The Hawks play a top-15 team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

By Jordan Zuniga
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After a two-year absence from the NCAA Tournament, the Iowa women’s basketball team made no bones about wanting to get back this season.

Part of that entailed a tough nonconference schedule to help bolster the Hawkeyes’ résumé come March. Through seven games, Iowa has played three tournament teams from last year, and the Hawkeyes have yet to lose.

Today in Carver-Hawkeye, Iowa will face arguably its toughest nonconference opponent this season, No. 13 Florida State.

It should be an exciting game because even though it’s played well before selection Sunday, it that could affect that fateful day.

“When you’re playing a team like Florida State, you know this could be a big win,” guard Kathleen Doyle said. “We’re trying not to think about March too much, but we all know these games count toward the end of the season, and that’s what we’re working for every day in practice.”

The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. today as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Last season, Florida State took a 26-7 record all the way to the Elite Eight, where it lost to eventual champion South Carolina.

With the Seminoles’ 6-0 start, it seems as though they are poised for a similar season, which makes for a tough opponent.

“[Florida State is] probably our toughest opponent of the year so far,” head coach Lisa Bluder said. “Very good team, very experienced team. We’re glad to be playing at home, and hopefully, we’ll have a good crowd here with the Buck Night. It should be a fun environment for us.”

The Seminoles’ experience advantage is four seniors and a graduate transfer, all starters, to the Hawkeyes’ lone senior, Chase Coley. Not only that, but similar to Iowa, Florida State has a multitude of weapons that it can unleash at any time.

Shakayla Thomas leads the Seminoles in points with 21, and four of her teammates also average in double figures.

Scoring is the fun stat, and the one that ultimately decides the game. But the stat that could have the biggest effect on this game is rebounding.

Both teams pride themselves on their ability to grab missed buckets. Florida State has out-rebounded opponents by an average of 21.7, good for best in the nation. Iowa has a 17th best plus-13.1 rebounding margin.

One advantage for Iowa in rebounding come in the form of the 6-3 rebounding master Megan Gustafson. With 13.4 rebounds per game, she is third in the nation in boards, and this week, she was named to her third-consecutive Women’s Weekly Honor Roll.

Gustafson believes the key to Iowa maintaining its rebounding dominance — even against the likes of Florida State — is simply boxing out.

“[The Seminoles] are a great rebounding team,” she said. “Just like the rebounding teams we faced before, we knew that was something we had to focus on, boxing out. That’s again going to be one of our priorities.”

Chatrice White, a player Bluder recruited hard, is the rebounding leader for the Seminoles with 9.3. She will battle Gustafson down low.

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