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<b>INDIANAPOLIS -- </b>How impressive was the University of
Iowa's 97-85 victory over Michigan on Thursday in the second round
of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life
Fieldhouse?
</p>
<p>
So impressive that after the game, UI head coach <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/lisa_bluder_145523.html">Lisa
Bluder</a> was at a loss as to who to single out for their
stellar play.
</p>
<p>
<a
href="http://www.bigten.org/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/big10-w-baskbl-tournament-15-16.html"
target="_blank"><img src="cid:part2.01000200.01070205@gmail.com"
padding="3px" align="left"></a>
</p>
<p>
Was it freshman <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/megan_gustafson_975548.html">Megan
Gustafson</a>, who compiled her eighth double-double in the last
11 games with 25 points and 10 rebounds? How about sophomore <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/chase_coley_915798.html">Chase
Coley</a> with a double-double of her own (20 points, 10
rebounds) to go along with six assists? Don't forget dependable
junior <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/ally_disterhoft_861742.html">Ally
Disterhoft's</a> 22-point, five-rebound, and five-assist
performance. Or freshman guard <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/tania_davis_975572.html">Tania
Davis</a>, who turned in a more unconventional double-double
with 10 points and 10 assists.
</p>
<p>
"I could name them all," Bluder said. "Every one of our players
contributed and I'm proud that after that kind of disastrous start
we bounced back and I'm proud of their courage in doing that."
</p>
<p>
By disastrous start, Bluder meant a 24-8 hole the Hawkeyes dug for
themselves less than seven minutes into the game. Iowa took its
first lead at 38-36 when Disterhoft sank the first of two
consecutive 3-point field goals with 6:01 left before halftime.
</p>
<p>
In a game of runs, the Hawkeyes did most of the running and they
prevailed in the highest-scoring game they have been part of all
season. It is the most points they have scored in a game since
winning at Northwestern, 102-99, on Jan. 29, 2015.
</p>
<p>
"We worked for good shots and we did a good job being patient with
the ball when we needed to at the end," Bluder said. "To come into
the Big Ten Tournament and score 97 points is pretty incredible."
</p>
<p>
Iowa posted the third-highest point total in Big Ten Tournament
history by shooting 61 percent from the field (37-of-61) and 67
percent from 3-point range (8-of-12). The Hawkeye interior
presence of Coley and Gustafson combined to make 20-of-26 field
goals and pull down 20 rebounds.
</p>
<p>
With that production, it's easy to see how the Hawkeyes assisted
on 28-of-37 made field goals and committed just nine turnovers.
</p>
<p>
"It is smart guards, right? They kept going to the well," Bluder
said. "If the well is giving you something, you go back to it and
they did. I'm happy with that. Twenty-eight assists and only nine
turnovers is an excellent job passing the ball."
</p>
<p>
</p>
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background-color: #dedede; border: 1pt solid #bbbbbb;"
frame="border" align="right" border="0" width="300"
cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
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<td colspan="3" align="center">
<p>
<img src="cid:part8.08010409.04020900@gmail.com"
alt="Women's Basketball">
</p>
<p>
</p>
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cellspacing="0">
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<table style="margin-bottom: -9px;" align="center"
border="0" width="300" cellpadding="2"
cellspacing="1">
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<td style="width: 50%;"><strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;"><br>
</span></strong></td>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color:
#000000;" align="center"><strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;">1st</span></strong>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color:
#000000;" align="center"><strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;">2nd</span></strong></td>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color:
#000000;" align="center"><strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;">3rd</span></strong></td>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color:
#000000;" align="center"><strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;">4th</span></strong></td>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color:
#000000;" align="center"><strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;">Final</span></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td><strong>Iowa (19-12)</strong></td>
<td align="center">21</td>
<td align="center">31</td>
<td align="center">18</td>
<td align="center">27</td>
<td align="center"><strong>97</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td><strong>Michigan (17-13)</strong></td>
<td align="center">29</td>
<td align="center">13</td>
<td align="center">20</td>
<td align="center">23</td>
<td align="center"><strong>85</strong></td>
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cellspacing="0">
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<td style="text-align: center;">• <a
href="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/2015-16/box_score/stats_20160303aaa.pdf"><b>Box
Score</b></a> <a
href="http://get.adobe.com/reader/"
target="_new"><img
src="cid:part10.08080504.05000607@gmail.com"
alt="Get Acrobat Reader" border="0"
height="10" width="9"></a> |
Attendance: Not Available<br>
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cellspacing="0">
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width="300" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1">
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<td colspan="4"> <strong><span style="color:
#F5CD1C;">Statistical Leaders</span></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td style="width: 30%;" colspan="4"> • <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/megan_gustafson_975548.html">Megan
Gustafson</a> -- 25 points, 10 rebs, 10-13
FG<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td colspan="4"> • <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/ally_disterhoft_861742.html">Ally
Disterhoft</a> -- 22 points, 5 rebs, 5
assists</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td colspan="4"> • <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/chase_coley_915798.html">Chase
Coley</a> -- 20 points, 10 rebounds, 6
assists</td>
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<table border="0" width="100%" cellpadding="8"
cellspacing="0">
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<table style="text-align: left;" border="0"
width="300" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1">
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<td style="width: 68%;"> <strong><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;">Stats at a
Glance<br>
</span></strong></td>
<td style="width: 16%; text-align: center;"><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;"><strong>IOWA</strong></span></td>
<td style="width: 16%; text-align: center;"><span
style="color: #F5CD1C;"><strong>MICH</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td> FG Percentage<br>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">60.7</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">44.4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td> 3-Point FG Percentage</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">66.7</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">54.5</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td> FT Percentage</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">71.4</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">81.8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td> Total Rebounds<br>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">33</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">36</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td> Points in the Paint</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">40</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">36</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<td> Points off Turnovers</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">21</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">9</td>
</tr>
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</td>
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</td>
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</table>
Coley scored six of Iowa's first eight points and finished in double
figure points for the seventh time in the last eight games. When the
Hawkeyes got down by 16, they leaned on offensive production from
Disterhoft, <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/whitney_jennings_915796.html">Whitney
Jennings</a>, Gustafson, <a
href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/christina_buttenham_915784.html">Christina
Buttenham</a>, Davis, and Coley until they took the lead for good
with 3:51 left in the second quarter.
<p>
"We emphasized that we have to fight," Coley said. "If we come out
strong and play the game we know we can play, we're going to be in
this game, no problem. We play unselfish and the reason I scored
is because my teammates found me; the reason my teammates scored
is because we found each other."
</p>
<p>
Disterhoft paced the Hawkeyes with 17 points during their
highest-scoring first half of the season. Iowa was down, 24-8,
with 3:09 left in the first quarter, then rallied to take a 52-42
lead at halftime.
</p>
<p>
Disterhoft, Coley (12 points) and Gustafson (11) all had double
figures in points after 20 minutes. The trio combined to make
16-of-20 field goals (80 percent); the Hawkeyes shot 66 percent as
a team at the break (21-of-32) with five 3-pointers and 15 assists
on 21 made field goals.
</p>
<p>
Iowa has won its opening game at the Big Ten Tournament for a
fourth season in a row. You could also say the Hawkeyes blocked
Michigan from advancing: Iowa rejected a season-high 12 shots, led
by Coley with six.
</p>
<p>
Davis wasn't the only player sharing the ball. Coley (six),
Disterhoft (five), and Jennings (five) all had more than five
assists.
</p>
<p>
The Hawkeyes made 8-of-12 3-point field goals, the most since
sinking nine against Michigan on Jan. 28 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Disterhoft was 4-of-4, Davis was 2-of-2, and Buttenham was 2-of-3.
</p>
<p>
Michigan was led by first-team All-Big Ten performer Katelynn
Flaherty with 31 points. She averaged 28.7 points per game in
three meetings against the Hawkeyes this season.
</p>
<p>
Iowa returns to action Friday against top-seeded Maryland (27-3)
at 11 a.m. (CT) inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Terrapins won
the lone meeting of the season, 76-56, on Jan. 10 in Iowa City,
Iowa.
</p>
<p>
"We have nothing to lose, but we know we're up against a great
opponent," Bluder said. "We needed to win this one (against
Michigan) to prove we weren't the ninth seed and I think we proved
that."
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