CEDAR RAPIDS — It might not be the best softball team Bob Timmons has coached, though it’s close.

It is, without a doubt, the most surprising.

“We had a lot of holes to fill,” said Timmons, in his 16th season at Coe College. “To be honest, when we went to Florida at the beginning of the season, I would have been content at 7-7.”

Instead, the Kohawks started 13-1 and haven’t slowed down.

Ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division-III, Coe (31-5) shared the Iowa Conference regular-season championship with Central, and takes the No. 1 seed into the IIAC tournament, which begins Friday at Clark Field.

The six-team double-elimination tournament was scheduled to begin Thursday, but forecasts for inclement weather moved the schedule back 24 hours. The event runs through Sunday.

After heavy graduation losses, the Kohawks came into the season loaded with question marks.

“We lost a good group of seniors, and after fall ball, we really didn’t know what to expect,” said Callie Morningstar, a shortstop and the lone senior on this year’s roster. “But we went down to Florida, we won a lot of games and we really got to know what we were as a team.”

A shortstop at Lisbon High School, Morningstar moved to second base for much of her Coe career. Now, she’s back at shortstop, and it feels like home.

“I just think I see the ball better on the left side (of the infield),” she said.

At .450, Morningstar is one of four Kohawks hitting better than .400 this season. Abby Flannagan, a junior catcher from Manchester, leads the way with a .464 batting average, nine home runs and 49 RBIs.

Flannagan is the career record-holder in homers (35) and ranks No. 2 all-time at Coe in RBIs (138).

My high school coach (Kevin Schuchmann at West Delaware) said I wasn’t a home run hitter, that I hit line drives that happened to go over the fence,” Flannagan said. “I try to live up to that, but it seems I’ve been hitting more balls that go three miles up in the air instead of the line drives that we want.”

Maddison Woodruff (Emmetsburg) and Mackenzie Laux (Iowa City West) headline the pitching staff; they are 15-2 and 7-3, respectively.

Laux was repeatedly called for illegal pitches during her high school career. According to Timmons, the next one she is called for at the collegiate level will be her first.

“That’s a credit to (pitching coach) Ben (Sorden) and to Mackenzie for adjusting and getting her to drag that foot,” Timmons said.

Coe earned the top seed over Central by a tie-breaker (fewer runs allowed in conference play). And Timmons said hosting the tournament figures to be an advantage — and not just on the field.

“It helps so much as far as academics are concerned,” he said. “A lot of kids will be taking finals this week, Saturday and next week.”

The Kohawks’ tournament opener is 2 p.m. Friday, against the winner of the 10 a.m. contest between Simpson and Dubuque.

“It’s going to be a tough tournament,” Morningstar said. “It’s the toughest (D-III) conference in the nation.

“So we’ve got to play our game. When we don’t, that’s when problems happen.”

The tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the 62-team Division III Championship. The NCAA field also figures to include two or three IIAC teams as at-large entrants.

IOWA CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

At Clark Field, Cedar Rapids

(Double-elimination)

Friday

Game 1 — No. 4 Simpson (29-9) vs. No. 5 Dubuque (15-17), 10 a.m.

Game 2 — No. 3 Luther (25-9) vs. No. 6 Buena Vista (14-20), noon

Game 3 — No. 1 Coe (31-5) vs. Game 1 winner, 2 p.m.

Game 4 — No. 2 Central (28-7) vs. Game 2 winner, 4 p.m.

Saturday

Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10 a.m.

Game 6 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, noon

Game 7 — Game 5 winner vs. lower-seeded loser of Games 3 & 4, 2 p.m.

Game 8 — Game 7 winner vs. higher-seeded loser of Games 3 & 4, 4 p.m.

(Exception: If one of the Game 3/Game 4 losers has already had a bye, that team will play in Game 7, regardless of seed)

Sunday

Game 9 — Game 6 loser vs. Game 8 winner, 11 a.m.

Game 10 — Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.

Game 11 — Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser (if first loss), 3 p.m.

“Kiah is not looking to go anywhere else,” Stokes said. “She wants to succeed at UConn.”

A 2011 graduate at Linn-Mar High School — she was the Gazette Female Athlete of the Year that year — Kiah Stokes is a member of Connecticut’s NCAA national-championship team. The Huskies wrapped up the title with a convincing 93-60 rout of Louisville in the title game Tuesday at New Orleans.

Kiah Stokes

“From a father’s perspective, to watch your girl fulfill one of her dreams — to see the joy and enthusiasm in being the best in the country — you just can’t explain it,” Greg Stokes said while waiting for a flight home from Detroit.

The 2012 Big East Conference newcomer of the year, Kiah Stokes’ contribution level dwindled during her sophomore campaign. She averaged 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as UConn went 35-4.

A 6-foot-4 post, Stokes collected 14 points and 11 boards in the Huskies’ first-round NCAA win over Idaho. She played 20 minutes in that game, but only a combined 27 in the next five tournament games.

Rumors had been circulating around town that Stokes was unhappy and would be leaving UConn.

Kiah Stokes did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday, the day the Huskies were being welcomed home at Storrs.

Greg Stokes said, “I think it would be correct to say that it’s been a disappointing season for her. She’s been battling (leg and back) injuries.

“And the mental things, she’s had to deal with a lot. (Coach Geno Auriemma) has expectations for everybody, including her, that she has to bring it every time she steps on the floor.

“If she doesn’t bring it every day, she’s not going to be rewarded with playing time.

“She has the physical skills. That’s the easy part. Once she gets the mental aspect, she can be a beast.”

The pieces are there for Connecticut to win another title — or two — during Stokes’ stay in Storrs. Kelly Faris and Caroline Doty are the only key players that depart.

UConn will be the favorite to retain the crown in 2013-14.

“The sky’s the limit, and Kiah wants to be part of that,” Greg Stokes said.

If he is on the committee for the 2013-14 season, his preseason ballot will look something like this:

1. CONNECTICUT (35-4, NCAA national champion in 2013) — Are we about to see the next multi-title run for the Huskies? It’s very possible. UConn returns 83 percent of its scoring from a team that blazed through the tournament the past three weeks, including Most Outstanding Player Breanna Stewart.

2. DUKE (33-3, NCAA regional finalist) — Among the contenders, Duke returns the most. The Blue Devils bring back 96 percent of its scoring, including All-Americans Chelsea Gray and Elizabeth Williams. Probably a step below UConn, but Duke is the most legitimate threat.

3. STANFORD (33-3, NCAA regional semifinalist) — The Cardinal’s 2013 run ended prematurely at the hands of Georgia in the Sweet Sixteen, but Tara VanDerveer brings back a bundle of talent, led by All-American Chiney Ogwumike. Pac-12 supremacy is no longer a given though, with challengers California and Colorado rising.

4. NOTRE DAME (35-2, NCAA Final Four) — Final Four qualifiers the last three years, the Fighting Irish take their act to a now-loaded ACC. Skylar “Scoreboard” Diggins departs, but nearly everybody else is back, including Natalie Achonwa and Jewell Loyd.

5. LOUISVILLE (29-9, NCAA runner-up) — Pulled perhaps the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history with a regional-semifinal shocker over Baylor, then followed that with wins over Tennessee and Cal to reach the final before UConn was far too much. With 88 percent of its scoring back, the ‘Ville should be better in 2013-14.

6. KENTUCKY (30-6, NCAA regional finalist) — The Wildcats now stand on even footing with Tennessee in the SEC, and though A’dia Mathies departs, double-digit scorers DeNesha Stallworth and Jennifer O’Neill return to make UK a slight favorite over the Lady Vols.

7. TENNESSEE (27-8, NCAA regional finalist) — Admit it, you thought the Lady Vols would plunge this year. I did, leaving Tennessee out of the preseason top 25. I won’t do it again. The Lady Vols bring back their top two scorers in Meighan Simmons and Bashaara Graves.

8. MARYLAND (26-8, NCAA regional semifinalist) — In her final year in the ACC before bringing her outfit to the Big Ten, Cedar Rapids native Brenda Frese will have another strong squad. Alyssa Thomas is a two-time second-team All-American and returns for her senior year.

9. CALIFORNIA (32-4, NCAA Final Four) – Earned a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title, then the Bears made their first Final Four. Leading scorer Layshia Carendon departs, but the next two players (Brittany Boyd and Gennifer Brandon) are back. Brandon averaged a double-double.

10. COLORADO (25-7, NCAA qualifier) — A first-round NCAA exit didn’t erase the progress Linda Lappe (another Iowan) has made with the Lady Buffs. Leading scorer Chucky Jeffery will be gone, but CU brings back its next 10 best players.

11. Oklahoma (24-11, NCAA regional semifinalist)

12. Nebraska (25-9, NCAA regional semifinalist)

13. Dayton (28-3, NCAA second round)

14. Texas A&M (24-10, NCAA second round)

15. Michigan State (25-9, NCAA second round)

16. Creighton (25-8, NCAA second round)

17. Gonzaga (27-6, NCAA qualifier)

18. UCLA (26-8, NCAA second round)

19. Oklahoma State (22-11, NCAA second round)

20. South Carolina (25-8, NCAA second round)

21. Purdue (25-9, NCAA second round)

22. Georgia (28-7, NCAA regional finalist)

23. Iowa State (24-9, NCAA second round)

24. LSU (22-12, NCAA regional semifinalist)

25. Baylor (34-2, NCAA regional semifinalist)

Picking the local Division-I conferences:

Big Ten — 1. Nebraska, 2. Michigan State, 3. Purdue, 4. Penn State, 5. Minnesota, 6. Iowa, 7. Wisconsin, 8. Illinois, 9. Ohio State, 10. Northwestern, 11. Michigan, 12. Indiana.

Big 12 — 1. Oklahoma, 2. Oklahoma State, 3. Iowa State, 4. Baylor, 5. West Virginia, 6. Texas, 7. Texas Tech, 8. Kansas State, 9. Kansas, 10. TCU.

Missouri Valley — 1. Indiana State, 2, Loyola (Ill.), 3. Bradley, 4. Illinois State, 5. Wichita State, 6. Drake, 7. Missouri State, 8. Northern Iowa, 9. Southern Illinois, 10. Evansville.

Trisha Nesbitt (left) hugs Jaime Printy. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY – A little more than a minute remained when Jaime Printy, Morgan Johnson and Trisha Nesbitt walked off the Carver-Hawkeye Arena court to a standing ovation.

Printy stopped and shared an embrace with Iowa coach Lisa Bluder before taking a seat on the bench.

“I just told Jaime not to cry,” Bluder said. “I just feel so appreciative of everything those seniors have done for us.”

Printy didn’t cry … not much, at least. The Hawkeyes’ season ended Tuesday night with a 74-57 defeat at the hands of No. 2-ranked Notre Dame in an NCAA second-round tournament game.

“They’re obviously a great team,” Printy said. “They might win the national championship. I’m proud of the way this team came out and battled.”

Iowa finished 21-13, a similar record to this team’s five most recent predecessors.

A late five-game losing streak sent the Hawkeyes to their worst Big Ten finish (8-8, seventh place) since 2006-07.

On the other hand, they reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year and advanced to the second round for the first time since 2010.

In the four years Printy, Johnson and Nesbitt were in the program, Iowa posted a 82-48 mark.

“I’ll remember my teammates, not the wins and losses,” Johnson said.

Printy and Johnson etched their names among the list of all-time Hawkeye greats.

Samantha Logic will be the unquestioned leader of the Hawkeyes in 2013-14. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

A native of Marion, Printy finished her career ranked second in career 3-pointers (252), third in scoring (1,841 points) and tied for fifth in assists (412).

Johnson is Iowa’s all-time leading shot-blocker (293), ranking fourth in rebounds (886) and ninth in scoring (1,582 points).

Nesbitt was a back-up point guard.

“That’s probably the hardest thing about tonight,” Bluder said in the postgame press conference. “It’s not really the losing it’s just that the season is over, and you don’t ever get to coach them again, so that’s kind of tough.”

In their absence, this becomes Samantha Logic’s team the next two seasons. A sophomore point guard, Logic had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Hawkeyes’ first-round win over Miami (Fla.), then committed 11 turnovers against Notre Dame.

“Her leadership, she deferred a little bit off the floor — and rightfully so — to out seniors,” Bluder said. “Next year, she’s going to have to pick up some of the slack there, become more of an off-court leader, a vocal leader, as well as an on-floor leader.”

Logic is one of four key returners for 2013-14.

Junior wing Theairra Taylor had her best season, averaging 8.6 points per game. Sophomore Melissa Dixon (10.3 ppg) will inherit Printy’s role as the prime long-distance threat. And sophomore Bethany Doolittle (7.0 ppg) will be the primary post.

Doolittle scored 16 points against Notre Dame.

“I think she showed signs of what she can do on a consistent basis,” Bluder said. “She’s had these sporadic performances, but we need consistent play out of her.”

So that’s the core four. After that, it’s a maze of question marks.

This year’s newcomers, frankly, contributed very little. Late in the season, Bluder went primarily with a six-player rotation.

If Bluder elects to stick with the two-post concept she employed this year, the development of freshman Kayla Timmerman is key. In the preseason, Kali Peschel was projected as a major contributor, but she played only 7 minutes per game and scored just 16 points all season.

Next year’s rookie class consists of Alexa Kastanek of Lincoln (Neb.) Southeast — the nation’s No. 100 prospect by ESPN’s hoopgurlz.com, and Miss Iowa Basketball Ally Disterhoft of Iowa City West.

IOWA CITY — Lisa Bluder knew what it would take to turn the women’s basketball world on its ear.

“We had to experience a near-perfect night to beat that team,” she said. “It just didn’t happen tonight.”

Jef Printy consoles his daughter, Iowa's Jaime Printy. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

Kayla McBride established a career high with 28 points — including 24 in the first half — as second-ranked Notre Dame handled Iowa, 74-57, in a second-round NCAA tournament game Tuesday night in front of 4,942 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes failed to hit a 3-pointer in 11 attempts. It was the first time they didn’t make a trey since Dec. 4, 2005 (against Rutgers).

Notre Dame (33-1) won its 28th consecutive game will face upstart Kansas (20-13) in a regional semifinal Sunday at Norfolk, Va.

“I’m proud of my team. We came out and battled.”“They’re obviously a great team,” said Iowa senior Jaime Printy, a Marion native who concluded her collegiate career along with classmates Morgan Johnson and Trisha Nesbitt.

Iowa retired at 21-13. The Hawkeyes competed, but were never really in the game.

“We wanted to stay in the ball game and give ourselves a chance,” Johnson said. “But they got on top, and there was no coming back tonight.”

The Fighting Irish led from the start, scoring on their first four possessions for a quick 9-4 lead. It was 15-6 at the first media timeout, then 21-8 before the Hawkeyes played their best stretch of the half.

A 10-3 surge, keyed by a pair of baskets from Theairra Taylor, brought Iowa within 24-18 and elicited some major decibels from the Carver crowd.

But that was as close as the Hawkeyes got.

Seven straight Notre Dame points pushed the margin to 31-18. It was 46-34 at halftime, then the Irish led by as many as 23 points late in the game.

“We’re all business right now at two games at a time and ready to move on,” said Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw. “We’re just anxious to get back home to class in the morning and start our preparation for the next round.”

Bluder pulled Johnson and Printy, then Nesbitt to standing ovations with about a minute to go.

“It’s tough to say goodbye to some really good seniors and a tremendous group of women, great leaders,” Bluder said.

On Monday, both Bluder and McGraw referred to Irish point guard Skylar Diggins as the “face of women’s college basketball.”

But McBride was the Notre Dame star with the brightest shine this weekend.

After a 22-point, 10-rebound performance in a first-round win over Tennessee-Martin, the junior topped that in the first half.

She was 8 of 13 from the floor (4 of 5 from long range) and 4 for 4 from the line before intermission.

Diggins added 16 points, but her visit to Iowa City was memorable just as much for her interaction with the fans.

After one of Diggins’ seven turnovers, the Carver folks let her know about it. Diggins pointed her index finger toward the roof and mouthed the word:

“Scoreboard. Scoreboard.”

Diggins said, “This team has played in so many tough atmospheres, we played at Gampel Pavilion (at Connecticut), Tennessee and any Big East program we played in, we got their best crowds, so we’re used to this, this experience that we had playing in the road.

“And Iowa is another tough environment.”

Natalie Achonwa registered her school-record 17th double-double of the season — 11 points, 14 rebounds — for the Fighting Irish.

Bethany Doolittle led the Hawkeyes with 16 points, one of the best nights of her career.

Printy and Taylor added 10 points apiece. Samantha Logic posted nine points and nine rebounds, but committed 11 turnovers.

“Their trap gave me a lot of trouble,” Logic said. “I didn’t give us a chance. In a lot of those situations, I didn’t handle them the right way.

“I wasn’t composed enough, and we, as a team, at some points weren’t composed enough.”

The Hawkeyes needed to be nearly perfect Tuesday, and they weren’t.

NOTRE DAME 74, IOWA 57

At Iowa City

IOWA (57): Bethany Doolittle 8-14 0-0 16, Morgan Johnson 3-5 1-1 7, Samantha Logic 3-9 3-4 9, Theairra Taylor 5-10 0-0 10, Jaime Printy 3-10 4-4 10, Claire Till 1-1 0-0 2, Trisha Nesbitt 0-1 0-0 0, Kathy Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Melissa Dixon 1-10 1-2 3, Kali Peschel 0-0 0-0 0, Nicole Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Timmerman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-60 9-11 57.

NOTRE DAME (74): Natalie Achonwa 3-9 5-6 11, Ariel Braker 2-5 1-2 5, Skylar Diggins 5-11 6-7 16, Kayla McBride 10-21 4-4 28, Jewell Loyd 5-11 2-2 14, Whitney Holloway 0-0 0-0 0, Kaila Turner 0-6 0-0 0, Madison Cable 0-2 0-0 0, Michaela Mabrey 0-0 0-0 0, Hannah Huffman 0-0 0-0 0, Markisha Wright 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-67 18-21 74.

Halftime: Notre Dame 46, Iowa 34. 3-point goals: Iowa 0-11 (Logic 0-1, Printy 0-4, Dixon 0-6), Notre Dame 6-16 (Diggins 0-1, McBride 4-7, Loyd 2-3, Turner 0-4, Cable 0-1). Team fouls: Iowa 18, Notre Dame 14. Fouled out: none. Technical: Achonwa. Rebounds: Iowa 36 (Logic 9), Notre Dame 45 (Achonwa 14). Assists: Iowa 11 (Logic 5), Notre Dame 15 (Diggins 5). Steals: Iowa 5 (Taylor 2), Notre Dame 7 (Diggins 3). Turnovers: Iowa 21, Notre Dame 15.

Attendance: 4,942.

Iowa's Samantha Logic (facing) talks to teammates during a timeout. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — A huge challenge awaits.

So does a huge opportunity.

“If this doesn’t get you up, nothing will,” said Samantha Logic, point guard for the University of Iowa women’s basketball team.

The Hawkeyes (21-12) load up their slingshots for Tuesday’s second-round NCAA tournament game against second-ranked Notre Dame (32-1).

Tipoff is 8:40 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes know they are heavy underdogs against one of the nation’s elite programs. They know they’ll have to play a remarkable game in order to compete.

“Our defense is going to have to be incredible,” Jaime Printy said. “And we’re going to have to score.

“We’ve got them on our home court, and we’re in a position in which nobody thinks we can beat them.”

Nobody except the Hawkeyes.

“We have the belief that we can do anything,” said Iowa post Morgan Johnson. “That gives us the ability to do amazing things.”

Tuesday’s winner advances to Sunday’s regional semifinal at Norfolk, Va., against South Carolina or Kansas.

Notre Dame owns a 27-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish are dealing with something that none of the other No. 1 seeds (Baylor, Connecticut and Stanford) must contend with — playing a true road game in Round 2.

“Iowa has a home-court advantage here. Everyone knows that,” said Notre Dame’s Natalie Achonwa. “But we’ve played a lot of great away games this year and I think it’s just about focusing on what we are going to do and how we are going to play, and just try to take the crowd out of it.”

Sunday’s Carver crowd of 6,836 ranked third of the 16 first-round sites.

“The crowd is going to be against us and there are going to be a lot of people cheering against us,” said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw.

Notre Dame scored at will in its first-round game, a 97-64 rout of Tennessee-Martin.

The Fighting Irish average 81.3 points per game and have four double-digit scorers.

“We have to find a way to score with them,” said Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. “They are explosive offensively, so we’ve got to knock down shots.”

Iowa did so in the second half Sunday, erasing a seven-point deficit and pulling away from Miami (Fla.), 69-53.

Logic posted 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Melissa Dixon added 13 points — all in the second half.

“Iowa has some shooters … they are a smart team,” said Notre Dame freshman Jewell Loyd. “It’s just about playing team defense and making sure that we are sticking true to our principles and playing great defense.”

Tuesday’s late start means a long day of anticipation.

“I’m going to be hyped,” Johnson said. “Our emotions have to be under control. I’ll go to class and try not to overthink about it. Keep the rhythm of my day.”

Achonwa said, “It’s just about getting your feet up, resting, watching some film, and just spending some time relaxing and mentally preparing for the game. You don’t want to get too relaxed where you’re sitting around all day.”

The Hawkeyes have advanced to the second round for the fourth time under Bluder. They are seeking their first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1996.

In that time, Notre Dame has made it to regionals 10 times. The Irish were national runners-up each of the last two years.

The Hawkeyes are heavy underdogs. But they believe.

“This tournament needs a little more madness,” Logic said. “Why not start with us?”

IOWA (21-12) vs. NOTRE DAME (32-1)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Tipoff: 8:40 p.m. Tuesday

TV: ESPN2

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800), WHO-AM (1040)

Iowa coach: Lisa Bluder (13th year at Iowa, 251-156; 29th year overall, 607-298). Key Iowa players: C Morgan Johnson (6-5, sr., 14.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.0 bpg, .528 FG%), G Jaime Printy (5-11, sr., 12.8 ppg, 3.2 apg, .923 FT%), G Samantha Logic (5-9, soph., 9.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.9 spg).

Notre Dame coach: Muffet McGraw (26th year at Notre Dame, 622-216; 31st year overall, 711-257). Key Notre Dame players: G Skylar Diggins (5-9, sr., 16.8 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.1 spg, .819 FT%), G Kayla McBride (5-11, jr., 15.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .917 FT%), F Natalie Achonwa (6-3, jr., 13.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, .528 FG%).

How they got here: Iowa rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 18 1/2 minutes to defeat Miami (Fla.), 69-53; Notre Dame blasted Tennessee-Martin, 97-64.

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw reacts during the first half of a first-round game against Tennessee Martin in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament on Sunday, March 24, 2013, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

IOWA CITY — There’s no Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. No LaSalle or Wichita State.

“There’s just not the parity in women’s basketball as there is in men’s basketball right now, and that’s unfortunate,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said.

What there is: A well-defined upper crust.

Notre Dame is among those striving to stay among the nation’s elite. Iowa is among those in the upper-middle class, pushing to make a move.

Iowa's Jaime Printy (left) pass away from Miami's Shawnice Wilson. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

“It’s a job that’s 24/7, 12 months a year, never ends, to go from one class to the next,” Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. “You have to continue to bring in elite-level players in order to sustain that.”

The first round of the women’s tournament was basically a chalkfest, with the favorites winning and the elite — No. 1 seeds Baylor, Notre Dame, Connecticut and Stanford — winning big.

Kansas-over-Colorado, a No. 12 seed over a No. 5, was the only upset in the opening round.

Ninth-seeded Iowa (21-12) plays top-seed Notre Dame in a Norfolk Region second-rounder Tuesday, and it would take a major upset for the Hawkeyes to topple the Irish.

“Obviously for our program, it would be amazing,” Bluder said. “Also, I do think it would be great for women’s basketball.

“I think people want the upsets. People get excited about the Florida Gulf Coasts (in the men’s tournament), and why not let them get excited about the Iowa Hawkeyes after (Tuesday) night?”

Notre Dame reached its first women’s Final Four in 1997, then won its lone national title in 2001. The Irish slid a bit for a few years, then reclaimed elite status with back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2011 and 2012.

“I think it is difficult to sustain,” McGraw said. “We got there in 2001, and it took us a little while to get back.

“I think we are back there now because of our recruiting. We are getting more McDonald’s All-Americans on our team. It’s always been about chemistry more than talent, and there are some top players in the country that we don’t really want on our team. We want them to fit in and play well together and be unselfish and team-oriented.”

Iowa has one McDonald’s All-American on its current roster, sophomore Samantha Logic.

To become an elite program, Bluder said a team must be consistent all season.

“If you’re consistent all year long, then you tend to get those top-four seeds, and we all know if we have those top-four seeds, our ability to advance in the NCAA Tournament is a lot stronger, a lot more likely.

“Notre Dame certainly has that. They score at an unbelievable rate and they defend too.”

“Well, I think I jinxed (us) in (Saturday’s) press conference,” said Meier, the women’s basketball coach at Miami (Fla.)

“You asked me the key to Iowa and I said Samantha Logic, because boy, she was phenomenal.”

Iowa's Samantha Logic (22) drives to the basket during the second half of the Hawkeyes' 69-53 NCAA first-round win Sunday. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

Logic scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Iowa moved on with a 69-53 first-round NCAA win over the Hurricanes on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“She was extraordinary today,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Not many point guards in the country are going to get double-doubles with rebounds and points.”

Logic has played two NCAA games for the Hawkeyes. Both times, she posted double-doubles.

“I didn’t think to take (the game) into my own hands,” said the sophomore. “I just wanted to be composed and not let whaveter they are going to throw at me, rattle me.”

Normally a distributor more than a scorer, Logic tallied nine of the Hawkeyes’ first 13 points. She had 13 points in the first half, after which the Hawkeyes trailed, 28-27.

All four of her assists came after intermission as Iowa (21-12) warmed up from outside. Melissa Dixon hit three shots from 3-point range in a two-minute span as the Hawkeyes erased a seven-point deficit.

Dixon had no points, two fouls and three turnovers in the first half. She scored 13 points after intermission.

“They switched on a couple of the screens and allowed me to be open, and my teammates made some really good passes to me,” Dixon said.

Iowa outscored the Hurricanes (21-11) by a 42-18 margin in the final 18 1/2 minutes.

As a reward, the Hawkeyes face No. 2 Notre Dame (32-1) in the second round at 8:30 Tuesday night. Win or lose, it will be the final Carver appearance for seniors Morgan Johnson, Jaime Printy and Trisha Nesbitt.

Printy received a loud ovation from the crowd of 6,836 and a big hug from Bluder as she exited Sunday’s game with victory secure.

“It was the best feeling in the world,” Printy said. “I was a little worried earlier today, knowing this could be it. I was freaking myself out.”

IOWA CITY – Samantha Logic insisted the game wasn’t slipping away.

But the Iowa Hawkeyes were teetering on the brink of major danger before Melissa Dixon shot them out of trouble.

Dixon nailed three consecutive 3-pointers in less than two minutes as the Hawkeyes rallied past, then ran away from Miami (Fla.), 69-53, in an NCAA women’s basketball tournament first-round game in front of 6,836 fans Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“We ran our sets very well there, and it allowed me to be open,” said Dixon, who scored all 13 of her points in the second half.

Logic posted 23 points and 11 rebounds as the Hawkeyes (21-12) advanced to the second round for the first time since 2010. They’ll face No. 2 Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Fighting Irish (32-1) handled Tennessee-Martin, 97-64, Sunday.

Iowa was getting whipped on the glass and faced a 34-27 deficit early in the second half.

Enter Dixon.

The sophomore hit long-range shots on two straight possessions to get the Hawkeyes within a point, then added another to give Iowa a 38-35 advantage with 16:40 left in the game.

“She’s done that for us all year,” said Iowa’s Jaime Printy, whose collegiate career — along with those of Morgan Johnson and Trisha Nesbitt — was prolonged for at least one more game.

Miami (21-11) steadied itself temporarily and took a 41-40 lead on Morgan Stroman’s basket with 14:02 to go.

It was the Hurricanes’ last hurrah.

Iowa scored the next 12 points (a drive by Logic, a 3-pointer from Printy, two free throws from Logic, a three-point play by Johnson and an inside basket by Dixon) for a 52-41 advantage.

And when Johnson nailed a 15-footer to make it 58-44, she followed it up with a fist pump.

“I had butterflies all day,” Johnson said. “I tried not to think that this could be my last game.”

Iowa prevailed despite Miami’s 53-37 rebounding advantage. The Hurricanes snagged 25 offensive rebounds, but only managed 17 points out of that.

“That’s almost hideous,” Miami Coach Katie Meier said. “It was a shockingly poor performance by us offensively.

“I have very high regard for Iowa’s mental toughness and for the IQ of their guards.”

Miami’s 6-foot-6 center, Shawnice Wilson amassed 15 points and 18 rebounds. She opened the second half with six straight points as the Hurricanes opened a 34-27 advantage.

“I felt like I had control (inside),” Wilson said. “I just felt like we went away from what was working, and I was getting the ball inside.”

And then Dixon shot the Hawkeyes back into it.

“It was pretty early in the second half still, so it wasn’t slipping in our minds,” Logic said. “We ran our sets. It never felt like it was slipping away or anything, especially when you have shooters like (Dixon) on your team.”

Johnson, Printy and Theairra Taylor added nine points apiece for the Hawkeyes. Johnson matched Logic with 11 boards.

“I’m very, very proud of our basketball team and excited to be able to stand and play again Tuesday night,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

Logic scored 13 points in the first half to keep Iowa close (the Hawkeyes trailed, 28-27, at intermission) despite the Hurricanes’ 32-17 rebounding advantage.

Morgan Stroman added 15 points and eight rebounds for Miami.

IOWA 69, MIAMI (Fla.) 53

At Iowa City

IOWA (69): Bethany Doolittle 1-6 2-4 4, Morgan Johnson 4-9 1-2 9, Samantha Logic 8-14 6-7 23, Theairra Taylor 1-10 7-8 9, Jaime Printy 3-8 2-2 9, Melissa Dixon 5-8 0-1 13, Trisha Nesbitt 1-2 0-0 2, Claire Till 0-0 0-0 0, Kathy Thomas 0-0 0-1 0, Kali Peschel 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Timmerman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 18-25 69.

MIAMI (53): Morgan Stroman 6-9 3-6 15, Shawnice Wilson 4-10 7-10 15, Stefanie Yderstrom 0-7 2-2 2, Krystal Saunders 2-9 1-2 6, Suriya McGuire 3-11 1-2 8, Caprice Dennis 1-4 0-2 3, Michelle Woods 1-8 0-2 2, Keyona Hayes 0-0 0-0 0, Maria Brown 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 18-60 14-26 53.

Halftime: Miami 28, Iowa 27. 3-point goals: Iowa 5-11 (Logic 1-2, Taylor 0-2, Printy 1-2, Dixon 3-4, Timmerman 0-1), Miami 3-19 (Yderstrom 0-5, Saunders 1-7, McGuire 1-2, Dennis 1-2, Woods 0-3). Team fouls: Iowa 20, Miami 21. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Iowa 37 (Johnson, Logic 11), Miami 53 (Wilson 18). Assists: Iowa 13 (Logic, Taylor 4), Miami 8 (McGuire 3). Steals: Iowa 10 (Taylor 4), Miami 9 (Stroman 3). Turnovers: Iowa 16, Miami 24.

Attendance: 6,836.

IOWA CITY – The Iowa Hawkeyes gathered at Lisa Bluder’s house for a team meal Saturday night.

Bluder wasn’t cooking, but said that chicken and lasagna would be on the menu.

The Hawkeyes are hopeful that it wasn’t their Last Supper as a team.

“I hope we come out and win this first one so we have a chance to play again at home,” senior guard Jaime Printy said.

Iowa plays host of an NCAA women’s basketball tournament for the first time since 2009; the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (20-12) entertain No. 8 seed Miami, Fla. (21-10).

Tipoff is scheduled for about 6:30 Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“It’s great to be at home; it’s pretty special,” Bluder said. “(Saturday) afternoon was kind of weird. I’m at home cleaning my kitchen, not sure if that’s what most coaches are doing at NCAA tournament time.”

The Hawkeyes are making their 10th NCAA appearance in Bluder’s 13 years and their 22nd overall. Printy and senior classmates Morgan Johnson and Trisha Nesbitt don’t want the Hawkeyes to go one-and-done, and they did in 2011 and 2012.

“We are excited to play (this) game and as seniors we want to go out of this building (with wins),” Johnson said. “One at a time, but we are excited for them both.”

Sunday’s winner will likely face top-seeded, No. 2-ranked Notre Dame (31-1) in a second-round game Tuesday night. The Fighting Irish meet Tennessee-Martin (19-14) in a first-rounder at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Both teams will be playing their first game in 16 days.

“We had so much time off where we can have our team chemistry and get better individually, and just enjoy the moment before we get in the game,” said Miami’s Morgan Stroman. ”Then you have that anxiety where you are just so ready to play again.”

Judging by records and seeds, it’s a coin-flip game. And the team that shakes its rust and finds its identity first is bound to be successful.

Miami is a rugged defensive outfit, allowing 58.9 points per game.

“We need to play the style of basketball we like to play and get each other involved and really have variety in our offense,” Printy said.  “They also like to press a lot, and we have been working on that a lot this week, breaking the press and taking care of the ball.

“I think that will be huge this game.”

Iowa weathered a rough late-season stretch, in which it lost five straight games. The Hawkeyes answered with four wins in six games to reach the NCAA for the sixth straight year.

They face a team capable of rising up and playing extremely well. Miami has two big signature wins — against top-10 teams Duke and Penn State.

“There’s no question in those particular games, in which we outplayed our ranking, we were tough as nails,” said Miami coach Katie Meier.

Both teams have a quality post. The 6-foot-5 Johnson leads the Hawkeyes in scoring at 14.8 points per game; Miami’s Shawnice Wilson (9.9 ppg) is 6-6.

Johnson was seen in a boot when she attended the Iowa men’s NIT game Friday night.

She practiced with little limitation Saturday.

“Everything’s completely fine,” Johnson said. “It’s just totally precautionary.  Everything’s good.”

MIAMI, Fla. (21-10) vs. IOWA (20-12)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. Sunday

TV: ESPN2

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800), WHO-AM (1040)

How Miami qualified: At-large berth. Hurricanes tied for fourth in the ACC. Miami coach: Katie Meier (8th year at Miami, 147-105; 12th year overall). Key Miami players: F Morgan Stroman (6-1, sr., 12.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.7 spg), G Stefanie Yderstrom (5-8, sr., 12.0 ppg, 2.4 apg, .377 3FG%, .880 FT%), C Shawnice Wilson (6-6, sr., 9.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, .524 FG%).

How Iowa qualified: At-large bid. Finished seventh in the Big Ten at 8-8. Iowa coach: Lisa Bluder (13th year at Iowa, 250-156; 29th year overall, 606-298). Key Iowa players: C Morgan Johnson (6-5, sr., 14.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg, .530 FG%), G Jaime Printy (5-11, sr., 12.9 ppg, 3.2 apg, .921 FT%), G Samantha Logic (5-9, soph., 9.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.9 spg).

IOWA CITY – Notre Dame has the best point guard in the country.

Tennessee-Martin has an uncommon scoring tandem.

The difference, in the eyes of UTM coach Kevin McMillan, lies in the paint.

“They have an inside game and we don’t,” McMillan said as the 16th-seeded Skyhawks (19-14) prepared to meet top-seeded, No. 2-ranked Notre Dame (31-1) in a first-round NCAA women’s basketball game Sunday.

Tipoff is 4 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

Notre Dame has been to the national championship game each of the last two seasons and is a heavy favorite to get through two games at Carver and advance to next week’s regional at Norfolk, Va.

The Fighting Irish have won 26 straight games, including three against Big East rival Connecticut.

They’ve got Skylar Diggins, an All-American who is one of six players since 2000 to reach a statistical headshaker — 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 steals in a career.

“Probably the assists (is what I’m most proud of),” Diggins said. “It is great to create for people. To get 500 assists, and 500 made baskets, you’ve got to credit the teammates for that.”

Tennessee-Martin counters with the duo of juniors Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome. Both average more than 22 points per game, and both have scored more than 2,000 points in their career.

For means of reference, only one Iowa player has done that in her career.

“(They are) two of the best guards in the country,” said Irish coach Muffet McGraw. “They can shoot the three, they can put it on the floor, they can attack the basket. Their assist-to-turnover ratio is good. They’re as good a guards as we’ve seen all year long, and it’s going to be a challenge for us trying to contain them.”

Butler said, “We’re just very compatible on the court.”

Tennessee-Martin already has played two of the tournament’s No. 1 seeds, falling to Baylor (82-67) and Stanford (92-68) in the regular season.

“This is why we scheduled the big teams, to prepare us for the end of the season.” Butler said.

Diggins said, “They’re in the tournament for a reason.”

UTM has the guards to compete with an elite team, but will struggle to find an answer for Notre Dame’s Natalie Achonwa inside. Achonwa averages 13.8 points per game.

“Their big kids a blue-collar kids who do a lot of grunt work,” said McMillan, who said his team’s fate will be determined somewhat on how the game is called.

“If the officials blow the whistles, it will be a different game than if they don’t,” he said. “We traditionally get to the free throw line a lot. If we only shoot 10 free throws, it’s going to be ugly.”

Only once in the history of the NCAA women’s tournament has a No. 16 seed knocked off a No. 1 (Harvard did it to Stanford in 1998). McGraw said the trend of first-round upsets in the men’s tournament has her team on alert.

“It makes you realize it can happen to you,” she said. “It puts you on guard a little more.”

TENNESSEE-MARTIN (19-14) vs. No. 2 NOTRE DAME (31-1)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Tipoff: 4 p.m. Sunday

TV: ESPN2

How UTM qualified: Earned an automatic berth by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. Brings an eight-game win streak to Iowa City. UTM coach: Kevin McMillan (4th year at UTM, 74-53). Key UTM players: G Jasmine Newsome (5-6, jr., 22.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.5 apg), G Heather Butler (5-5, jr., 22.0m 3.8 rpg, 4.1 apg), F Rickiesha Bryant (6-3, sr., 9.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, .643 FG%).

How Notre Dame qualified: Earned an automatic berth by winning the Big East Conference tournament, defeating No. 3 Connecticut in the final, its third win over the Huskies this season. Irish have won 26 straight. Notre Dame coach: Muffet McGraw (26th year at Notre Dame, 621-216; 31st year overall, 710-257). Key Notre Dame players: G Skylar Diggins (5-9, sr., 17.0 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.1 spg, .820 FT%), G Kayla McBride (5-11, jr., 15.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .915 FT%), F Natalie Achonwa (6-3, jr., 13.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, .531 FG%).

IOWA CITY – When the NCAA brackets were announced and Notre Dame’s destination was revealed, it was met largely with a collective shrug from the Fighting Irish.

Except from Markisha Wright.

“Everybody looked up at the screen and was like, ‘Eh, OK,’ ” said Wright, a sophomore for the second-ranked Irish and a native of Des Moines. “I said, ‘You guys, we’re playing in Iowa.’

“I was really happy.”

Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw said, “(Wright) was the most excited person in the room when she saw we were coming back to Iowa. I know ticket requests are going to be unbelievable for her.”

Wright led Des Moines East to a state championship in 2011.

Before her senior season at East, she signed with Notre Dame, picking the Irish over Iowa.

“Iowa was my second choice,” Wright said. “It sucked telling Coach (Lisa) Bluder I wasn’t coming. I really did like the staff, but Notre Dame was just a little higher.”

Wright averaged 3.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a freshman in South Bend, then her numbers increased to 4.5 points and 4.5 boards per contest this season.

“She’s had a great year for us,” McGraw said. “She’s a physical post player; I like what she’s doing on defense. She’s a really smart player, picks things up really quickly. I’m really pleased with her progress this year.”

27 YEARS LATER, MEIER MAKES IT TO CARVER

In the late 1980s, the Iowa Hawkeyes were in their heyday under C. Vivian Stringer. A high school player from Wheaton, Ill., named Katie Meier wanted to be a part of it.

“I don’t know if you want to know this, but I wanted to come here,” Meier said. “I spent a lot of time here.  I did all the trips in the van with my mom and dad.

“True story, my high school coach said:  ’I think you’re kind of good, because some schools are looking at you, where do you want to go?’

“I said, University of Iowa, because I was so close with my family.”

Two of Meier’s sisters and a brother were students at Iowa.

To make a long story short …

“Iowa was great at the time but I probably wasn’t good enough,” Meier said.

She laughed.

“I’m not bitter. I still have the letter ‑‑ no, just kidding, I don’t.”

Meier instead played at Duke. Then, after assistant-coaching stops at UNC-Asheville and Tulane, she took her first head-coaching position in 2001 at Charlotte and has been at Miami the past eight years.

The 2011 Associated Press national coach of the year, Meier takes her Hurricanes into battle with the Hawkeyes on Sunday.

TICKET COUNT: 5,200

According to Iowa women’s basketball sports information contact Aaron Blau, more than 5,200 tickets have been sold for Sunday’s games.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $18 apiece.

Skylar Diggins and two-time national runner-up Notre Dame will be in Iowa City this weekend for the NCAA women's basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, file)

Thumbnails on the teams participating in the Iowa City subregional for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament:

TENNESSEE-MARTIN (19-14)

Norfolk Region seed: 16th

Final AP ranking: Unranked

Nickname: Skyhawks

How it qualified: Earned an automatic berth by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. Brings an eight-game win streak to Iowa City.

Coach: Kevin McMillan (4th year at UTM, 74-53)

Key players: G Jasmine Newsome (5-6, jr., 22.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.5 apg), G Heather Butler (5-5, jr., 22.0m 3.8 rpg, 4.1 apg), F Rickiesha Bryant (6-3, sr., 9.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, .643 FG%)

NOTRE DAME (31-1)

Norfolk Region seed: 1st

Final AP ranking: No. 2

Nickname: Fighting Irish

How it qualified: Earned an automatic berth by winning the Big East Conference tournament, defeating No. 3 Connecticut in the final, its third win over the Huskies this season. Irish have won 26 straight.

Coach: Muffet McGraw (26th year at Notre Dame, 621-216; 31st year overall, 710-257)

Key players: G Skylar Diggins (5-9, sr., 17.0 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.1 spg, .820 FT%), G Kayla McBride (5-11, jr., 15.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .915 FT%), F Natalie Achonwa (6-3, jr., 13.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, .531 FG%)

MIAMI, FLA. (21-10)

Norfolk Region seed: 8th

Final AP ranking: Unranked

Nickname: Hurricanes

How it qualified: At-large berth. Hurricanes tied for fourth in the ACC.

Coach: Katie Meier (8th year at Miami, 147-105; 12th year overall)

Key players: F Morgan Stroman (6-1, sr., 12.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.7 spg), G Stefanie Yderstrom (5-8, sr., 12.0 ppg, 2.4 apg, .377 3FG%, .880 FT%), C Shawnice Wilson (6-6, sr., 9.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, .524 FG%)

IOWA (20-12)

Norfolk Region seed: 9th

Final AP ranking: Unranked

Nickname: Hawkeyes

How it qualified: At-large bid. Finished 7th in the Big Ten at 8-8.

Coach: Lisa Bluder (13th year at Iowa, 250-156; 29th year overall, 606-298)

Key players: C Morgan Johnson (6-5, sr., 14.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg, .530 FG%), G Jaime Printy (5-11, sr., 12.9 ppg, 3.2 apg, .921 FT%), G Samantha Logic (5-9, soph., 9.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.9 spg)

Here is a schedule for proceedings the next four days:

SATURDAY

10:50-11:20 a.m. – Notre Dame news conference

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Notre Dame practice

12:30-1 p.m. — Tennessee-Martin news conference

1:10-2:40 p.m. – Tennessee-Martin practice

2-2:30 p.m. — Miami (Fla.) news conference

2:45-4:15 p.m. — Miami (Fla.) practice

3:30-4 p.m. — Iowa news conference

4:20-5:50 p.m. — Iowa practice

SUNDAY

3 p.m. – Doors open to public

4 p.m. — First round: Tennessee-Martin vs. Notre Dame

6:30 p.m. — First round: Miami (Fla.) vs. Iowa

MONDAY

11:20–11:50 a.m. – Tennessee-Martin/Notre Dame press conference, followed by practice

1:30 – 2 p.m. — Miami (Fla.)/Iowa press conference, followed by practice

TUESDAY

7:30 p.m. — Doors open to public

8:30 p.m. — Second-round game

Miami head coach Katie Meier reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida State at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, March 8, 2013. Florida State won 70-58. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

IOWA CITY – The way Katie Meier sees it, the Miami Hurricanes take a double-digit deficit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena this weekend.

“Unfortunately, we have to have the mentality of playing on someone’s home court,” the Hurricanes’ head coach said to the Miami Herald after the NCAA women’s basketball tournament pairings were released Monday night.

“That is just part of the women’s game and driving attendance and peak interest. We’ve done it before and we’re going to have to do it again. They’re sleeping in their own beds and we have to be 10 points better than Iowa before we leave Coral Gables.”

Iowa (20-12) hosts Miami (21-10) in a first-round game at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

“One of my biggest goals was to get to an NCAA Tournament my last year here and we did it,” said Miami senior Morgan Stroman said on the UM athletics web site.

Top-seeded Notre Dame (31-1) meets Tennessee-Martin (19-14) in the first game, 4 p.m. Sunday.

The winners play at 8:30 Tuesday night.

Notre Dame is the only No. 1 seed not playing on its home floor.

“All the No. 1 seeds are really, really good so any little help we can get is good,” Miami’s Stefanie Yderstrom said. “I think we have a chance, but first we have to focus on Iowa.”

That’s the same approach the Hawkeyes are taking. With the first game a coin-flip encounter, that’s the wise mentality.

“Notre Dame would be a great potential opportunity,” said Iowa guard Samantha Logic. “Nothing to lose against the No. 2(-ranked) team. But we need to have 100-percent focus on Miami.”

Miami finished in a fourth-place tie in the ACC. Iowa placed seventh in the Big Ten. The Hurricanes do have signature wins over fifth-ranked Duke and No. 8 Penn State, the regular-season champions of the ACC and Big Ten.

When the teams tip it off Sunday, it will be the first game for each since March 8.

“We’ve been running and getting back into our best shape, getting our legs back under us,” Stroman said. “Now we can focus on playing Iowa. We have to go out there and be aggressive and do what we have to do to win.”

Meier said, “I am expecting Iowa’s best game and I know they’re going to get ours.”

For three Iowa seniors, their Carver careers will end Sunday or Tuesday.

“The opportunity to play Carver one or two more times is the greatest thing,” said center Morgan Johnson. “I expect two more great games. We’re not done yet.”

The Iowa women's basketball team reacts to the announcement of their first-round game against Miami while watching the NCAA basketball selection show in their locker room theater at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday, March 18, 2013, in Iowa City. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa coaching staff began advance scouting on a cluster of about eight teams last week, in preparation for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

“Miami wasn’t one of them,” head coach Lisa Bluder said.

The Hawkeyes (20-12) earned a No. 9 seed and will face the eighth-seeded Hurricanes (21-10) in the first round at 6:30 Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (ESPN2).

Iowa is making its 22nd appearance, its sixth in a row. Thirteen other programs have qualified each of the past six years; Iowa is the only Big Ten program that can make that claim.

“It means a lot,” said Jaime Printy, one of three seniors on the team. “I was a little nervous (about whether we would make it), more than any other year.”

Top-seeded, second-ranked Notre Dame (31-1) meets Tennessee-Martin (19-14) in the other game at 4 p.m.

The winners play at 8:30 next Tuesday night.

“Notre Dame would be a great potential opponent,” said sophomore point guard Samantha Logic. “We would have nothing to lose.

“But we need to have 100-percent focus on Miami. And we will.”

Miami wasn’t on Bluder’s radar as a first-round opponent because she, like most everyone else, figured the Hawkeyes would be a 10 seed, or maybe an 11.

Iowa has qualified for the NCAA 10 times in Bluder’s 13 seasons (she has a first-round record of 3-6, a second-round mark of 0-3). Of those 10 berths, the Hawkeyes have played in the 8-vs.-9 game on seven occasions.

“It’s almost laughable,” Bluder said. “It seems we’re always in that (8-vs.-9) game. I thought we’d be 10 or 11, and up we pop in the 8-9 game again.”

“I expected a 10 or 11 (seed),” said senior center Morgan Johnson. “Our strength of schedule boosted us up. We’re a good team, and I think the NCAA knows that.”

The Hawkeyes entered the Associated Press rankings for a week in late January, when they were 16-5 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten.

But they lost five straight games — including a nasty three-game spell against Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota — and were forced to scramble and recover at the end of the season to clinch a tournament berth.

In the end, the Hawkeyes’ strength of schedule (21st in the country) was enough to get them in. Iowa has an RPI of 42.

The Hurricanes tied for fourth in the ACC at 11-7, handing Duke its only conference loss.

“I’ve watched them a couple times,” Logic said. “Obviously, they come from a good conference. They’re pretty athletic. They’re a great team.”

Against four common opponents (Penn State, Wisconsin, Florida State and North Carolina), Iowa posted a 2-3 record while Miami was 2-4.

Miami is a strong defensive squad, allowing just 58.9 points per game.

The 2011 Associated Press national co-coach of the year, Miami coach Katie Meier employs a nine-player rotation.

Morgan Stroman (6-foot-1 senior forward) leads the Hurricanes at 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while Stefanie Yderstrom (5-8 senior guard from Sweden) adds 12 points per game and has made 60 3-pointers. Shawnice Wilson (9.9 ppg) stands 6-6.

The NCAA is coming to Carver for the first time in 2009. Iowa lost to Georgia Tech in the first round that year. The last time Iowa got to the Sweet 16 (in 1996), it won its first two games at home.

Iowa leads the all-time series with Miami, 2-0, beating the Hurricanes twice in the 1985-86 season.

Jeff Linder of The Gazette/KCRG updates his mock bracket:

BRIDGEPORT REGION

At Storrs, Conn.

(9) Oklahoma State vs. (8) Princeton

(16) Navy vs. (1) Connecticut

At College Park, Md.

(12) San Diego State vs. (5) Georgia

(13) South Dakota State vs. (4) Maryland

At Knoxville, Tenn.

(11) Toledo vs. (6) Delaware

(14) Liberty vs. (3) Tennessee

At Baton Rouge, La.

(10) LSU vs. (7) DePaul

(15) Hampton vs. (2) Penn State

NORFOLK REGION

At Columbus, Ohio

(9) Michigan vs. (8) St. Joseph’s

(16) Tennessee-Martin vs. (1) Notre Dame

At Newark, N.J.

(12) Quinnipiac vs. (5) South Carolina

(13) Albany vs. (4) North Carolina

At Iowa City

(11) Iowa vs. (6) Green Bay

(14) Wichita State vs. (3) UCLA

At Queens, N.Y.

(10) St. John’s vs. (7) Michigan State

(15) Oral Roberts vs. (2) Kentucky

OKLAHOMA CITY REGION

At Waco, Texas

(9) Syracuse vs. (8) Vanderbilt

(16) Prairie View A&M vs. (1) Baylor

At Lubbock, Texas

(12) Texas Tech vs. (5) Florida State

(13) Fresno State vs. (4) Nebraska

At College Station, Texas

(11) Duquesne vs. (6) Iowa State

(14) Cal Poly vs. (3) Texas A&M

At Spokane, Wash.

(10) Creighton vs. (7) Gonzaga

(15) Tulsa vs. (2) California

SPOKANE REGION

At Stanford, Calif.

(9) Chattanooga vs. (8) Oklahoma

(16) Idaho vs. (1) Stanford

At Louisville, Ky.

(12) Central Michigan vs. (5) Louisville

(13) Miami, Fla. vs. (4) Dayton

At Boulder, Colo.

(11) Marist vs. (6) Colorado

(14) Montana vs. (3) Purdue

At Durham, N.C.

(10) Middle Tennessee vs. (7) Villanova

(15) Stetson vs. (2) Duke

“I feel good about our chances (of making the NCAA tournament), I really do,” the University of Iowa women’s basketball coach said Thursday.

The NCAA field of 64 teams will be announced Monday (6 p.m., ESPN), and Bluder is confident that her team will be called for the sixth consecutive year.

“We don’t have control over it, but I feel good,” she said.

Whether the Hawkeyes (20-12) qualify or not, Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be one of 16 first- and second-round sites. First-round game times are 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24, with the winners playing Tuesday, March 26.

ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme projects the Hawkeyes as a No. 11 seed.

“The Hawkeyes’ finish to the regular season and Big Ten tourney was not strong, but they might have done enough against a fairly difficult schedule to make the field on the back end of an unconvincing bubble,” Creme said on his brackets page.

Iowa lost five straight games midway through the Big Ten season, but righted its ship somewhat at the end, winning three of its last four regular-season games.

The Hawkeyes finished seventh in the Big Ten at 8-8, won their first-round Big Ten tournament game against Northwestern, then lost in the quarterfinals to Nebraska.

A 10 seed, or even an 11, would be far more advantageous than an 8 or a 9.

If Iowa is on the 8-9 line, it’s a virtual sure thing that Notre Dame will be coming to Carver as a potential second-round opponent.

The Irish are sure to be a No. 1 seed, and the other three likely top seeds (Baylor, Connecticut and Stanford) are hosting the first two rounds.

If, as Creme projects, the Hawkeyes are an 11 seed, they will face a No. 6 in the first round. Creme projects that as Florida State, with UCLA facing Montana in the 3-vs.-14 game.

Creme had Iowa listed as a 10 seed until his final “bracketology” Saturday. If Iowa is a 10, then it will face a No. 7 seed in Round 1, with Nos. 2 and 15 colliding in the other game.

Potential 2 seeds coming to Iowa City would be Kentucky and California (which beat the Hawkeyes in the first round last year).

The Hawkeyes have not played since March 8, so Bluder and her staff have begun advance scouting on potential first-round opponents.

“There are about eight teams there’s a chance we could play,” Bluder said. “It’s kind of fun trying to figure it out.”

Iowa has qualified for the NCAA 21 times, including nine times in Bluder’s first 12 years. The Hawkeyes reached the second round under Bluder in 2001, 2002 and 2010.

THE RESUME

Record: 20-12

Big Ten: 8-8 (7th), quarterfinalist in Big Ten Tournament

RPI: 42 (according to realtimerpi.com)

Strength of schedule: 21

Record vs. top 50: 5-8

Last 10: 4-6

Key wins: Beat Big 12 runner-up Iowa State, defeated Big Ten tournament champion Purdue twice.

Bad losses: At Florida International, home against Northwestern.

IOWA CITY — Jaime Printy surprised her teammates, her family and herself during a Senior Night postgame speech.

No tears.

“I’m a huge crier,” she said. “And I’m sure I will be very emotional when the season is over.

“But that night, I wasn’t saying good bye. Not yet.”

Jaime Printy (left) goes for the hoop over Wisconsin's Tiera Stephen during their game Jan. 24. (Jim Slosiarek/Gazette-KCRG)

The Iowa Hawkeyes expect to make the NCAA women’s basketball tournament for the sixth straight year. If they qualify, they will host first- and second-round games March 24 and March 26.

That will be Printy’s final appearance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. And that’s probably when the tears will come, win or lose.

“It’s hard to imagine this program without Jaime in it,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “And I don’t want to. There are so many things I’m going to miss about her.

“We have a tradition (during pregame introductions). She’s the last off the bench. We hold hands for just a moment or two before she goes out. It seems so ridiculous, but after four years, I’ll miss that.”

Printy has been a starter — and a big scorer — for four years. She has been a Hawkeye much longer.

She committed to the program as a 15-year-old, when she was a freshman at Linn-Mar High School. Only one other time has Bluder offered a scholarship to a ninth-grader, and that was eventual Tennessee All-American Candace Parker.

Printy visited Iowa State — Bill Fennelly actually offered her first — then set up a visit with Bluder, who also offered her.

“I had grown up a Hawkeye fan, and I’m really close to my family. I would get homesick if I was just staying overnight at a friend’s house,” Printy said.

Within a couple months of the offer, Printy selected Iowa.

She became a starter immediately. After averaging 14.7 points per game as a rookie, she was the Big Ten freshman of the year.

Her scoring average increased to 16.8 points per game as a sophomore (earning honorable-mention All-American honors), then 16.9 as a junior before she suffered the second torn ACL of her career late in an overtime win at Wisconsin in February 2012.

At the time, she was on pace to become the leading scorer in school history.

Jaime Printy, assistant coach Jan Jensen and Iowa Hawkeyes teammates celebrate their win over Iowa State in December. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

“Everything happens for a reason,” Printy said. “It’s the same reason God had for me suffering the first one (as a sophomore at Linn-Mar).”

Printy ranks No. 3 on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart, with 1,822 points. She’s No. 2 in 3-point makes with 251 — 10 behind Lindsay Meder — and fifth in assists 407.

Then there’s the free throws, the silver lining of her knee injuries.

“I credit my free throw shooting to the ACL,” she said. “That’s the first thing you’re cleared to do. So I shot free throws. A lot of free throws.”

Printy is an 89-percent career shooter from the line, including an Iowa-record 92.1 percent this season. That ranks fifth in the country.

Meanwhile, her other shooting numbers have dipped this season — 35.1 percent from the field, 29.0 percent from 3-point range. Her 12.9 points per game is a career-low.

And (again, assuming they qualify) if the Hawkeyes are going to advance beyond Iowa City, it’s a must that those numbers improve.

“I know she’s hurting. She’s got the knee issues, obviously, and she sprained her ankle at Nebraska,” Bluder said. “But like I told her, we need her to be Jaime Printy.

“We need her to focus on the million times in her life that she has made shots, or the million times in her left that she has taken the ball hard to the basket.”

In Printy’s four years, the Hawkeyes have racked up an 81-47 record.

She has developed an extremely close relationship with her senior teammates; she has shared an apartment with backup guard Trisha Nesbitt and starting center Morgan Johnson for the majority of their careers.

“A lot of people don’t understand it, but when you’ve worked out — gone through the wins and losses, the sweat and tears — it creates a bond,” Nesbitt said.

Iowa seniors Trisha Nesbitt (11), Printy and Morgan Johnson hug after speaking to the crowd on Senior Night Feb. 24. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)

“Jaime’s a very hard-working person, but pretty laid-back. She likes to have a good time and relax, but she’s also one of the most compassionate persons you’re ever going to meet.”

Nesbitt is engaged to former Iowa men’s player Jarryd Cole. Printy has a serious boyfriend in former Iowa women’s manager Danny Brandt, but said the couple is “not in any big rush” to marry.

A recreation and sports business major, the 22-year-old Printy is undecided on whether she will continue her basketball career beyond this season.

“I think her true calling, someday, would be to become a teacher and coach,” Bluder said. “She would be so good. She could benefit so many people that way.”

For the second time in less than 96 hours, the Iowa Hawkeyes tangle with Northwestern in a women’s basketball game. This time, it’s in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Tipoff is 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

“Here we are again,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Obviously, we know this opponent.”

The Hawkeyes (19-11) defeated Northwestern (13-16), 62-45, in the regular-season finale Sunday at Evanston to salvage a season split.

“We were able to push the ball well, get out in transition and get some quick looks,” said sophomore guard Samantha Logic. “Hopefully, we’re able to do that again.”

Iowa has righted its ship somewhat after suffering a five-game losing streak in the middle of the Big Ten season. The Hawkeyes have won three of their last four games.

“You look at our schedule, and we had one bad week — when we lost to Northwestern and Minnesota — and a lot of the rest of it, we were playing some tough opponents,” Bluder said.

Bluder thinks the Hawkeyes have earned an NCAA Tournament berth, regardless of what happens through the remainder of the week.

“If I’m on the selection committe, I look at our RPI (37) and our quality wins, and I think we’re in,” she said. “But I don’t want to leave a whole lot to chance.”

That’s enough to leave the Hawkeyes’ focus solely on Round 1. On the other hand, they would cherish another shot at No. 2 seed Nebraska in the quarterfinals Friday.

Iowa is 0-5 against the Cornhuskers since they entered the Big Ten last year.

“We’ve never beaten them, and that’s unsettling with me,” said senior post Morgan Johnson. “But it’s one game at a time. Northwestern first.”

To win the tournament, Iowa would have to win four games in four days. That’s a tall order anyway, but this has become a team reliant on six players — starters Johnson, Jaime Printy, Samantha Logic, Theairra Taylor and Bethany Doolittle, plus Dixon off the bench.

Nobody else has averaged as much as 6 minutes per game since league play began.

“Would you rather have a deeper bench? Absolutely in this situation. But that’s not something we can change at this point,” Bluder said.

“I think we’re playing the people that play well together, that are contributing, that are giving us the best opportunity to win at this point.”

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT, FIRST ROUND: IOWA (19-11) vs. NORTHWESTERN (13-16)

Where: Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Tipoff: 11:30 a.m. Thursday

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notable: The teams are meeting for the second time in four days; Iowa concluded its regular seaon with a 62-45 win Sunday at Evanston, Ill. Northwestern captured a 67-65 win at Iowa City on Feb. 3. The Hawkeyes are the No. 7 seed while NU is seeded 10th. The winner faces No. 2 seed Nebraska in the quarterfinals at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Morgan Johnson leads the Hawkeyes at 14.9 points per game while Melissa Dixon was the leading scorer in Big Ten play at 12.3 ppg in league play. Dixon was named the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year. Kendall Hackney paces Northwestern at 13.8 points per game, followed by Maggie Lyon (12.8 ppg), the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

(At Hoffman Estates, Ill.)

Thursday’s First Round

No. 7 Iowa (19-11) vs. No. 10 Northwestern (13-16), 11:30 a.m.

No. 6 Illinois (16-12) vs. No. 11 Wisconsin (11-18), 2 p.m.

No. 8 Minnesota (18-12) vs. No. 9 Ohio State (17-12), 6 p.m.

No. 5 Michigan (20-9) vs. No. 12 Indiana (11-18), 8:30 p.m.

Friday’s Quarterfinals

No. 2 Nebraska (22-7) vs. Iowa/Northwestern winner, 11:30 a.m.

No. 3 Purdue (21-8) vs. Illinois/Wisconsin winner, 2 p.m.

No. 1 Penn State (24-4) vs. Minnesota/Ohio State winner, 6 p.m.

No. 4 Michigan State (22-7) vs. Michigan/Indiana winner, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Semifinals

Top bracket, 4 p.m.

Bottom bracket, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday’s Championship

Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.

Big Ten Announces Women’s Basketball Honors

Penn State’s Lucas named Player of the Year by conference coaches and media 

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the women’s basketball All-Conference teams and individual award winners on Monday. Penn State’s Maggie Lucas was named Big Ten Player of the Year by the conference coaches and media. Northwestern’s Maggie Lyon was honored with the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award by the coaches and media. Penn State head coach Coquese Washington received the nod from media as conference Coach of the Year, while Nebraska’s Connie Yori was chosen by her peers. Illinois’ Adrienne GodBold earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades from the conference coaches, while Iowa’s Melissa Dixon earned the Sixth Player of the Year award from the coaches.

Lucas’ award marks the fourth time a Lady Lion has been tabbed Player of the Year, and the first since Kelly Mazzante won back-to-back honors in 2003 and 2004. Lucas leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.470) and is third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game. The junior has recorded 280 three-pointers in her career, just 14 away from moving into second place on the Big Ten’s career three-point field goals list. Lucas was named first-team All-Big Ten for the second time, including a unanimous selection by the coaches.

Washington earns top billing among media for the second consecutive season after guiding Penn State to the conference crown for the second time in as many years. The Lady Lions put together a 24-4 overall record, marking their third consecutive 20-win season, and a 14-2 conference ledger. The award is the sixth in Penn State history.

Yori was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the coaches after guiding Nebraska to a 22-7 overall record and 12-4 mark in conference action, including a 10-game win streak in conference play. The award marks the third conference coach of the year honor for Yori and the first for a Nebraska women’s basketball coach in the Big Ten.

Lyon led all Big Ten freshmen with 12.8 points and 1.5 steals per game, en route to the Freshman of the Year award. The Northwestern newcomer was also second and third, respectively, among freshmen in rebounds (4.0) and assists (2.88) per game. She was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times this season and is an All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree. Lyon is the first player in Northwestern history to win Freshman of the Year honors.

GodBold picks up Defensive Player of the Year laurels after tying for second in the conference in steals per game (3.4), as she continually faced one of the opposing team’s top perimeter players. She was part of an Illinois defense that limited opponents to 29 percent shooting from three-point range on the season. GodBold is the first Illinois standout to earn Defensive Player of the Year accolades.

Dixon becomes the second Hawkeye to earn Sixth Player of the Year honors, following Megan Skouby in 2008. The sophomore has appeared in all 30 games and is the team’s third-leading scorer at 10.3 points per game in all contests. She leads the Hawkeyes in three-pointers per game at 2.4 per outing. In conference games, Dixon led Iowa in points per game with 12.3 tallies per contest.

The coaches and media also selected All-Big Ten teams, while the coaches also picked five-player All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams. Lucas is joined by Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper, Ohio State’s Tayler Hill and Penn State’s Alex Bentley on the coaches’ and media first teams. Illinois’ Karisma Penn was named first-team All-Big Ten by the media, while Minnesota’s Rachel Banham was a first-team honoree by the coaches.

The Big Ten also recognized 12 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete All-Big Ten teams, as well as a list of other honorees, can be found in the attached PDF.

“We’ve got to have wins now,” she said after the Iowa Hawkeyes lost their fourth straight women’s basketball game, 76-75 to Nebraska. “No more close losses.

“We’re more than capable. We can come back from this.”

Iowa (16-9 overall, 5-6 Big Ten) takes aim at another ranked opponent Thursday when No. 8 Penn State (20-3, 10-1) comes to town.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes have been able to rise to the level of the competition, compiling a 6-0 record against ranked foes. But that was before the current slide seeped in.

Now, wins are important and time is running short. Five regular-season games remain, and just two at home.

“I think we still have some work to. I’d like to see us win three more,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “I think that would solidify things. But I don’t know. Who knows what the (NCAA tournament) selection committee will think.

“We have the (top) team coming in in our conference on Thursday, and we get them on our home court, so that’s a great opportunity. So we’ve got to make the most of that opportunity.”

Penn State has won 14 of its last 15 games; the only bump in the road was a loss at Wisconsin.

Maggie Lucas and Alex Bentley have carried the load for the Lady Lions, averaging 19.7 and 13.7 points, respectively.

No. 8 PENN STATE (20-3, 10-1) at IOWA (16-9, 5-6)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV: None

Notable: The Hawkeyes try to break a four-game losing streak. Jaime Printy has risen to No. 4 on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart, with 1,770 points while Morgan Johnson has moved to 10th with 1,470. Johnson had her 20th career double-double in the Hawkeyes’ loss to Nebraska on Monday. Penn State junior Maggie Lucas ranks 18th in the country in scoring, at 19.7 points per game.

IOWA CITY — The Iowa Hawkeyes ran out of time Monday night.

They might be running out of opportunities.

Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper scored 29 points, and the Hawkeyes’ last-ditch effort came up short in a 76-75 Big Ten women’s basketball loss in front of 3,937 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

It was Iowa’s fourth straight defeat, and the Hawkeyes (16-9 overall, 5-6 Big Ten) fell to 0-4 against Nebraska since Big Red joined the Big Ten.

And with a tortuous stretch coming up — No. 8 Penn State at home Thursday, Purdue on the road Sunday, then Nebraska at Lincoln on Jan. 24 – there is valid reason for concern about Iowa’s postseason hopes.

“We have some work to do,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said.

Nebraska (18-6, 8-3) led the entire game, and answered every Iowa challenge. It was 72-62 before the Hawkeyes made a final push that came up a point and a few seconds short.

“We made a lot of plays for the first 37 minutes, when they started cutting into the lead,” Huskers coach Connie Yori said.

The Hawkeyes scored seven straight points to get within 72-69, then Iowa missed three straight long-distance shots that could have tied the game.

The second of the three, by Jaime Printy, was halfway down before sneaking out.

“It left my hand and it felt good,” Printy said. “You can’t do anything but keep shooting the same way.”

Hailie Sample hit two free throws, then Lindsey Moore added two more to clinch the outcome. Theairra Taylor hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to bring Iowa within a point.

“Another tough one, obviously,” Bluder said. “You always have those what-ifs. These are the ones that keep you awake at night.”

Nebraska has been a sharp thorn in the Hawkeyes’ side since joining the league. The Huskers beat Iowa three times last year, including once in the Big Ten tournament.

“The team really locks in when we play Iowa,” Hooper said. “We have a different intensity.”

Printy said, “It’s definitely frustrating. They’re the one team Morgan (Johnson) and I haven’t beaten.”

Nebraska was 10 of 23 from 3-point range, including 7 of 14 in the first half.

Moore added 14 points for the Huskers. Brandi Jeffery, who had scored four points in the previous eight games, tallied 10 points.

Johnson and Melissa Dixon scored 19 apiece for Iowa. Johnson did it on 9-of-11 shooting, and added 10 rebounds.

“It’s kind of bitter at this point,” Johnson said. “The stats don’t matter. What matters is the team, and I’m focused on the loss. It hurts more when you did everything you could.”

Printy tallied 16 points, Taylor 11. Samantha Logic posted eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Cornhuskers jumped to an 11-2 lead in the first two minutes. Iowa rallied to tie it at 11, then the Huskers retook the lead and didn’t surrender it.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Rachel Theriot and Emily Cady gave Nebraska a 41-32 halftime advantage. Nebraska’s largest lead was 64-52, with 8:30 to go.

NEBRASKA 76, IOWA 75

At Iowa City

NEBRASKA (76): Hailie Sample 1-3 2-2 4, Emily Cady 3-5 1-2 9, Jordan Hooper 11-23 5-6 29, Lindsey Moore 3-8 6-6 14, Rachel Theriot 2-4 0-0 6, Tear’a Laudermill 1-5 0-0 2, Meghin Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Brandi Jeffery 4-9 0-0 10, Katie Simon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-60 14-16 76.

IOWA (75): Jaime Printy 6-14 2-2 16, Bethany Doolittle 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan Johnson 9-11 1-3 19, Samantha Logic 2-8 4-6 8, Theairra Taylor 3-10 4-4 11, Trisha Nesbitt 0-1 0-0 0, Kathy Thomas 1-2 0-0 2, Melissa Dixon 7-15 0-0 19. Totals 28-64 11-15 75.

Halftime: Nebraska 41, Iowa 32. 3-point goals: Nebraska 10-23 (Cady 2-3, Hooper 2-8, Moore 2-4, Theriot 2-3, Laudermill 0-2, Jeffery 2-3), Iowa 8-24 (Printy 2-7, Logic 0-3, Taylor 1-3, Thomas 0-1, Dixon 5-10). Team fouls: Nebraska 14, Iowa 14. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Nebraska 37 (Cady, Hooper 8), Iowa 36 (Johnson 10). Assists: Nebraska 21 (Moore 7), Iowa 19 (Logic 6). Steals: Nebraska 4 (four with 1), Iowa 4 (Logic 2). Turnovers: Nebraska 12, Iowa 8.

Attendance: 3,937.

MONDAY’S SCORE

Nebraska 76, Iowa 75

WEDNESDAY’S GAME

Indiana at Michigan State

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Ohio State at Nebraska

Purdue at Wisconsin

Penn State at Iowa

SATURDAY’S GAME

Michigan State at Michigan

SUNDAY’S GAMES

Iowa at Purdue

Northwestern at Minnesota

Three straight losses have moved the Iowa Hawkeyes into the second division of the Big Ten women’s basketball race.

An NCAA Tournament bid, which seemed a slam dunk two weeks ago, is no longer a sure thing. The Hawkeyes (16-8 overall, 5-5 Big Ten) are approaching bubble status.

“The season’s not over, but we have to start doing something now,” senior Jaime Printy said after the Hawkeyes lost at Minnesota on Thursday. “We have three great opportunities (this) week so we have to come out strong.”

The first “great opportunity” is Monday, against Nebraska. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa hit the skids with losses to Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota. Now comes a much more difficult stretch — Nebraska and Penn State at home, Purdue and Nebraska on the road.

“Definitely a very difficult (stretch),” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “You’re looking at three teams in the conference that last year we didn’t have a lot of success against.”

Nebraska (17-6, 7-3) is one of those teams. The Huskers swept the Hawkeyes last year.

“I think their pressure defense is really good,” Bluder said. “I heard they’re doing some kind of strange zone that’s very different for (coach) Connie (Yori).”

Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore average 19.0 and 15.0 points per game, respectively, for Nebraska.

Printy moved up to No. 5 on the career scoring chart at Iowa on Thursday. She has scored 1,754 points.

NEBRASKA (17-6, 7-3) at IOWA (16-8, 5-5)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Monday

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800)

Notable: The Hawkeyes are reeling; their three straight losses are a season-long skid that has pushed them to seventh place in the Big Ten.  Jaime Printy scored 21 points in a 72-60 loss to Minnesota on Thursday. The effort moved Printy into fifth all-time in career scoring at Iowa, with 1,754 points. Morgan Johnson also moved up the career scoring list to 11th, with 1,440, and became the seventh player in Iowa history with 800-plus rebounds. Jordan Hooper leads Nebraska at 19 points per game.

The key to preventing a full-blown downward spiral? Let it go, according to Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder.

“We can’t dwell on it,” Bluder said Tuesday, referring to the Hawkeyes’ 67-65 Sunday loss to Northwestern. “If you dwell on it, it’s going to snowball into another one.”

The Hawkeyes can barely afford another one.

Iowa (16-7 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) makes its first court appearance since the Northwestern debacle — in which it blew a 15-point second-half lead — when it plays at Minnesota (14-9, 3-6).

Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

A couple of meetings — one of the captains, the other a players-only gathering — followed Sunday’s loss.

“As a senior, you don’t want your season to slip away,” guard Jaime Printy said. “It’s February, so you want to go out strong.

“We just need to win. We haven’t been playing very (well) offensively or defensively. We don’t need to panic, but at the same time, we can’t have any more games like that.”

Theairra Taylor said, “We’re all ready to get back out and play and get a big win on the road. We were a little down, but now I think our minds are back in a good place.”

Taylor is one of four Hawkeyes that are native Minnesotans. Bethany Doolittle, Kali Peschel and Kayla Timmerman are the others.

“I’m very excited to go back,” said Peschel, a freshman. “I grew up a Gopher fan. Everybody wants to play for your home-state team. It just wasn’t the fit for me. Iowa has been that fit.”

Minnesota is led by Rachel Banham, who is averaging 21.1 points per game.

“She’s an extremely good player, all Big Ten caliber,” Bluder said. “We have to keep an eye on her.”

IOWA (16-7, 5-4) at MINNESOTA (14-9, 3-6)

Where: Williams Arena, Minneapolis

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notable: Iowa is in the midst of its first two-game losing streak of the season, and the Hawkeyes’ RPI has dropped from 13 to 34 in the past week. Four Iowa players are native Minnesotans — Theairra Taylor, Bethany Doolittle, Kali Peschel and Kayla Timmerman. Samantha Logic is 10th in the nation in assists (6.8 per game) while Jaime Printy ranks fourth in free throw accuracy (92.9 percent). Rachel Banham leads the Gophers at 21.1 points per game. Minnesota’s 71.1 points per game ranks third in the Big Ten.

IOWA CITY — Lisa Bluder’s first postgame comment summed it up:

“I feel like we just kind of let that one slip through our hands,” she said. “We gave it away.”

Karly Roser drove for the winning basket just before the horn sounded, and Northwestern earned its first win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 18 years, rallying past No. 24 Iowa, 67-65, in front of 4,697 stunned fans Sunday afternoon.

The Hawkeyes (16-7 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) wasted a 15-point lead, as well as a record performance by Melissa Dixon, who hit a long baseline shot — just inside the 3-point arc — to tie the game at 65-all with 6 seconds left.

But the Wildcats (11-11, 3-6) hurried the ball upcourt, and Roser split the middle of the defense for the winning basket.

The officials checked the monitor to be sure, but it was clear that the basket would count. It was a fitting end to a second half in which the Hawkeyes played little to no defense.

“You have to play 40 minutes,” Iowa’s Jaime Printy said. “We had a huge let-up, and you can’t do that.”

Iowa moved into the Associated Press rankings this week, but surely will fall out after losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Illinois defeated the Hawkeyes at Champaign on Thursday. This was far more damaging. Iowa gave up 49 points after intermission.

“Our help-side defense was non-existent today,” Bluder said.

Take Dixon out of the picture, and the offense was no better. Dixon tied a Carver record, and matched her career-best, with six 3-pointers (in nine attempts). She scored a game-high 21 points.

“I thought my teammates did a great job driving and dishing to me,” Dixon said.

The rest of the team, though, was 13 of 51 from the field.

Iowa seemed to be sailing along, enjoying a 42-27 lead with just over 15 minutes to go before Northwestern started to slice at the deficit.

A technical foul on Samantha Logic helped. So did Morgan Johnson’s disqualification due to fouls with 8:47 to go.

The Wildcats took their first lead of the second half, 63-62, on Dannielle Diamant’s basket with 1:44 to go. Rosen’s drive made it 65-62 with 55 seconds left.

Dixon made one of two free throws at the 0:42 mark, then after an alternate-possession gave the ball back to Iowa, Dixon swished a 17-footer on the baseline to tie it.

But the relief was short-lived; Rosen took a pass at the wing and slashed through a shockingly large gap in the Iowa defense.

“It was a great college basketball game. We we fortunate to make one more play at the end,” NU Coach Joe McKeown said. “It’s been a while since we’ve won over here.”

A long while. But not any more.

Kendall Hackney led the Wildcats with 18 points. Diamant added 15, Maggie Lyon 12 and Roser 11.

Printy (12 points), Logic (11) and Johnson (11) joined Dixon in double figures for the Hawkeyes. Logic grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Hawkeyes are at Minnesota on Thursday.

NORTHWESTERN 67, IOWA 65

At Iowa City

NORTHWESTERN (67): Kendall Hackney 7-13 2-2 18, Lauren Douglas 3-7 3-3 9, Maggie Lyon 4-13 1-2 12, Dannielle Diamant 7-13 1-1 15, Karly Roser 5-9 1-3 11, Alex Cohen 1-2 0-1 2, Kate Popovec 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 8-12 67.

IOWA (65): Bethany Doolittle 2-12 0-0 4, Morgan Johnson 3-9 5-7 11, Samantha Logic 4-10 2-5 11, Theairra Taylor 1-8 0-0 2, Jaime Printy 2-6 8-8 12, Trisha Nesbitt 0-1 0-0 0, Kathy Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Melissa Dixon 7-10 1-2 21, Kali Peschel 1-1 0-0 2, Kayla Timmerman 0-4 2-2 2. Totals 20-61 18-24 65.

Halftime: Iowa 29, Northwestern 18. 3-point goals: Northwestern 5-15 (Hackney 2-3, Lyon 3-8, Diamant 0-3, Cohen 0-1), Iowa 7-14 (Logic 1-1, Taylor 0-2, Printy 0-2, Dixon 6-9). Team fouls: Northwestern 16, Iowa 14. Technical foul: Logic. Fouled out: Johnson. Rebounds: Northwestern 37 (Cohen 8), Iowa 40 (Logic 12). Assists: Northwestern 18 (Roser 8), Iowa 12 (Printy 3). Steals: Northwestern 5 (Lyon 2), Iowa 12 (Logic, Printy 3). Turnovers: Northwestern 16, Iowa 13.

Attendance: 4,697.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

Northwestern 67, Iowa 65

Nebraska 80, Minnesota 56

Ohio State 70, Indiana 56

Illinois 64, Wisconsin 56

MONDAY’S GAMES

Purdue at Penn State

Michigan at Michigan State

IOWA CITY — Samantha Logic is a year more experienced.

And a year more composed.

“I don’t let things get to me as much,” Logic said as 24th-ranked Iowa (16-6 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) prepared for Sunday’s Big Ten women’s basketball game against Northwestern (10-11, 2-6).

Tipoff is 1 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

A sophomore, Logic has grown into one of the Big Ten’s best point guards. She averages nine points, 6.5 rebounds and seven assists per game.

And she has grown up.

“I think that would be a main thing for me and something that Sam’s worked hard on,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “She did a good job of this in the Michigan game (last week) in just keeping her composure, not getting upset with the officials.

“I think she’s starting to understand that a little better.”

Logic came to Iowa as a McDonald’s all-American out of Racine, Wis. She has started all 53 games as a Hawkeye.

In Iowa’s loss at Illinois on Thursday, she collected the 10th double-double of her career — 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“My decision-making has gotten better, and I’m doing a better job staying composed,” Logic said.

With that improved, the next step toward a complete arsenal is a better outside shot.

“I think she is a fine 3-point shooter, but she’s not a great 3‑point shooter,” Bluder said. “And I love it when all of our guards can really hit 3s, and nobody can be sagged off of defensively or not play strongly on the perimeter.”

Logic is 9 of 29 from behind the arc this season.

History leans in the Hawkeyes’ favor Sunday. Strongly.

Iowa has won 20 of the last 21 games against Northwestern, and hasn’t lost to the Wildcats at home since 1995.

The Big Ten race has reached its midpoint, with the Hawkeyes stuffed in a five-way tie for third place, two games behind co-leaders Penn State and Purdue.

Northwestern started the season 6-0, but has dropped 11 of its last 15 games.

NORTHWESTERN (10-11, 2-6) at No. 24 IOWA (16-6, 5-3)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Tipoff: 1 p.m. Sunday

TV: Mediacom

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notable: The Hawkeyes have won 20 of the last 21 against Northwestern, and 12 straight at Carver.  With four rebounds against Illinois, senior Morgan Johnson moved into seventh all-time in career rebounding. Johnson leads Iowa at 15.2 points per game, and Jaime Printy adds 14.2. Kendall Hackney averages 14.8 points per game for the Wildcats.

IOWA CITY — The Iowa Hawkeyes have feasted on ranked competition this season, compiling a 6-0 record against teams residing in the Top 25.

Thursday, the tables turn.

Iowa (16-5 overall, 5-2 Big Ten) carries its first ranking of the season – No. 24 in the Associated Press poll – into its game at Illinois (11-8, 4-3). Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Assembly Hall in Champaign.

“You look at us being No. 24, and it’s something we’ve earned,” center Morgan Johnson said. “But we’re not OK with being No. 24. We want to keep getting better.”

The ranking is Iowa’s first since Feb. 28, 2011.

“I haven’t met with the team yet (since it came out),” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said at Tuesday’s press conference, “but I met with our three captains, and they were really excited about it.

“They’ve worked hard for this and they deserve it.  But we also know we’re only as good as that next game and winning that next game.”

That comes against a team that is hard to figure.

The Fighting Illini are 0-3 in Big Ten play at home, 4-0 on the road.

“You know, it’s strange,” Bluder said. “But sometimes you have to look at the opponents that they’re playing against.  They played Purdue at home, they played Michigan State at home, and Northwestern was kind of the weird one.  They split with them, winning at Northwestern and losing at home.”

Iowa has been traditionally successful at Illinois, winning the last seven times at Assembly Hall.

“We like playing there,” Iowa guard Jaime Printy said. “We feel confident and comfortable there. But (Thursday) is going to be tough. We’ve got to be ready.”

Illinois has a new coach in Matt Bollant, who took over after a stint at Wisconsin-Green Bay that included a 148-19 record and four trips to the NCAA tournament.

“They’re an aggressive team, and we’ll have to keep our compsure,” Bluder said. “(Point guard) Sam (Logic) is going to be key, because she can’t panic in the traps of their pressure defense.”

No. 24 IOWA (16-5, 5-2) at ILLINOIS (11-8, 4-3)

Where: Assembly Hall, Champaign, Ill.

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV: None.

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notes: Jaime Printy was the Big Ten player of the week. Iowa has beaten Illinois eight straight times, and seven straight times at Champaign. Printy ranks fifth in the nation in free throw shooting (.931) while Samantha Logic is sixth in assists (7.1 per game). Adrienne GodBold is averaging 18.9 points per game in her eight games; Karisma Penn adds 18.7 points per game. Mckenzie Piper, a freshman who was on Iowa City West’s state-championship team last year, has played in 14 games and averages 2.2 points.

IOWA CITY — The Iowa Hawkeyes are making their first appearance in the Associated Press women’s basketball rankings since Feb. 28, 2011.

Iowa (16-5) is ranked 24th after defeating Wisconsin and Michigan in the past week.

Iowa State (14-4) is No. 23.

Senior guard Jaime Printy has been named Big Ten Player of Week for her efforts. The announcement was made Tuesday by the conference office.

Printy averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, shot 54.5 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from 3-point range and was 14-of-15 from the free throw line in Iowa’s two wins.

This marks the second time in Printy’s career she has been named Big Ten Player of the Week and her sixth Big Ten honor (four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week in 2009-10).

Iowa returns to action on Thursday at Illinois.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Assembly Hall.

Jeff Linder is the Iowa women’s basketball beat reporter; follow him on Twitter here.

(Jim Slosiarek/Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY – The Michigan Wolverines have earned a number by their name.

Advantage, Iowa.

The Hawkeyes go after their sixth win against ranked competition on Sunday, when they face No. 23 Michigan.

Tipoff is 1 p.m. at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.

All season long, the Hawkeyes (15-5 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) have saved their best for ranked foes.

West Virginia. Texas. Iowa State. Ohio State. Purdue. All ranked when they played the Hawkeyes. All vanquished.

“No matter who we play, we have to play like it’s a top-25 team,” Jaime Printy said.

Michigan (16-3, 5-1) already has a win over the Hawkeyes – 68-64 in Iowa City on Jan. 6. The Hawkeyes fell too far behind and couldn’t make it all the way back.

“We didn’t play well at all,” Printy said. “Defensively, our communication wasn’t good. We gave up too many easy baskets.

“We learned so much from such a disappointment. Hopefully we’ll do a good job preparing and changing for the next time.”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder was asked earlier this week if it was difficult to put the loss out of her players’ minds.

“I don’t think if I want it out of their minds. I kind of like having it there,” she said. “I think it’s great motivation. I’m going to use it as much as I can.

“Michigan is the surprise team in this league right now, and they are very experienced.”

In the previous meeting, Printy was 2-for-14 and was held to six points.

Her linescore was much better on Thursday — 8 of 10 from the field, 10 of 11 from the line, 29 points — in the Hawkeyes’ 71-60 win over Wisconsin.

A win Sunday would put the Hawkeyes in no worse than a tie for third in the Big Ten heading into winnable games at Illinois, at home against Northwestern and at Minnesota.

IOWA (15-5, 4-2) at No. 23 MICHIGAN (16-3, 5-1)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. (Iowa time) Sunday

Where: Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Mich.

TV: None.

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360).

Notes: Michigan has been the surprise of the Big Ten as the league race approached the midpoint. The Wolverines defeated the Hawkeyes, 68-64, on Jan. 6. Jaime Printy scored 29 points in the Hawkeyes’ last game, a 71-60 win over Wisconsin on Thursday. Michigan’s Kate Thompson (15.3 ppg) ranks second in the nation in 3-pointers per game (3.79) and fifth in 3-point percentage (.456).

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — She hasn’t tweeted, and she follows precious few.

But Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder is now part of Twitter Nation.

“(Assistant) coach (Jan) Jensen has kind of made it a mission to get me to become better on Twitter,” Bluder said of the social-media forum. “I have my account set up, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

Bluder opened her account (@LisaBluder) in late October. Though 10 her players and two assistants are active on it, Bluder is dragging her feet somewhat.

“I haven’t sent one Tweet yet,” she said at Wednesday’s press conference. ”So I got the first steps and now I’ve got to get motivated on that. I’m better at Facebook; I’m much better at that because I’m more familiar with it now.

“I don’t even know the process on how to Tweet yet, but I’m going to learn, so keep the faith.”

Bluder said her staff uses Twitter to keep an eye on potential recruits, as a tool to learn about their character.

“I think employers are using it as a tool.  We certainly have to use it as a tool,” she said. “You’re looking at Facebook and seeing a kid posting things that are questionable in your mind, it raises a red flag that you need to explore.

“Even just if they are down all the time and not positive and excited, and then obviously the social part of their life, too.  So, yes, it’s something that we are evaluating.”

Bluder has no rules on Twitter for her players, other than common sense.

“Just make sure that any time you put something out there, you know Mom and Dad are looking, Coach Bluder’s looking, and any small child in this state could be watching, so make sure it’s appropriate,” she said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Bluder was following eight people on Twitter and was being followed by 48.

DIXON CONTENT COMING OFF BENCH

A starter in the first three games of the season, Melissa Dixon has treated her role as a reserve as anything but a demotion.

“My role is to bring a spark off the bench,” Dixon said. “I’m here to keep everybody’s energy up.”

Dixon was a starter early this season, before Jaime Printy reclaimed her spot. Printy tore an ACL last February and quickly worked her way back into the lineup.

A sophomore guard, Dixon is averaging 8.5 points per game. She scored 15 in a win over No. 12 Purdue on Sunday.

“Melissa embraces her role,” Bluder said. “To accept coming off the bench, we needed that. She handled it beautifully. She stayed positive and has a joy about her.”

SCHEDULING ‘QUIRK’

Not yet at the midpoint of the Big Ten season, and the Hawkeyes will have faced Wisconsin and Michigan twice by the end of the week.

“It’s a weird quirk,” Bluder said. “The one thing is it makes it easier on scouting; you don’t have as many games to watch.

But I think also for the players, it’s so close in their minds, they will remember the types of offenses and defenses they run a little bit easier.”

Iowa (14-5 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) hosts Wisconsin on Thursday, then travels to Michigan for a Sunday game.

WISCONSIN (9-10, 1-5) at IOWA (14-5, 3-2)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV: None

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800), WHO-AM (1040)

Notes: The Hawkeyes have won 11 straight games against Wisconsin, including a 65-56 win at Madison on Jan. 10. Iowa trailed by two points at halftime, then racked up 43 points in the second half to pull away. Wisconsin’s leading scorer is Morgan Paige, a Marion native. Five Hawkeyes are averaging in double figures in Big Ten play. Morgan Johnson is the season leader at 16.9 points per game. The first 750 fans in the arena will receive a Johnson bobblehead.

Former Marion standout and Wisconsin guard Morgan Paige. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)

IOWA CITY — As the Wisconsin Badgers’ roster has shrunk, Morgan Paige’s role has grown.

And so has her game.

A former all-stater at Marion High School, Paige makes another return to Eastern Iowa on Thursday, when the Badgers face Iowa in a Big Ten women’s basketball contest.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Now a junior, Paige has become the face of the program. She leads the Badgers (9-10 overall, 1-5 Big Ten) in minutes (35.5 per game) and scoring (16.5 points per contest).

“There’s been a lot of expectation for me to step up,” said the 5-foot-9 guard. “We’ve gone through a lot of adversity. Because of injuries, we’re down to nine girls.”

Primary on the Badgers’ disabled list is Taylor Wurtz, likely out for the season with a back injury.

“We’ve been through a lot of …we’ve been through a lot,” Paige said.

Paige scored 28 points — one short of a career-high — as the Badgers broke their Big-Ten oh-fer with a 68-49 rout of Ohio State on Sunday at Madison.

Wisconsin's Morgan Paige (5). (AP photo)

That win snapped a 20-game losing streak against the Buckeyes.

“We had been struggling to put two halves together, but we did it Sunday,” said Paige, who made all 11 of her free throws Sunday.

“We knew we were undersized and outnumbered, but we got the job done.”

At Marion, Paige was a first-team Class 3A all-state selection in 2009 and 2010, averaging 25 points per game as a senior, and she led the Indians to two state tournaments. She also was the setter on the volleyball team that won a state championship in the fall of 2008.

Earlier this season, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder called Paige “a good shooter, a productive shooter. She is excellent in transition, and she has taken on the burden of that team.”

Paige is 0-4 against Iowa, including 0-2 at Carver. The Hawkeyes pulled away late to beat the Badgers at Madison on Jan. 10, their 11th straight win over UW.

“It’s always fun to go back,” Paige said. “It’s a great atmosphere. The last couple times we’ve played them, we were in the game.

We know it’s going to be a battle, a grind.”

The older sister of North Carolina freshman Marcus Paige, Morgan said she sees almost all of his games on TV.

“A lot of people up here don’t make the connection between Marcus and me,” she said. “Then they see him on TV and say, ‘Oh my goodness, you look so much alike.’”

IOWA CITY — Lisa Bluder’s 600th career coaching victory was met with a bit of reflection.

But mostly, a shrug.

“It’s just one more than 599,” Bluder said after her milestone win — a 62-46 conquest of 12th-ranked Purdue in a Big Ten women’s basketball game before a crowd of 8,576 Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“When you reach a milestone, it gives you an opportunity to reflect on the women you’ve been able to coach, the women who have been a part of your life.”

The Hawkeyes (14-5 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) improved to 5-0 against ranked teams, playing a lights-out first half that ended with a 23-point advantage.

That margin shrunk to 49-39, then 52-43. Each time, Melissa Dixon had an answer. First, with a 3-pointer; next, with a spin move that triggered an 8-0 run that kept it from getting any hairier or scarier.

“Sam (Logic) was hitting me when I was open,” said Dixon, who matched Jaime Printy for game-high honors with 15 points.

Purdue (15-3, 4-1) was playing its third game in seven days, and was battling a minor flu epidemic.

“We had no legs,” said Boilermakers Coach Sharon Versyp. “We didn’t have our best today, but maybe it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”

Purdue missed 15 of its first 16 shots.

The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, were 6 of 10 from 3-point range on their way to a 41-18 advantage at halftime. Several of the long-distance shots came directly from out-of-bounds plays.

“We were working on that a lot in our shooting drills this week,” Dixon said. “I think that helped today.”

Dixon, Printy and Theairra Taylor hit three long balls apiece as Iowa finished 9-of-15 from distance.

Taylor finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. Logic contributed 10 assists, against seven turnovers.

The Hawkeyes got a boost in the post off the bench from freshman Kayla Timmerman, who scored a couple of baskets and grabbed a couple of rebounds in 16 minutes. Timmerman was active defensively and showed strength in securing the two rebounds in heavy traffic.

“I just want to help any way I can,” Timmerman said. “Morgan (Johnson), I’m so lucky to be learning from her.”

Bluder was 169-36 in six years at St. Ambrose, then 187-106 in 10 seasons at Drake. In 13 years at Iowa, she has posted a 244-149 mark.

That adds up to 600-291.

“It’s truly a blessing to have her as my coach,” Printy said. “She’s one of the best around. I’m so proud of her.”

The Hawkeyes host Wisconsin on Thursday.

IOWA 62, PURDUE 46

At Iowa City

PURDUE (46): Drey Mingo 4-10 0-1 9, Sam Ostarello 1-7 0-0 2, Courtney Moses 5-11 0-0 11, Dee Dee Williams 2-8 0-0 4, K.K. Houser 1-5 0-0 2, Hayden Hamby 0-2 1-2 1, Joslyn Massey 0-0 0-0 0, Liza Clemons 0-1 0-0 0, April Wilson 2-5 0-0 5, Camille Redmon 1-3 0-0 2, Chantel Poston 2-5 0-1 4, Taylor Manuel 3-9 0-2 6. Totals 21-66 1-6 46.

IOWA (62): Bethany Doolittle 3-12 2-4 8, Morgan Johnson 3-14 1-1 7, Samantha Logic 2-4 0-0 4, Theairra Taylor 3-8 0-0 9, Jaime Printy 4-11 4-4 15, Claire Till 0-0 0-0 0, Trisha Nesbitt 0-0 0-0 0, Kathy Thomas 0-1 0-0 0, Melissa Dixon 6-10 0-0 15, Kali Peschel 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Timmerman 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 23-63 7-9 62.

Halftime: Iowa 41, Purdue 18. 3-point goals: Purdue 3-18 (Mingo 1-3, Moses 1-5, Williams 0-2, Houser 0-3, Hamby 0-2, Wilson 1-3), Iowa 9-15 (Logic 0-1, Taylor 3-3, Printy 3-5, Dixon 3-6). Team fouls: Purdue 13, Iowa 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Purdue 44 (Manuel 12), Iowa 45 (Taylor 10). Assists: Purdue 10 (Moses 3), Iowa 16 (Logic 10). Steals: Purdue 10 (Wilson 4), Iowa 9 (Doolittle 3). Turnovers: Purdue 18, Iowa 14. 

Attendance: 8,576.

Lisa Bluder swears so.

It was during the recruiting process, when Morgan Johnson was a skinny, awkward post from the Kansas City suburb of Platte City, Mo.

Even though Johnson was 6-foot-5 and mobile, women’s basketball coaches from nearby Missouri and Kansas told her they weren’t interested.

Iowa State said no thanks.

“I really wanted to go to Iowa State,” Johnson said Friday during an interview at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “They came down to watch me play, and I thought I played really well — something like 25 points and 15 rebounds.

“My coach came up to me and said they had decided to go a different direction. I was a tall, skinny girl, I got pushed around a lot, and people said I wouldn’t overcome that.”

Mid-major schools showed the most interest. Johnson visited Creighton and Drake. The University of San Diego was an option.

Bluder, the coach at Iowa, saw Johnson at an AAU event in April of Johnson’s junior season.

“I was watching a game on one court, and she was practicing on another,” Bluder recalled.

“She wasn’t the most fluid, but I loved how hard she worked. I stopped watching the game on the court I was watching, and just watched her practice, because she was practicing harder than anyone was playing.”

Not long after that, Bluder and Johnson had a phone conversation.

“I was in the basement talking to her on the phone, and I told her she was good enough to be a BCS-league player,” Bluder said. “I swear I could hear her smile on the other end of the phone.”

Iowa wanted Johnson, and Johnson wanted to be wanted. She committed, then signed.

Morgan Johnson (12) celebrates a basket in overtime of Iowa's win over Ohio State. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

Once a skinny “project” — she weighed 155 pounds when she stepped on Iowa’s campus as a freshman — Johnson has blossomed to the point in which she is in the conversation as “best center in school history.”

Every year, her scoring average has increased — from 8.7 points per game, to 10.8, to 14.9, to 17.7. Every year, her shooting percentage has risen, both from the field (she’s at 57 percent this year) and from the free throw line (76 percent).

She is the school’s all-time career leader in blocked shots, with 262.

Mid-major? How about all-Big Ten?

“Morgan has developed into a heck of a player,” Ohio State Coach Jim Foster said. “She’s got great hands, and she has really adapted to the pace of the game.”

When Johnson was a freshman, the plan was to serve as an apprentice and a backup to Jo Hamlin.

But Hamlin suffered a blood clot in her leg, ending her season. Welcome to the big time, Rookie.

“It was a bad situation that turned out to be a good situation,” Bluder said. “It was a bad deal then, but we’re reaping the benefits now.”

Due to a steady diet of milk shakes and protein shakes, along with Iowa’s strength and conditioning program, Johnson steadily put on weight. Now at 190 pounds, she’s not so easy to push off the block.

And she still plays with the memory of her recruiting rejections.

“That’s definitely been a chip on my shoulder,” she said. “When we played Iowa State this season, their recruiting coordinator told me they made a mistake with me, and that’s what you want to hear.”

Basketball has brought Johnson visibility, even celebrity. But she’s so much more than a basketball player.

Milkshakes and weightlifting have helped Johnson gain 35 pounds at Iowa, making her more formidable in the paint. (Kyle Grillot/The Gazette-KCRG)

She’s an accomplished pianist. She’s an excellent student, compiling a 3.7 grade point average in the school’s pre-med curriculum. And she is a devout Christian.

“Morgan has such a strong faith, and she bases her judgments and decisions on that. She has a genuine, servant-like attitude,” Bluder said.

“She’s hard-working. She’s fun. If I could clone her, and show what all Iowa Hawkeyes should be like, there’s your model.”

Off the court, Johnson is approachable. Children gravitate toward the big girl with the big smile.

“It’s funny, when we were freshmen, I thought Morgan was going to be really weird,” said fellow senior Jamie Printy, who came to campus as a close friend with Trisha Nesbitt. That pair allowed Johnson into their fold, and the three have been roommates since.

“Morgan is goofy and kooky, but that’s what makes her Morgan. Trisha and I say we’re the ones that made her cool.”

Johnson said, “What can I say? Normal is overrated.”

At media day in October, Johnson said basketball would end for her after this season. She has chronic pain in her knees (both were in ice packs during Friday’s post-practice discussion), and she was ready to get on with life.

Now, she’s not so sure.

“I’m not ruling it out,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to have another chance.”

Whether she plays or not, Johnson has her post-basketball life planned out.

She was turned down to Iowa’s med school the first time, but will reapply there, and possible elsewhere if necessary.

Morgan Johnson has a life to fulfill. An extraordinary life.

“I want to go to a third-world country and spread The Gospel and medicine,” she said. “There’s is somewhere that I am needed.”

No. 12 PURDUE (15-2, 4-0) at IOWA (13-5, 2-2)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

Tipoff: 3 p.m. Sunday

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800)

Notes: Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder takes her second shot at career win No. 600 (the Hawkeyes lost Thursday at Michigan State). Iowa Hawkeyes are 4-0 against ranked teams this season. The home team has won the last six games in this series. Purdue’s two losses have come against top-five teams Connecticut and Notre Dame.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — Lisa Bluder didn’t want to bite the hand that first fed her.

When asked to disclose her salary of her first season as a women’s basketball coach, she did so with hesitancy.

“I kind of hate to say it because of St. Ambrose being such a good friend,” Bluder said Tuesday. “But I was offered the job for $2,400 for the year, and I used my unbelievable negotiation skills to get it up to $2,500 for the year.”

That was in 1984.

Times have changed, and so have the numbers in Bluder’s life. Now she’s making nearly a half-million dollars a year at the University of Iowa. And she’s on the cusp of another milestone.

Bluder pursues career win No. 600 on Thursday, when the Hawkeyes (13-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) faces Michigan State (14-2, 2-1). Tipoff is 5 p.m. (Iowa time) at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.

“Six hundred, that’s a crazy number,” point guard Samantha Logic said. “Not many active coaches have done that, so she’s in elite company.”

Once Bluder, 52, gets there, she’ll become the 25th coach with at least 10 years at the Division-I level to do so.

“You know, it really is longevity,” said Bluder, who has a 599-290 mark in 29 seasons (including 243-148 in 13 years at Iowa).

“There are a lot of coaches that have reached 600 wins a lot quicker than I have. If you’re in it long enough, you’re going to get milestones. I started coaching when I was 24.  It has taken me a long time to get there.”

Bluder majored in business while playing basketball at UNI, from where she graduated in 1983. Her first year out of college, she did anything and nearly everything to stay close to the game.

She was an evaluator of officials at UNI, and also did some public-address announcing there. She worked camps and officiated games at Hawkeye Tech.

Former St. Ambrose athletics director Jim Fox was the one that gave Bluder her first coaching break, before the 1984-85 season.

“I met (my husband) Dave after the interview, and I told him the good news was they offered me the job and the bad news was what the salary was,” Bluder said. “We both kind of just laughed and said, well, let’s just try it one year.”

One year led to six at St. Ambrose. Then 10 at Drake. Now, 13 at Iowa.

“I’ve been really fortunate to be at three great places,” Bluder said. ”I’ve been here for 13 years now, and I am still just as excited as I was that first year when I got here. It really is a dream.”

Nine of her first 12 teams at Iowa have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. None have reached the Sweet 16, but with an injury-free team and home court the first two rounds, this season has breakthrough potential.

Bluder was in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena tunnel in November, visiting with coaches from Robert Morris before their game. One of the assistants asked her a pointed question:

“He was kind of a young guy and he said, ‘Wow, you almost have 600 wins … How many more years you got in ya?’ ” Bluder recalled.

“I’ve never been asked that before by another coach. I hope I have a lot left in me.”

IOWA (13-4, 2-1) at MICHIGAN STATE (14-2, 2-1)

Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Mich.

Tipoff: 5 p.m. (Iowa time)

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800)

Notes: Iowa’s Samantha Logic leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally with 7.2 assists per game. The Hawkeyes have won eight of their last nine games, but have dropped six straight at East Lansing. Sophomore Kathy Thomas is a Michigan native (Flint). Jaime Printy is clutch at the free throw line, making 21 of 21 this season there in the final two minutes of games.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Jaime Printy (24). (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — Jaime Printy harbors no ill will.

Not to the Wisconsin Badgers. Not to the Kohl Center. Not to fate.

The Iowa Hawkeyes head to the Kohl Center on Thursday for a Big Ten women’s basketball game against the Badgers. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.

It’s Printy’s first game back to Madison since tearing an ACL there last season.

“It’s not the place. It’s not the team,” Printy said. “It just happened. I’m fine with going back there.”

The injury happened late in an overtime win last February. Printy rehabilitated quickly and was back in uniform when the Hawkeyes opened this season — her senior season.

She has moved to No. 6 on the school’s all-time scoring chart with 1,629 points and is averaging 13.8 points per game — including a career-high 33 against San Diego on Dec. 30.

“It’s remarkable where she is now, just 11 months later,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I’ve seen very little hesitation out of her. She completely trusts her knee, and mentally, she is very strong.”

Iowa (12-4 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) seeks to extend a 10-game winning streak against the Badgers (8-7, 0-2), including four straight wins at Madison.

“For whatever reason, our team feels good playing there,” Bluder said. It’s a nice arena, we’ve had success and it kind of snowballs.”

Printy said, “It’s not easy to play well on the road, but we always seem to play well there. It’s in our heads that we’re a good team there.”

Iowa sophomore Samantha Logic will have a lot of home-state support in her corner. A busload of more than 75 fans will make the 90-minute trek from Racine to Madison.

She doesn’t figure it will be a distraction.

“I don’t think I’ll try to do too much,” Logic said. “I just want to play to win. That’s the mentality you have to take.”

Marion native Morgan Paige is a junior at Wisconsin and leads the Badgers in minutes (35.1 per game) and scoring (16.5 points per game).

“She’s a good shooter, a productive shooter,” Bluder said. “She is excellent in transition, and she has taken on the burden of that team.”

Wisconsin’s Taylor Wurtz is out indefinitely with a back injury.

IOWA (12-4, 1-1) at WISCONSIN (8-7, 0-2)

Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m.

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notes: The Hawkeyes have beaten Wisconsin 10 straight times, including four straight at Madison. The last two wins at the Kohl Center have come in overtime. Iowa had a seven-game win streak broken Sunday against Michigan. Morgan Johnson leads the Hawkeyes at 17.4 points per game. UW junior Morgan Paige, a Marion native, leads the Badgers at 16.5 ppg. Veteran Taylor Wurtz is out with a back injury.

Iowa's Samantha Logic, (left), and Michigan's Kate Thompson. (Nikole Hanna/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — You see 6-foot-4, you think “inside presence.”

You don’t think “America’s most prolific outside shooter.”

But that’s what Michigan’s Kate Thompson is. The senior leads the nation in 3-point goals per game (3.86) and ranks ninth in 3-point percentage (.482).

Thompson brings her long-range act to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday when the Wolverines (12-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) visit the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-3, 1-0). Tipoff is noon.

Both teams are on seven-game win streaks.

“Well, we won eight in a row last year (at the end of the Big Ten season),” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes outlasted Ohio State 77-71 in overtime on Thursday.

“Seven in a row is nice. Eight in a row sounds better.”

Iowa prevailed Thursday because it had four players in double-figures, led by a career-high 19 points by Theairra Taylor.

“Our team, there’s great chemistry.  They enjoy playing with each other. They enjoy working with each other,” Bluder said. ”They come to practice, honestly we haven’t had many bad practices. They’re focused. They work hard. You don’t have to work to get them up for practice.  They’re excited to be there.

“All those things sound like, Oh, yeah, that should be commonplace, but it’s not always that way.  So this team has been really fun to coach.”

Now, the Hawkeyes try to protect their home court again.

“Every game is going to be so important because it’s a battle.  That’s why the home court is very important.  Going on the road is tough in the Big Ten,” Bluder said.

Kim Barnes Arico is in her first year at Michigan and has the Wolverines on their own seven-game run. They defeated Indiana, 62-45,  in their Big Ten opener Thursday.

Thompson leads UM at 15.8 points per game.

Seniors Morgan Johnson (17.9 points per game) and Jaime Printy (14.3 ppg) are Iowa’s lone double-digit scorers, but four others are averaging at least 7 points per game. The Hawkeyes have averaged 85 points in their last five games.

MICHIGAN (12-2, 1-0) at IOWA (12-3, 1-0)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

Tipoff: Noon Sunday

TV: BTN.com

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360).

Notes: Iowa takes a seven-game winning streak into the game, including Thursday’s 77-71 overtime win over Ohio State. Michigan also has won seven straight and captured a 62-45 win over Indiana in its Big Ten opener. Kate Thompson leads the Wolverines at 15.8 points per game. Iowa’s Theairra Taylor scored a career-high 19 points in the win over Ohio State.

And just their second from outside the United States.

Christina Buttenham, a junior from Hamilton, Ontario, confirmed Friday that she has orally committed to play for the Hawkeyes, starting in the 2014-15 season.

“I had such a good feeling with the coaching staff,” Buttenham said. “Coach (Lisa) Bluder didn’t just email me like most coaches do. She contacted my mom and dad. That meant a lot to me.”

Buttenham is a 5-foot-11 wing that plays for Hamilton St. Mary’s High School, where she averages about 20 points per game. Last summer, she represented Canada on the 17-and-under team at the national world championships, which won a bronze medal in Amsterdam.

She joins Whitney Jennings, a point guard from Logansport, Ind., in Iowa’s recruiting class of 2014.

“The school is very nice. I’m into science, so that will be a great place for me,” Buttenham said. “Everything is perfect there.”

Buttenham is Iowa’s first international player since Jamaican Simone Edwards played there from 1993 through 1997.

IOWA CITY — Theairra Taylor provided a glimpse into the past, those carefree days before the torn ACLs and all that rehabilitation.

Taylor scored a career-high 19 points and sparked an Iowa run at the start of overtime as the Hawkeyes outlasted Ohio State, 77-71, in the Big Ten women’s basketball opener for both teams in front of a crowd of 3,850 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa Hawkeyes center Morgan Johnson (12) puts up a shot over Ohio State Buckeyes guard Ameryst Alston (14). (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

“I just didn’t want to lose,” said Taylor, who scored the Hawkeyes’ first six points of the 5-minute extra session. “Coach was calling the right plays, and it worked out.”

Taylor and Tayler (Hill, of Ohio State) had matching career nights. Hill tallied a career-best 34 points, but it was Taylor that had more help.

Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures as Iowa (12-3 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) won its seventh straight game.

“In overtime, I just think we weren’t going to be denied,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “And I’m so glad everyone was able to see what we’ve been excited about in Theairra for all this time.”

Taylor tore her left ACL as a senior in high school, her right one as a freshman at Iowa, then her left again as a sophomore. She still exudes athleticism.

“She can still drive by anybody,” Bluder said. “And she can still elevate.”

Ohio State (10-4, 0-1) had the final chance to break a 63-all tie at the end of regulation. But Hill missed a 10-foot baseline jumper, then — after the ball went out of bounds in a frantic scrum under the basket in OSU’s favor — the Hawkeyes blocked Ashley Adams’ short jumper as the horn sounded.

Taylor broke the ice in overtime with two free throws. Then, after Adams tied it with a layup, Taylor scored on two straight drives to put Iowa in front for good.

Samantha Logic added 17 points for the Hawkeyes. Morgan Johnson posted her 16th career double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Jaime Printy tallied 14 points.

“Ohio State has a great player in Tayler Hill, but we’re all about teamwork, sharing the ball and working for good shots,” Bluder said.

Johnson and Bethany Doolittle combined for 24 points while their counterparts from Ohio State (Adams and Aleksandra Dobranic) scored four.

“Clearly, the difference was their post players against our post players,” Buckeyes Coach Jim Foster said. “And we got beat on some cuts inside, which is inexcusable.”

Johnson said, “I felt like I could get up and down the floor and use my ability to move against them.”

Hill scored the final 11 points of the first half for Ohio State — including a 35-footer that beat the shot clock — and had 19 points at intermission.

Her 34 points topped her previous high of 31, set in November 2011.

“We didn’t make the necessary plays that needed to be made,” she said. “We had some good stretches, but that’s how we should have played the whole game.”

The Buckeyes led 31-30 at the half, but Iowa owned the first 10 minutes of the second half and led 55-42 on Taylor’s backdoor feed from Kathy Thomas with 9:53 left.

Ohio State scrapped back, and took a 61-60 lead on Darryce Moore’s putback with 1:30 left. Hill’s 18-footer gave the Buckeyes a 63-61 advantage with 25 seconds left, but Johnson answered with two free throws on Iowa’s next possession to force overtime.

The Hawkeyes host Michigan at noon Sunday.

IOWA 77, OHIO STATE 71 (OT)

At Iowa City

OHIO STATE (71): Ameryst Alston 4-8 0-0 9, Ashley Adams 2-8 0-0 4, Aleksandra Dobranic 0-1 0-0 0, Amber Stokes 1-7 2-4 4, Tayler Hill 11-25 8-8 34, Maleeka Kynard 0-1 0-0 0, Darryce Moore 4-6 1-2 9, Martina Ellerbe 1-4 0-0 2, Raven Ferguson 4-8 0-0 9. Totals 27-68 11-14 71.

IOWA (77): Jaime Printy 5-8 4-4 14, Bethany Doolittle 4-6 0-0 8, Morgan Johnson 7-17 2-3 16, Samantha Logic 5-7 7-10 17, Theairra Taylor 8-12 2-2 19, Claire Till 0-1 0-0 0, Kathy Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Melissa Dixon 1-6 0-0 3, Kali Peschel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-58 15-19 77.

Halftime: Ohio State 31, Iowa 30. Regulation: 63-63. 3-point goals: Ohio State 6-21 (Alston 1-3, Hill 4-11, Ellerbe 0-2, Ferguson 1-5), Iowa 2-4 (Printy 0-1, Taylor 1-1, Dixon 1-2). Total fouls: Ohio State 19, Iowa 14. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Ohio State 33 (Adams, Moore 6), Iowa 39 (Johnson 12). Assists: Ohio State 14 (three with 3), Iowa 17 (Logic 8). Steals: Ohio State 8 (Hill 5), Iowa 12 (three with 3). Turnovers: Ohio State 17, Iowa 19.

Attendance: 3,850.

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES

Nebraska 70, Wisconsin 52

Purdue 67, Illinois 66 (OT)

THURSDAY’S SCORES

Iowa 77, Ohio State 71 (OT)

Michigan 62, Indiana 45

Michigan State 66, Minnesota 51

Penn State 73, Northwestern 69

1. PENN STATE

Big Ten: 13-3. Overall: 26-5. Big Ten Tournament: Champion. Postseason: NCAA (No. 2 seed).

2. NEBRASKA

Big Ten: 12-4. Overall: 24-8. Big Ten Tournament: Runner-up. Postseason: NCAA (No. 4 seed).

3. OHIO STATE

Big Ten: 12-4. Overall: 23-8. Big Ten Tournament: Semifinalist. Postseason: NCAA (No. 5 seed).

4. IOWA

Big Ten: 11-5. Overall: 23-9. Big Ten Tournament: Semifinalist. Postseason: NCAA (No. 6 seed).

5. PURDUE

Big Ten: 11-5. Overall: 23-8. Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinalist. Postseason: NCAA (No. 6 seed).

6. MICHIGAN STATE

Big Ten: 9-7. Overall: 22-9. Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinalist. Postseason: NCAA (No. 9 seed).

7. MICHIGAN

Big Ten: 8-8. Overall: 20-11. Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinalist. Postseason: NCAA (No. 10 seed).

8. ILLINOIS

Big Ten: 6-10. Overall: 14-16. Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinalist. Postseason: None.

9. MINNESOTA

Big Ten: 5-11. Overall: 16-15. Big Ten Tournament: First round. Postseason: WNIT.

10. NORTHWESTERN

Big Ten: 4-12. Overall: 12-18. Big Ten Tournament: First round. Postseason: None.

11. WISCONSIN

Big Ten: 3-13. Overall: 11-19. Big Ten Tournament: First round. Postseason: None.

12. INDIANA

Big Ten: 2-14. Overall: 11-19. Big Ten Tournament: First round. Postseason: None.

The Hawkeyes open league play Thursday night against Ohio State (5:30 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Big Ten Network) on a six-game winning streak, scoring 80-plus points in their last four outings.

“Things have really clicked for us lately,” said senior post Morgan Johnson. “We’re moving the ball and making the easy pass. We’re letting the game come to us.”

Jaime Printy scored career-high 33 vs. San Diego

The last few years have been a women’s basketball rendition of Groundhog Day.

The familiar script: Iowa enters the Big Ten season with an injury-riddled roster, staggers through January, the flips on the switch. The Hawkeyes have started 2-3, 1-3, 1-6, 3-4 and 3-5 in league play through the last five years, then recovered each time to make the NCAA Tournament.

Last year, they won their last eight Big Ten games to earn a second-place tie.

“I do feel (like we’re equipped for a better start this season),” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. We haven’t had any major injuries this year — knock on wood that continues.

“We can all see how impressive Jaime Printy has played for us lately.  I think we just have an unbelievable trio with Jaime, Morgan Johnson and Sam Logic. I do think the schedule kind of allows us to start the Big Ten season on a positive note, just having the home games, our first road game at Wisconsin, a place we’ve been fairly successful.”

Iowa (11-3) hosts Michigan on Sunday.

As always, Ohio State (10-3) will be a major pain, even with nemesis Samantha Prahalis graduated. The Buckeyes have beaten Iowa 16 of the last 18 meetings.

Tayler Hill leads the Buckeyes at 19.4 points per game.

“She’s a great player,” said Printy, who posted a career-high 33 points in the Hawkeyes’ 83-73 win over San Diego in the Surf-N-Slam Classic final on Sunday. “We’ve got to keep her under control and know where she is at all times.”

The Hawkeyes have started receiving a few votes in the Associated Press poll. They were hoping for more.

“You look at the rankings, and it’s a little disappointing not to see yourselves in there,” Johnson said. “It makes you look inside yourselves, and we know we’re more capable than what we’re getting credit.”

OHIO STATE (10-3, 0-0) at IOWA (11-3, 0-0)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. Thursday

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800)

Notes: Seniors Morgan Johnson and Jaime Printy continue to lead the Hawkeyes at 18.0 and 14.3 points per game. The first 750 fans will receive a Jaime Printy bobblehead. The Buckeyes have won 16 of the last 18 meetings in this series.