By James Kay
Most students have little to smile about heading into the stress of finals week.
For the Iowa’s women’s basketball team however, the players have all the reason to be giddy after wiping out Northern Iowa, Iowa State, and Robert Morris this past week.
The Hawkeyes (8-3) are riding a three-game winning streak thanks to excellent shooting and stifling perimeter defense. Here are some key stats that contributed to Iowa’s recent run.
Tania Davis — Big Ten Player of the Week
Before delving into the rest of the Hawkeyes’ stats, Davis needs to be recognized for her valiant effort at Carver-Hawkeye this past week.
The sophomore guard averaged 18.5 points per game, shot the ball with efficiency (52.6 percent), and made 60 percent of her 3-point attempts.
Davis had her best game of the season against Iowa State, where she was almost unstoppable from 3-point range. She went 5-of-6 from downtown and finished the game with a career-high 23 points.
Davis was more aggressive driving to the basket and drawing fouls in the last three games. She made all of her 11 free throw attempts, 7 of them coming against Robert Morris.
The Hawkeyes shot 55 percent from 3-point range
The Hawkeyes were shooting 29 percent from beyond the arc going into the game versus Northern Iowa. They have exploded since and have made 29 3-pointers over a three-game stretch.
Senior captain Ally Disterhoft has also gone 8-of-12 from the perimeter and has shown more confidence in her ability to nail 3s.
Freshman Makenzie Meyer has also stepped up after losing her starting spot to fellow freshman Kathleen Doyle. Meyer has gone 7-of-9 from downtown coming off the bench for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa has held its opponents to 58 points per game
Speaking of Doyle, she has given the Hawkeyes a unique identity on defense since she has been named to the starting lineup.
“In games, I just try to bring my energy on the defensive end because that usually leads to great offense for our team,” Doyle said after the 88-76 win over Iowa State. “I just try to provide whatever spark I can on defense.”
She has been more than just a spark on defense. Doyle has turned into the Hawkeye’s best defender and has 7 steals in the last three games.
The Hawkeyes also show their opponents different types of defensive schemes, as they never stick to one strategy. Bluder has been asked about this method of play but wants to keep the element of surprise going against her opponents. It has certainly worked the last few games.
Megan Gustafson has 39 rebounds in the last three games
Gustafson has been a beast on the boards throughout the season, but she has taken her talent to another level.
Not only has she notched two double-doubles in three games (she was 1 rebound away from having her seventh double-double against Robert Morris), she has averaged 13 rebounds a contest.
She has also hauled in 28 defensive rebounds, which has eliminated the opposition’s chance at second-chance points.
The work she does on the offensive glass has been crucial to the team’s success as well. Gustafson has scored on put-backs numerous times this year and is also a good passer from the post.
Because she is so hard to handle down in the paint, teams have to double-team her much of the time. That leaves good shooters such as Davis and Disterhoft open to light it up from behind the arc.
