Hawkeyes hope to start shooting, resume winning

IOWA CITY -- After two months of sunny skies, some clouds have formed.

So what's next?

The 21st-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (12-3 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) travel to Minnesota (8-7, 0-2) for a pivotal women's basketball game. Tipoff is 7 p.m. Wednesday at Williams Arena.

Iowa is in the midst of its first multi-game losing streak since dropping four straight last January.

"I'm disappointed in the outcome of our first two (Big Ten) games, but I've seen a lot of resiliency in this group," Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said in a teleconference Tuesday. "I know we're capable of coming back. We did it last year, and I really believe it's going to happen again."

Many of the Hawkeyes' recent woes have come at the offensive end. Iowa shot 29 percent in a 60-53 loss at home to Michigan on Sunday.

Iowa is shooting 39.6 percent from the floor this season (down from 41.5 percent last year) and 27.7 percent from 3-point range (down from 36.9 percent).

"You've got to believe the next one is going in," Bluder said. "There's nothing scientific about it. I feel when we put a few shots in, it's going to be like a dam exploding. I believe it's going to happen, and it's going to happen soon."

Bluder benched point guard Kamille Wahlin for long stretches of the Michigan game. Wahlin was 1-for-11 from the floor in only 22 minutes. She feels Wahlin will bounce back Wednesday.

"I have complete faith in Kamille leading our team," Bluder said. "I know she wants to do well at Minnesota."

Wahlin is one of four Minnesotans on the Iowa roster, joining Kachine Alexander, Hannah Draxten and the injured Theairra Taylor.

Alexander needs seven points to reach 1,000 for her career.