An opportunity, and a ‘mission’ for Iowa women

IOWA CITY — Now or never? That might be a bit of a stretch.

But the Iowa Hawkeyes understand the magnitude of the opportunity that awaits.

'You know, I think it is (my best opportunity in 15 years at Iowa),' Hawkeyes Coach Lisa Bluder said Saturday afternoon. 'I think we're on a mission.'

A berth in the Sweet 16 is at stake when 15th-rated Iowa (25-7) faces Miami, Fla. (20-12) in an NCAA women's basketball tournament second-round game Sunday.

Tipoff is 11 a.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. About 5,300 advance tickets had been sold as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

It has been 19 years since Iowa reached the second weekend of the tournament. The third-seeded Hawkeyes are 17-0 at Carver this season.

'On paper, it is (our best opportunity),' said point guard Samantha Logic. 'But as you've seen in the men's tournament — and now in the women's tournament a little more — numbers really don't matter. It's just how you go out and play.

'So we are not looking at numbers and how good of a chance we have. We know we are going to have to execute and play a really good game (Sunday).'

The winner plays No. 6 Baylor (31-3) or Arkansas (18-13) in a regional semifinal Friday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

The Hawkeyes are in the second round for the third year in a row and the 17th time overall (5-12). They have not advanced from this round since 1996. They've been stranded here seven straight times, including decisive losses to Notre Dame in 2013 and Louisville last season.

'To get over than hump and to get to the Sweet 16, that would be amazing,' Iowa's Melissa Dixon said. 'It's something we've been working for, for a long time.'

It's a rematch of a 2013 first-round game, won by the Hawkeyes, 69-53.

'I think there are only two seniors (for Miami) that are the same from that squad,' Bluder said. 'They had a big center last time, and she was a presence. She was really one of those immovable girls.

'They have more balance now than they did, and I think they are better shooters than they used to be.'

Miami, the No. 11 seed, knocked off Washington, 86-80, in the first round Friday behind 30 points from Adrienne Motley. The Hawkeyes followed by emerging from a halftime deadlock to defeat American, 75-67.

'We celebrated for a half-hour,' said Miami Coach Katie Meier. 'Then you start watching Iowa and you're like, 'My God, all right, that's another team that knows where the ball should go, plays at a serious pace.''

The Hawkeyes rank eighth in the nation in scoring at 79.7 points per game and seventh in assists at 18.2. Dixon is the national leader in 3-pointers per game (3.75) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.458).

'They can shoot the ball ridiculously well, point-blank, period,' Motley said of the Hawkeyes.

Added Miami's Jessica Thomas: '(Iowa) can score from anywhere on the floor. They have threats in the post, they have threats in the perimeter. So we've got to lock down our defense and make sure we take every stop seriously.'

The Hurricanes were asked if they would try to score with Iowa or turn it into more of a defensive game. That question went unanswered, but Meier later said, 'They're great. They're going to score. We've got to answer with some points of our own.'

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