If the Fairfield Stags can get here, there will be women’s basketball Sunday at Carver

IOWA CITY — It’s a virtually unbeatable (and in this case, unbeaten) combination.

Shoot the ball at a high rate. Defend the shot effectively.

No wonder the 11th-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team is 7-0. The Hawkeyes rate 11th nationally in field-goal percentage (.506) and are 14th in field-goal defense (.317).

You shoot, you defend, you win.

Assuming a safe arrival from Connecticut to Eastern Iowa, the Fairfield Stags will sojourn to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a non-conference encounter Sunday with the Hawkeyes.

Tip is scheduled for noon in a game televised by BTN.

According to Fairfield sports information, the Stags (4-1) were scheduled to fly out at noon (CT) Saturday.

If the game is played as scheduled, Fairfield most likely will represent the Hawkeyes’ most challenging non-conference home game.

The past two seasons, Fairfield won a combined 59 games in the past two seasons, ruling the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and advancing to the NCAA tournament both times.

Iowa was without three of its top 11 players — Chit-Chat Wright, Emely Rodriguez and Teagan Mallegni — in Wednesday’s 86-69 win over Western Illinois.

On the other hand, the Hawkeyes got a 17-point breakthrough performance from freshman Addie Deal.

“I think in the last week, Addie was able to step back, and let herself develop and improve,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said afterward.

The Hawkeyes would be well-advised to not allowing this to go down to the wire. The Stags lead the nation in free throw shooting (81 of 94, .862), and two Fairfield players — Jillian Huerter and Janelle Brown — have not missed a foul shot.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com