Iowa's edges: Experience and geography

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- They crossed three time zones to get here.

But, considering the California Golden Bears haven't played in the NCAA women's basketball tournament for three years, they don't care.

"You could tell us to play on the moon at 3 a.m., and when the ball is tipped, we'll be ready to go," Cal Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said Saturday.

The Golden Bears will try to reset their internal clocks in time for Sunday's first-round game with Iowa.

Tipoff is 11:10 a.m. (Iowa time) at the Joyce Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. That's 9:10 in the morning on the West Coast, not exactly something to which the Bears would be accustomed.

"We came here Thursday to give them an extra day so they wouldn't feet as rushed," Gottlieb said. "The first morning, we felt some jet lag."

Much has been made in recent days about Cal's rebounding prowess. The Golden Bears (24-9) rank third in the country in rebounding margin at plus-13.2.

"We have some pills (the team) is going to take tonight," Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder joked. "We're going to grow 4 inches and add a little bounce to our step."

Iowa's advantage?

"On paper there's not a whole lot of them," Bluder said. "Our experience of being here is an advantage. Our seniors have known no other way than ending their basketball season here at the tournament."

The Hawkeyes (19-11) are in the tournament for the fifth straight year. Cal hasn't been in the field since 2009, and since the Golden Bears have no seniors, they have no players with NCAA experience.

"We definitely know what it's like to be here. I think that really helps to understand what this tournament means," said Iowa center Morgan Johnson.

Tournament presence is one thing. Tournament survival is another. Last year, the Hawkeyes fell in Round 1 to Gonzaga, and Iowa hasn't advanced past the second round since 1996.

"We don't want to just get here and go back home," Johnson said. "We're not satisfied with just being here. We want to continue to move on."

Both teams have freshman point guards -- Samantha Logic of Iowa and Brittany Boyd of Cal.

Logic has stepped forward dramatically in the past six games, averaging 16 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists. That run was punctuated by a triple-double against Michigan on Feb. 26.

"Our team has done a really good job, with all of them having been here and explaining to us what the (NCAA) is all about," Logic said. "Our coaches have done a good job preparing us to play on a big stage like this."

In scheme and in style, the teams differ greatly. Iowa plays a four-out game with Johnson patrolling the paint. Cal has two posts on the floor at once.

"It's a refreshing contrast in styles," Gottlieb said. "They shoot a lot of 3-pointers, and Johnson is a huge presence. It's different than how we play. We want to get up and down and have a different tempo of game."

Cal's Eliza Pierre said, "(Iowa is) a really good team. They can shoot the ball well. One thing we're worried about is our posts defending outside. I think we're prepared."

Fourth-ranked Notre Dame (30-3) faces Liberty (24-8) in Sunday's second game. Winners play Tuesday at 6 p.m. (Iowa time).

IOWA (19-11) vs. CALIFORNIA (24-9)

Where -- Joyce Center, South Bend, Ind.

Tipoff -- 11:10 a.m. (Iowa time)

TV -- ESPN2

Radio -- KMJM-AM (1360), KXIC-AM (800)

Notable -- Iowa is making its 21st NCAA appearance, including its ninth under Lisa Bluder and its fifth in a row. Cal is in its eighth tournament, its first since 2009. Cal Coach Lindsay Gottlieb is in her first year after three years at Cal-Santa Barbara. The Golden Bears are third in the nation in rebounding margin, at plus-13.2 per game. Layshia Clarendon leads Cal at 12.6 points per game, followed by Reshanda Gray (10.2) and Brittany Boyd (10.1). Morgan Johnson paces the active Hawkeyes at 14.9 points per game; Kamille Wahlin adds 12.8. Iowa has not played since March 2 (a Big Ten quarterfinal loss to Nebraska) and hasn't won in three weeks.

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