By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The legend of Megan Gustafson grew even bigger on Friday, but her impact went far beyond her latest statistical masterpiece.

Iowa’s 6-foot-3 senior center recorded her 86^th career double-double with 30 points and 19 rebounds, but it was her hustle and leadership down the stretch that also played a key role in a 66-61 nail-biting victory over Mercer in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Gustafson willed her team to victory in a game where Iowa committed 24 turnovers, was outscored 18-2 in points off turnovers and had zero bench points.

She made as many hustle plays as she did baskets, but there was one hustle play that stood out and it came with 14 seconds remaining when Gustafson dove to the floor in pursuit of a missed free throw by Iowa point guard Tania Davis.

Gustafson got her hands on the ball and that led to a wild scramble on the floor that ended with a jump ball being called between Davis and a Mercer player.

The possession arrow gave Iowa the basketball and that’s when it finally felt like Gustafson and her cohorts would escape from a Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a milestone victory.

Junior guard Kathleen Doyle made two free throws with 11 seconds remaining to finally secure the victory.

“I knew that I had a chance of getting it right away,” Gustafson said of the missed free throw. “I kind of saw that it was going to be a bit to the left, and honestly, I love it when free throws are missed to the left because that’s where I end going most of the time when I’m going to get that.

“And I almost had it. I almost put it up. So I kind of wanted that one. But that’s alright. We got that tie up and at that point I knew that we needed to put them away. I was kind of done with them. They needed to be done. So I really just did all that I could to get a tie up there.”

Without that hustle play, Mercer could have grabbed the rebound and had a chance to tie the score with Iowa only leading by three points.

The play won’t show up in the stat box, nor is what most in the crowd of 10,720 will remember about Friday’s game. But that one hustle play had a huge impact in the game and was an example of why Gustafson is so special.

She just refused to lose, and her teammates fed off Gustafson’s grit, passion and resolve to earn their first victory in the NCAA Tournament and Iowa’s first since the 2014-15 squad advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the only time under head coach Lisa Bluder.

“It’s always important and we take pride in that as a team that we’re always going to work hard and outwork the other team,” Doyle said. “And we really wanted it, and Megan showed it on that possession.”

Iowa had to make hustle plays to compensate for its sloppy ball handling and careless passing.

Mercer head coach Susie Gardner was surprised to see on tape that nobody had tried to disrupt Iowa’s passing to Gustafson in the post during the regular season.

So Gardner made that a priority and it resulted in numerous tipped passes and deflections that became turnovers.

“Actually, we didn't see anyone do it, and I didn't understand why,” Gardner said. “All the film, I think we talked, I think it was yesterday or whenever it was when we talked. You asked me what our game plan was. I didn't see anyone do that. I'm like watching film, why is no one trying to get tips, why is no one pressuring the passer?

“We thought, `hey, that's how we do it.’ We knew she was going to get her points, but our goal was to maybe not let her get so many touches as what she's used to. That was definitely our game plan and I feel like it worked pretty well. She still got 30 but we caused 24 turnovers. So I'm really, really pleased with the way that turned out.”

Gustafson only took 16 field-goal attempts, which is a sign of good defense, but she made 14 of them, which is a sign of her greatness.

She also became the Big Ten’s single-season leader in points and rebounds during Friday’s game.

But more importantly than any statistic is that Iowa won the game and the greatest player in program history still has at least one more game to play with her teammates and coaches.

Iowa didn’t just win on Friday, it survived and advanced, which is what the NCAA Tournament is all about.

Mercer actually might have done Gustafson and her cohorts a favor by nearly becoming the first No. 15 seed to defeat a No. 2 seed in the women’s tournament.

“It’s so important,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s almost better that we have a game like this just to know that we can stay composed and we can get a win like that no matter what happens.

“And so I honestly think it’s going to give us some confidence going into Sunday. We have some things to work on. I think every team can say that after any game. So we’re just going to get back at it.”

Bluder thank the crowd for their support during her opening statement to the media after Friday's game, and rightfully so, because the crowd did create an electric atmosphere.

“Most importantly, I want to thank this crowd for coming out,” Bluder said. “Our crowd was fabulous today and they probably helped us get those five points that we really needed. So just a tremendous crowd. Appreciate them so much, and hopefully, they will come back on Sunday, as well.”

The Iowa players also made it a point to thank the crowd for their support, and they’ll need the same kind of support on Sunday against a talented Missouri team that will be out to stop Gustafson’s miracle season.

The Tigers had better be prepared for a battle, though, because Gustafson is on a mission to carry this Iowa team as far as she can and her impact goes far beyond just stuffing the stat sheet.