Iowa escapes for Bluder’s 300th

IOWA CITY - A few hours after being named an academic All-American, Samantha Logic registered another All-American performance.

Logic fell one assist short of her sixth career triple-double, posting 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as 16th-ranked Iowa fended off Wisconsin, 78-74, in a Big Ten women's basketball game in front of 4,536 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

'There are still times I watch her, in a game or in practice, and I just say, ‘Oh, wow,'” said Lisa Bluder, who posted her 300th coaching victory at Iowa.

'I'm thrilled to come out of here with a victory. (Logic) played like the All-American that she is.”

Iowa (22-6 overall, 13-4 Big Ten) snapped a two-game losing streak and beat the Badgers for the 15th straight time. The Hawkeyes trailed, 54-52, midway through the second half before a 15-0 run sprung them free.

'(At the under-12 timeout), I told them to get their act together,” Bluder said. 'It probably wasn't that nice of words.”

Logic scored five points, including a 3-pointer, in that pivotal run. Still, the Hawkeyes had to overcome some tummy-turning moments down the stretch.

Down 13 with 3:28 to go, the Badgers (8-19, 4-13) got within three points on three occasions. Whitney Jennings' free throw with 7 seconds left finally iced it.

Iowa improved to 15-0 at Carver this season, remained alone in second place in the Big Ten standings and clinched a bye into the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals that goes with a top-four seed.

Bluder moved to 300-172 in 15 seasons at Iowa.

'A long time, I've been here,” she said. '(Assistant coaches) Jan (Jensen) and Jenni (Fitzgerald) ... they've been here with me for every single one of them.”

Logic and sophomore Ally Disterhoft were named to the Capital One All-American third team Thursday. Iowa is the only school with multiple honorees on the 15-player squad.

'I'm as proud of that accomplishment as anything,” Bluder said.

Bethany Doolittle added 20 points. Disterhoft tacked on 17 points and eight boards.

Doolittle played the power forward for one season, as a sophomore, before moving back to the post. That season has helped her become able to take other centers off the dribble, as she did on one basket in Iowa's critical run.

'That's probably part of it,” she said. 'I've been working at it more, getting that mentality to go to the basket more aggressively.”

Wisconsin is a second-division team, but hung around all night.

The Hawkeyes held a 35-26 lead with just under 3 minutes left in the first half, but the Badgers scored the final seven points before intermission and were right in it at 35-33 heading to the locker room.

Iowa scored eight points in 66 seconds to start the second half for a 43-33 lead, but Wisconsin answered with a 16-2 blitz for a shocking 49-45 edge.

In the Hawkeyes' 15-0 run, though, the Badgers went scoreless for 7 1/2 minutes. And that allowed Iowa to escape.

Jacki Gulczynski led the Badgers with 19 points (including five 3-pointers) and 11 rebounds. Nicole Bauman added 18 points, Dakota Whyte 14, Tessa Cichy 10.

The Hawkeyes close out their regular season Sunday against Minnesota. The four seniors - Logic, Doolittle, Melissa Dixon and Kathryn Reynolds - will be recognized afterward.

IOWA 78, WISCONSIN 74

At Iowa City

WISCONSIN (74): Jacki Gulczynski 6-8 2-3 19, Cassie Rochel 4-6 0-0 8, Dakota Whyte 5-11 3-4 14, Nicole Bauman 6-10 3-4 18, Tessa Cichy 4-15 1-2 10, AnnMarie Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Cayla McMorris 1-2 1-2 3, Malayna Johnson 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 27-56 10-15 74.

IOWA (78): Bethany Doolittle 8-16 6-6 22, Ally Disterhoft 5-13 6-7 17, Whitney Jennings 2-5 2-3 7, Melissa Dixon 2-7 0-0 5, Samantha Logic 8-14 2-4 20, Alexa Kastanek 0-1 0-0 0, Chase Coley 2-4 0-0 4, Christina Buttenham 0-2 0-0 0, Kali Peschel 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 28-65 16-20 78.

Halftime: Iowa 35, Wisconsin 33. 3-point goals: Wisconsin 10-18 (Gulczynski 5-7, Whyte 1-1, Bauman 3-5, Cichy 1-3, Brown 0-1, McMorris 0-1), Iowa 6-21 (Disterhoft 1-5, Jennings 1-2, Dixon 1-5, Logic 2-5, Buttenham 0-2, Peschel 1-2). Team fouls: Wisconsin 19, Iowa 14. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Wisconsin 38 (Gulczynski 11), Iowa 33 (Logic 10). Assists: Wisconsin 15 (Whyte 7), Iowa 17 (Logic 9). Steals: Wisconsin 8 (Rochel 4), Iowa 5 (Logic 2). Turnovers: Wisconsin 18, Iowa 9.

Attendance: 4,536.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com