Iowa won an incredible battle against Iowa State on Wednesday.

The two teams went back and forth the entire game, and various players stepped up in big ways.  Amanda Ollinger corralled 20 rebounds, Tomi Taiwo scored nine points off the bench, and Kathleen Doyle had her best performance of the season.

With such a hard-fought game in the rearview mirror, the Hawkeyes must prepare for a quick turnaround against a North Carolina Central team that is desperate for success. The MEAC outfit — ranked eighth in the conference’s preseason poll — has just one win of its opening nine games.

Despite the opposition, head coach Lisa Bluder says her team will be ready for Saturday’s game.

“We’re going to enjoy [the Iowa State win], but we have another game on Saturday,” Bluder said. “We’ll be back in the gym and practice at 10 o’clock, and get prepared for North Carolina Central.”

NCCU is coming off its biggest loss of the season. Last weekend in Chapel Hill, the Eagles were beat by North Carolina, 92-53. The Eagles have been competitive in a few contests this season, but they have been outmatched against the power five schools on their schedule. A recent overtime loss to Florida International suggests improvement, but the results say Iowa should be able to stroll to victory.

If Iowa is able to force NCCU to shoot perimeter shots, then it will be able to control the game. The Eagles shoot just 24 percent from deep while making 38 percent of their shots from the floor. Iowa should be wary of the Eagles defense, as they force over 20 turnovers per game.

North Carolina Central also has a strong bench. No player on the team averages more than 30 minutes of playing time, but 12 players average over 10 minutes. The lengthy rotation could cause problems later in the game if Iowa cannot pull ahead early on.

Iowa’s bench has not been its biggest strength so far, but Wednesday’s game against Iowa State showed that several other players could see more playing time in the future.

With such a fast turnaround coming after Wednesday’s game, several bench players could see significant time on the court. After her best performance of the season against Iowa State, Tomi Taiwo should be able to get some more crucial minutes. Taiwo shot 75 percent from the field in the win, and Bluder feels confident that Taiwo can continue to help contribute offensively.

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“She was so cool about it all, that’s what made it so fun,” Bluder said. “She only made one coming into the game. We see it in practice every day. I was talking to my staff [before the game], saying I can’t believe Tomi is not shooting the ball better from 3-point range because she’s such a good 3-point shooter.”

Freshman Mckenna Warnock is another player who could benefit from more minutes. Warnock has been a mild contributor off the bench throughout the season, stepping into the paint and holding down the fort as the starters get a breather. Against Iowa State, Warnock tallied five points off the bench.

Saturday’s game tips off at 2 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.