By Jake Mosbach
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In the midst of its longest losing streak of the season, the Iowa women’s basketball team could find numerous aspects of its current play that is responsible for the three-game slide.

But one of them is perhaps the most glaring: turnovers.

Over the course of the skid, head coach Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes have turned the ball over to opponents a whopping 49 times, an average of 16.3 turnovers per game.

Bluder said that the reasons behind the turnovers aren’t quite clear, but she has some theories.

“Right now, I feel like we’re almost scared of turning the ball over and scared of making the pass,” she said.  “If you’re scared of passing the ball, you’re probably thinking you’re going to turn the ball over, and that’s what’s going to happen.”

As one might guess, the Hawks currently possess the worst turnover margin in the Big Ten, sitting at minus-2.3.  That number, while not monumental, has created fast-break opportunities for Big Ten opponents.

After the team’s most recent loss in West Lafayette against Purdue, a game in which they turned the ball over to the Boilermakers 19 times, Bluder suggested that her players’ heads were perhaps not where they need to be.

Now sitting at 13-7 overall, 3-5 in Big Ten play, the focus will need to return if a tournament run is going to happen.

“A lot of our problems are between our ears right now,” Bluder said after the Purdue loss.  “We have to get that figured out before any magical play is going to work.”

Freshman forward Megan Gustafson, who contributed only 1 turnover in the Purdue defeat, noted that Hawkeye basketball is known for outstanding ball care and control.

But the team’s current turnover statistics aren’t reflecting that history.  Gustafson feels that the team can’t shy away from opponents’ physical defenses out of fear for turning over the ball.

“[The turnovers] are kind of a downer,” Gustafson said.  “Iowa basketball is known for low turnovers, and I think we just need to take care of the ball and keep in control when other teams step up the pressure.”

Gustafson’s fellow forward, sophomore Christina Buttenham, certainly hasn’t been the issue during her team’s losing streak.  Against the Boilermakers, Buttenham posted a career-high 14 points while turning the ball over just once.

    The Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, native is playing solidly in her sophomore year, averaging 3.5 points per game in 17 minutes per game.  Buttenham believes that current turnover problem resides in their offensive pace of play.  Frantic passes have resulted in numerous Hawkeye turnovers.

    But Buttenham also says there’s a fine line between being careful and being hesitant.

    “We just need to take our time and not rush it on offense,” she said.  “Not be hesitant but not just turn and pass.”

The Hawks will try to cut down on the turnovers and begin a winning streak on Thursday against Michigan in Carver-Hawkeye.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

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