Bluder: Hawks need to ‘keep our heads on straight’

The message had nothing to do with the miniature bobblehead in her likeness that stood at the press table Wednesday afternoon.

It had everything to do with her team, regarding the next three games.

“We have to make sure we keep our heads on straight,” said University of Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder. “These are games we need to win, and we should win. But we've got to be focused to get the wins.”

The 16th-ranked Hawkeyes (9-1) face a five-day, three-game stretch (it begins Saturday at South Dakota State) that will conclude the pre-conference season.

After tangling with the Jackrabbits (4-5), Iowa plays at Drake (5-4) on Monday and hosts Northern Iowa (6-3) next Wednesday.

“It's definitely challenging,” said sophomore guard Jaime Printy. “But I think we're ready for it.”

The physical activity will be a release from final examinations, which wrap up Friday. Academics have been the priority since the Hawkeyes beat Iowa State, 62-40, last Thursday.

“We'll be ready to play again,” said post Morgan Johnson. “It will be good to get out of the studying zone for a while and do something else for a change.”

Iowa is coming off a three-game stretch against North Carolina, Kansas State and Iowa State - power schools from power conferences.

The next three opponents don't have that name value, which concerns Bluder.

“It has me nervous,” she said. “It's easy to get motivated against the teams we just played. South Dakota State … maybe they don't have the name recognition as those teams, but that's a strong team that will be that much stronger on its home floor.

“Drake and UNI, that's two in-state rivals. It's one down and two to go for a (mythical) state championship.”

Bluder bobbleheads (see video) will be handed out to the first 1,500 fans for the UNI game.

Before the season began, Bluder targeted a 12-1 non-conference record. That's still attainable.

“Honestly, 12-1 is what I was hoping for,” she said. “I thought that if we came out of the (UNC-KSU-ISU) stretch with two wins, that would be pretty good.”

Printy is ranked second nationally in free throw shooting at 96.8 percent. She missed her first foul shot of the season, then has hit 30 in a row. Lindsey Meder holds the school record with 33 consecutive free throws during the 2000-01 season.

“My goal was to shoot 100 percent this season, but that (went by the wayside) in a hurry,” said Printy, who once made 134 in a row during a shootaround at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “I just want to go up there each time and knock them down.”