Whirlwind schedule has Hawks at Drake tonight

IOWA CITY - She coached at Drake. She played at Northern Iowa.

“They're both still special places for me,” said Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder. “To go to the Knapp Center, it's a special thing. It will always have a place in my heart.”

The Hawkeyes' five-day whirlwind continues tonight, when they travel to Des Moines for a 7 p.m. date with Drake.

No. 16 Iowa (10-1) cleared its first hurdle in the three-game, five-day swing, defeating South Dakota State, 65-54, Saturday.

The Hawkeyes flew to Brookings, S.D., late Friday after the last final exams were taken, pulled away in the final five minutes to hold off the Jackrabbits, then flew home.

They drive to Des Moines today to face the Bulldogs (5-4), drive home, then host UNI (7-3) on Wednesday.

Iowa has the inside track to the mythical state title after downing Iowa State, 62-40, Dec. 9.

“It's one down, two to go for the state championship,” Bluder said.

Sophomore Morgan Johnson scored a career-high 26 points in the Hawkeyes' win at SDSU. She has scored more than 20 points on three occasions this season.

"I'm proud of Morgan. She continues to get better and better,” Bluder said in her postgame news conference.

Bluder coached at Drake for 10 seasons before taking the Iowa job. Since arriving in Iowa City, Bluder is 8-2 against Drake (with eight straight wins) and 7-1 against UNI.