When the Hawkeye women’s basketball team takes on No. 7 Ohio State tonight in Carver-Hawkeye, the game might have a David vs. Goliath feel to it.

But Iowa has something the Buckeyes don’t: home-court advantage.

Iowa (15-9, 5-7 Big Ten) has captured five-straight victories over Ohio State (19-4, 11-1 Big Ten) in Carver-Hawkeye dating back to the 2011-12 season. At 7:30 p.m. today, they’ll attempt to make it six against the seventh-ranked team in the country.

However, mired in a two-game losing streak, tonight’s contest will be an uphill battle for the Hawks. Head coach Lisa Bluder knows that. The Buckeyes average 85.7 points per game, good for second in the conference.

And against an Iowa defense that has struggled recently, the Ohio State could very well reach that mark again.

“[Ohio State] is a team that scores at will,” Bluder said during her weekly press conference on Tuesday. “It’s a big challenge ahead of us coming off a disheartening loss to Michigan State.”

Against then-No. 14 Michigan State, Bluder’s team battled valiantly. But late turnovers and mistakes cost the Hawks a shot at the upset. Tonight, the team has another chance to upend a national powerhouse.

Hawkeye junior guard Ally Disterhoft knows she and her teammates have it in them to score the upset. It’s just a matter of putting a complete game together. Against the Buckeyes, however, that might not be enough.

“It’s frustrating right now because we’re so close,” Disterhoft said after the loss to Michigan State on Feb. 7. “We just have to keep showing up to practice and working hard. That’s all we can control.”

Bluder agreed with Disterhoft, remaining upbeat about the team’s up-and-down season thus far. The Hawks are 3-7 in their last 10 games.

But the recent string of losses hasn’t dampened Bluder’s or her team’s spirit. The Hawks have managed to continue to find positives.

“We’re getting better, and that is to be expected with a young team. Good things are happening,” Bluder said. “We were 1 point down with 30 seconds to go against the No. 14 team in the country. We have to build on that and try to make some noise in the last six games.”

Ohio State sophomore guard Kelsey Mitchell will present perhaps the greatest threat for the Hawks. The 5-8 Cincinnati native is the Big Ten’s second leading scorer (25.7 points per game), and she leads the conference in made 3-pointers with 78.

At times tonight, Hawkeye freshman Tania Davis could be matched up with the Buckeyes’ star. That task might intimidate the average Big Ten freshman.

But Davis isn’t the average Big Ten freshman. Averaging 8 points in 23 minutes this season, Davis has been a spark for the Hawkeyes.

Tonight, the team will need a spark in the worst way, and Davis knows her coaches and teammates will look to her to provide it.

“I think my teammates and coaches have complete confidence in me … I’ve settled in to my role,” Davis said last week. “Now, we’ve just got to take this thing one game at a time.”