogs (6-3). Tip-off is slated for 11:05 a.m. at the Knapp Center.

The Hawkeyes will have had eight days to prepare for the Bulldogs. Iowa’s last game was vs. Northern Iowa on Dec. 11 in Iowa City.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Drake leads the all-time series, 24-16, but recently the series has been dominated by the Hawkeyes. Iowa has won the last six meetings, including last year’s 62-50 win in Iowa City. The Bulldogs hold an 11-7 advantage in contests played in Des Moines, but the Hawkeyes have won the last three games at the Knapp Center.

Iowa is 50-35 (.588) against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, winning 15 of the last 17 contests.

SCOUTING DRAKE

Drake enters Saturday’s match-up winners of five of its last six. The Bulldogs boast a perfect 4-0 record, this season, at the Knapp Center.

Drake won its last game, 67-55, vs. Western Michigan last Sunday at home. The Bulldogs drained five triples, while the Broncos went 0-5 from 3-point range. Three Bulldogs posted double figures: Jordann Plummer (12), Lauren Dybing (11) and Kristin Turk (10).

That trio leads the team in scoring through nine games. Turk, a sophomore guard, averages a team-best 14.2 points. Plummer, a redshirt junior guard, averages 11.2 points and ranks third in rebounds with 4.3 per contest. Dybing, their lone senior starter, averages 10.7 points and a team-best 5.3 rebounds. Turk and Plummer are the Bulldogs’ two main 3-point threats. Plummer has made a team-best 20, while Turk has sank nine.

Amy Stephens is in her sixth year as Drake’s head coach. She owns a 90-75 (.545) record at Drake and is 287-118 (.709) overall in 15 seasons as a head coach.

DRAKE, IOWA TIES

Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder coached 10 successful seasons at Drake before joining the Hawkeyes. Associate Head Coach Jan Jensen and Assistant Coach Jenni Fitzgerald both played and coached at Drake. Jensen is one of only two Drake women’s basketball players to have her uniform number retired. Two years ago, Jensen was one of four former Drake student-athletes to receive the Drake Double D Award. The award is the highest honor Drake bestows on its student-athletes.

IOWA, DRAKE NOTES

• Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder is 6-2 against her former team.

• Saturday will be Iowa’s second game this season with an 11 a.m. start time.

• Seven of Iowa’s 10 games have been decided by 20 points or more.

• Iowa has held five of its 10 opponents to under 50 points. The Hawkeyes held seven opponents under 50 points in 32 games last season.

• Iowa has won 12-straight home games, dating back to a loss against No. 20 Ohio State on Jan. 6, 2008.

• Iowa concludes its non-conference schedule with three-consecutive contests against in-state rivals. The Hawkeyes beat No. 22 Iowa State (66-46) on Dec. 7 and UNI (72-46) on Dec. 11 at home, and play at Drake Saturday.

• Iowa is 64-33 (.660) in non-conference contests under Coach Bluder.

• Iowa ranks first in Big Ten free throw percentage (.800), second in rebounding margin (+6.8) and field goal percentage defense (.344), and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.303) and rebounds allowed (34.8).

• JoAnn Hamlin, who has led the Hawkeyes in rebounding four of the last five contests, ranks eighth in league rebounding (7.8).

• Iowa has played at two historic college basketball arenas this season: Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 18 and Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 4.

• Iowa started the season by playing seven games in 14 days.

• Junior Nicole VanderPol is doubtful for Saturday’s game due to injury. She has not played in the last eight games.

• Iowa has five different players lead the team in scoring through 10 games. Megan Skouby has lead the squad in scoring a team-best four times, followed by Ausdemore three times.

• Iowa has nearly made (160) as many free throws as its opponents have attempted (167).

• Kristi Smith has reached double figures a team-best seven times this season.

• Iowa has an RPI rating of 38th in the country and strength of schedule that ranks 24th. The RPI ranking is fifth-best in the Big Ten. Overall, the Big Ten Conference ranks third-best in the nation. Drake has an RPI ranking of 110 and strength of schedule of 163. The numbers are based on the report published on Dec. 15.

ON THE HORIZON

Iowa will have only one day to prepare and travel to Madison, WI, to face the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Conference season opener. The Hawkeyes and Badgers meet Monday, Dec. 22 at 7:05 p.m. inside the Kohl Center.

Monday’s game will be Iowa’s first contest streamed live on:

bigtennetwork.com.