IOWA CITY, Iowa – A strong performance in the Big Ten Tournament has paid dividends for the Iowa women’s basketball team.

Iowa has earned a five seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face No. 12 seed Central Michigan in a first-round game on Sunday at 11 a.m. in San Antonio, Tex.

This will be Iowa’s 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 21 seasons under head coach Lisa Bluder.

The winner will play the winner of No. 4 seed Kentucky vs. No. 13-seed Idaho State on Tuesday.

San Antonio Here We Come! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/PspTiujwup

— Iowa Women’s BBall (@IowaWBB) March 16, 2021

Iowa helped its cause from a seeding standpoint by winning three games in the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Maryland in the championship game this past Saturday in Indianapolis.

Iowa was thought to be maybe a seven or an eight seed heading into the Big Ten Tournament, but three victories in the conference tournament apparently made a strong impression on the NCAA selection committee.

Iowa features one of the top one-two punches in women’s college basketball in freshman point guard Caitlin Clark and junior center Monika Czinano. They both made first-team All-Big Ten, and made the Big Ten All-Tournament team.

Central Michigan (18-8) is led by by the backcourt duo of of Micaela Kelly and Molly Davis. The 5-foot-6 Kelly is third in the Mid-American Conference in scoring at 23.9 points per game, while the 5-7 Davis is sixth in the conference in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

It is the third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the Chippewas, and first under head coach Heather Oesterle.

In 2018, Central Michigan, as an 11-seed, reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.