Bowling Green vs. Iowa quick glance
"We're ready to play Bowling Green." Iowa coach Lisa Bluder
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The fourth-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team will celebrate Kids Days at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday by hosting Bowling Green.
Here is a quick glance at the matchup:
Bowling Green (5-1) vs. Iowa (7-1)
When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
TV: FS1
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network
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Bowling Green: The Falcons are picked to finish fourth in the MAC. Bowling Green’s loss was to Texas State when the Falcons committed 27 turnovers. They have defeated Cleveland State, a team Iowa plays Dec. 16 in Des Moines, Lehigh, Duquesne, Xavier and Mercer. They have a smaller lineup, like to play a zone and have three players shooting at least 43 percent from 3-point range (Amy Velasco, Morgan Sharps and Olivia Hill). The team shoots a collective .394 from beyond the arc. Lexi Fleming, a 5-5 Sr., leads the team in scoring at 16.8 ppg.
Coach Fred Chmiel is in his first season. He was an assistant at South Carolina last season, so he knows Iowa’s personnel. The Falcons were 31-7 last season under coach Robyn Fralick, who was hired by Michigan State in the offseason to succeed the retired Suzy Merchant. Several key players followed Fralick to East Lansing.
Iowa: Iowa will likely be without sophomore post Hannah Stuelke for the third game in a row. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder would not confirm that Stuelke’s injury is an ankle, but observers at the Florida tournament said it was wrapped. Bluder said she’s hoping Stuelke might be back for the game at Iowa State next Wednesday. Senior Caitlin Clark is 46 points away from reaching 3,000 points scored in her career. Clark is averaging 29.6 points per game, so it’s likely the milestone will come at Iowa State on Wednesday.
Quote: “We’re ready to play Bowling Green. They come in 5-1; they’ve won four in a row. They have three really good, outstanding shooters, almost four you could say. I think that’s the strength of their team.” –Lisa Bluder.