Tuesday women’s basketball at Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Hawkeyes, Spartans, Peacock

IOWA CITY — The Iowa Hawkeyes have found themselves a post-New Year’s running partner.

Michigan State won’t slow down, won’t back down, when it visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena for what ought to be an exceedingly entertaining Big Ten women’s basketball encounter Tuesday night.

Under first-year coach Robyn Fralick, the Spartans (11-2 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) are the league’s leading offensive team — and third nationally — at 92.5 points per game.

The Spartans have reached 100-plus points on four occasions.

Fourth-ranked Iowa (13-1, 2-0) is seventh offensively, at 90.8 points per game.

“I haven’t seen them play yet,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes’ win over Minnesota on Saturday. “I know they’ve got a new coach, and I’m sure they have a different system.

“I know they’re pressing a little bit, and I know they’re doing well.”

Tuesday’s tip is 8 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It is the first of seven Hawkeyes games that will be telecast exclusively by Peacock, a TV/streaming service under the NBC umbrella.

Fralick came to Michigan State from Bowling Green, where she served as head coach for five seasons, including a 31-win campaign last year.

At East Lansing, Fralick succeeds Suzy Merchant, who stepped down in March, citing health reasons. The Spartans have been a regular resident in the middle of the Big Ten standings for the past seven years.

Traditionally a defense-first program, this year’s Spartans are willing to get out and go.

Led by senior guard Moira Joyner (16.4 points per game), four of them are scoring in double figures.

Of course, the Hawkeyes will run full-throttle.

Caitlin Clark leads the nation in scoring (30.9 points per game) is fifth in assists (7.6 per game) and has climbed to No. 5 all-time in NCAA Division-I scoring (3,149 points).

Clark scored 35 points, and Hannah Stuelke added 19 (on 9-of-10 shooting) in the Hawkeyes’ 94-71 win over Minnesota on Saturday.

Iowa’s 10-game win streak is its longest since a 13-game string to start the 2004-05 season.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com