Tuesday’s matchup against Minnesota didn’t exactly go as planned for the Iowa women’s basketball team.

Senior Sam Logic’s incredible 26-point, 13-assist performance against the Gophers was overshadowed by an even more astounding display from Gopher sophomore Amanda Zhaui B., whose 39 points and record-breaking 29 rebounds derailed the Hawks four-game road winning streak and handed the Black and Gold their third conference loss of the season.

Needless to say, Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder will look for more out of the Hawkeyes when they travel to Columbus, Ohio, and try to rebound against the talented but inconsistent Buckeyes Saturday.

Bluder is hoping that a few days off and more normal travel schedule will help to stabilize the Black and Gold this weekend. 

“We got a day off [Wednesday], and it was very much needed, given the stretch we’ve been through,” Bluder said. “We’ll have had two days to prepare for Ohio State. 

“We had them at our place last time, but obviously, going to their building is going to be a whole different challenge for us.”

The Hawks topped the Buckeyes in their last meeting, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 5, 73-65. Despite the team’s previous success, Bluder knows just how deadly Ohio State can be.

Led by freshman phenom Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State is very similar to Bluder’s Hawks, a fast-paced squad with dynamic scorers who like to use the fast break to push the tempo on offense.

“Mitchell’s leading the nation in scoring this year, so we obviously need to watch out for her,” Bluder said. “We did a good job of defending her the first time around, and we’re going to have to repeat that if we want to beat them again this time.”

Sophomore Ally Disterhoft and senior Beth Doolittle were dominant for Iowa the last time these two teams met, Doolittle in particular.

The 6-4 senior was aggressive in the post all game, going off for 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. By using her frame, Doolittle helped create a disparity in both size and physicality that the Buckeyes had no answer for. 

The Hawkeyes will look for another big performance from their center this time around as they look to topple Ohio State for the second time this year.

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