Hawkeyes start stretch of 3 straight ranked opponents

IOWA CITY -- They're not invincible, not untouchable.

Iowa begins a three-game women's basketball set against ranked teams Sunday at 22nd-ranked Penn State. There's reason for optimism -- namely, the Lady Lions' 1-2 Big Ten record at the Bryce Jordan Center.

"Road games are always tough, and just knowing that Penn State has lost twice on their home court in Big Ten play is huge for us," said Iowa's Jaime Printy. "We've just got to go in there knowing that we can do the same thing to them."

Tipoff is 2 p.m. for a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Iowa (11-8 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) picked up a necessary win Thursday, shooting 67 percent from the field in the second half of a 69-57 win over Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes outrebounded the Badgers 41-19 and made all 16 of their free throws.

The triumph was required because the next three games are extremely challenging. After Sunday's contest, the Hawkeyes travel to No. 20 Nebraska, then host No. 13 Purdue.

"It's important for us to get wins here," Iowa's Kamille Wahlin said. "We've let a few opportunities slip away, and we've put ourselves in this position, but we've been here before, and we just need to handle it and take one game at a time and kind of get ourselves back in it."

Penn State (14-4, 4-2) has won three straight games, two away from home. The Lady Lions are an explosive offensive team -- they average 76.4 points per game and have topped 100 on three occasions.

"They're a very fast team," Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. "They're an extremely fast team, great transition offense.  They've got a great shooter in Maggie Lucas, a tremendous three-point shooter, very good point guard in Alex Bentley.

"Yeah, I think their offense is pretty darned good."

After going scoreless against Virginia Tech on Nov. 30, Wahlin has scored in double figures nine times in the last 12 games.

"I guess I'm looking to be a little more aggressive, looking a little bit more on my shots instead of being passive," she said.

IOWA (11-8, 3-3) at PENN STATE (14-4, 4-2)

Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.

Tipoff: 2 p.m. Sunday

TV: ESPN2

Radio: WMT-AM (600), KXIC-AM (800)

Notable: It's the first of three straight games against ranked teams for the Hawkeyes, and it's the only meeting of the season between the teams. Jaime Printy scored 25 points in the Hawkeyes' 69-57 win over Wisconsin on Thursday. She is averaging a team-high 18.1 points per game and has moved into the top 10 on Iowa's all-time career scoring chart. Penn State is just 1-2 at home in Big Ten play. Maggie Lucas leads an explosive club, averaging 20.3 points per game. The Lady Lions average 76.4 per game.

Next up for Iowa: at Nebraska, 7 p.m. Thursday

BIG TEN STANDINGS

Conf.

All

Purdue

6-0

16-3

Ohio State

5-1

18-1

Nebraska

4-2

15-3

Michigan

4-2

15-4

Penn State

4-2

14-4

Michigan State

4-2

12-7

Iowa

3-3

11-8

Minnesota

3-3

11-9

Northwestern

2-4

12-7

Wisconsin

1-5

5-13

Illinois

0-6

6-13

Indiana

0-6

5-14

SUNDAY'S GAMES

Iowa at Penn State, 2 p.m.

Indiana at Michigan, 1 p.m.

Illinois at Ohio State, 1 p.m.

Northwestern at Wisconsin, 2 p.m.

Minnesota at Nebraska, 5 p.m.

MONDAY'S GAME

Michigan State at Purdue, 6:30 p.m.