Iowa women: Let's dance

IOWA CITY - So much for suspense.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have their NCAA women's basketball tournament invitation.

Now, it's up to them to make it a prolonged stay, something they haven't been able to do in eight years.

Iowa (19-13) is a No. 8 seed in the Sacramento Regional and will face ninth-seeded Rutgers (19-14) and former Iowa Coach C. Vivian Stringer in the first round at 7:16 p.m. (Iowa time) Saturday at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif.

That matchup was disclosed early on ESPN's selection show, drawing boisterous cheers from the Iowa players and coaches, who had gathered at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Stanford subregion was the first announced Monday.

“I didn't expect to see our name pop up so fast,” said sophomore Kamille Wahlin. “It just goes to show what can happen when you don't lose focus, and never let your dream die.”

Iowa has overcome injuries and youth, and enters the tournament with 11 wins in its last 14 games.

JoAnn Hamlin missed the entire season with a blood clot in her leg, talented freshman Theairra Taylor went out early with a torn ACL and Hannah Draxten missed the majority of the season with back issues.

Four of the remaining eight scholarship players are freshmen, including Big Ten freshman of the year Jaime Printy.

But the light clicked on in late January, when the Hawkeyes were 8-10 and sat in last place in the Big Ten at 1-6.

They finished in a third-place tie in the Big Ten, then reached the Big Ten tournament final, losing to Ohio State, 66-64, in the final seconds.

 “We never gave up; we kept working,” Printy said. “I think the seed (indicates) that we proved ourselves.”

The Hawkeyes are in the NCAA for the 19th time, the seventh time in 10 years under Coach Lisa Bluder.

Iowa advanced to the second round in 2001 and 2002, then lost in the first round in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

Georgia Tech eliminated the Hawkeyes last year at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Iowa-Rutgers winner will face top-seeded Stanford or UC-Riverside at 8:30 Monday night.

Like Iowa, Rutgers was an at-large qualifier with no guarantees before Monday.

“I don't know much about them this year, but I know they're still defensive-minded,” said Kachine Alexander. “Under Coach Stringer, that will never change.”

Rutgers allows 55.8 points per game. Iowa scores 69.4 ppg.

“We know they'll play great defense and press us full-court,” Bluder said.

Stringer coached 12 seasons at Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to their only Final Four appearance, in 1993.

“Coach Stringer put Iowa on the map,” Bluder said. “There's no doubt about that.”

Iowa is one of four Big Ten teams selected, joining Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Three of the state's four Division-I programs qualified. Iowa State is a No. 4 seed and will host Lehigh; Northern Iowa drew a No. 16 seed and a date with Nebraska.