No. 17 IU women’s basketball is back in action at 2 p.m. Sunday in Iowa City, Iowa, where a challenging Iowa offense will be awaiting its arrival.
IU is coming off a 79-67 win Sunday against Michigan State after the Hoosiers finally had their shots start to fall and made defensive stops in the second half. IU was scheduled to face Rutgers on Thursday, but the game was postponed due to continued COVID-19 difficulties in the Scarlet Knights' program.
Unlike the Hoosiers, the Hawkeyes are looking to get back in the win column. Iowa lost to No. 11 Ohio State 92-87 on Thursday.
With some of the most aggressive shooters in the NCAA, however, Iowa’s offensive talent could get the Hawkeyes a win Sunday. Iowa guard Caitlin Clark leads the team with 25.6 points per game, making her the No. 5 scorer in the country and first among all freshmen. Iowa junior forward Monika Czinano averages 19.6 points per game and leads the NCAA in field goal percentage at 70%.
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Compared to Iowa’s top scoring tandem, IU’s leading scorer, sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes, averages 17.8 points per game, with junior guard Grace Berger just behind her at 15.6 points per game. The Hoosiers have a more balanced scoring attack because of their unselfish offensive approach, with all five starters averaging at least 9 points per game.
Iowa is the second-highest scoring team in the Big Ten with an average of 88.4 points per game, right behind Maryland’s league-leading 91.5 points per game.
To round out its elite offensive figures, Iowa’s shooting stats are all-around better than IU’s. The Hawkeyes shoot 51% from the field, 37% from deep and 78% from the free-throw line. Comparatively, the Hoosiers shoot 46% from the field, 29% from deep and 73% from the line.
IU has lost to Iowa in their last two meetings. The Hoosiers fell in double overtime 91-85 in January 2020 and lost 70-61 in March 2019.
The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN2 and tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Carver Hawkeye Arena.
