Hawkeyes 'just scratching the surface'

CEDAR FALLS -- So let's get this straight.

They lost two of their top players to graduation. Their free throw percentage is down. Melissa Dixon hasn't yet found the range.

And yet, the Iowa Hawkeyes are averaging 81.6 points per game.

"Yeah, we've been pretty effective scoring," said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. "The thing is, we can be so much better. I think we're just scratching the surface."

The Hawkeyes (4-1) begin their intrastate series Sunday, when they face Northern Iowa (2-2). Tipoff is 2 p.m. at the McLeod Center.

It's not as if Iowa has been running up the score against a bunch of lightweights. The better the competition, the more prolific the Hawkeyes have been.

They racked up 97 points in an overtime win over Dayton and scored 87 in a loss at Colorado. Both of those teams are ranked.

Still, there are ways to get better, score more.

Long an Iowa staple, free-throw shooting has escaped them somewhat. The Hawkeyes are shooting a shade under 70 percent. Not bad, but not up to the standard Iowa has set in recent years.

The Hawkeyes missed five in the last 2 minutes of their loss Wednesday at Boulder.

"We've got to make those," Bluder said. "We dug a big hole (20 points) and worked so hard to get out of it."

Five Hawkeyes are scoring in double figures, led by Samantha Logic (15.6 ppg).

Dixon is averaging 10.2 points per game despite 24 percent from the floor (and 6 of 41 from 3-point range).

"Sometimes, when a shooter is struggling, it just gets in her head," Bluder said. "The only way out is to keep shooting the ball."

The same can be said for UNI freshman Madison Weekly, a Benton Community prep. Weekly is shooting 9 of 51 from the floor.

"Weekly is their Dixon, a great player that's just not putting it in the hole yet," Bluder said. "We know she's capable of going off."

Former DeWitt Central prep Jen Keitel leads the Panthers at 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.