Hawkeyes make it 2 straight for first time in a month

IOWA CITY — Every game, particularly those against fellow middle-of-the-pack teams, is magnified now.

Every win is celebrated. Every loss is mourned.

A defeat Saturday would have put the Iowa Hawkeyes in a tie for ninth in the Big Ten women's basketball race. Instead, they pulled away gradually in the second half and downed Minnesota, 80-65, in front of a season-high 7,191 Saturday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

'We've played four straight good team games,' Ally Disterhoft said. 'This gives us confidence going forward.'

Iowa (13-7 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) has won back-to-back games for the first time since early December and climbed into sole possession of fifth place in the conference race.

The Hawkeyes were on the wrong side of the NCAA bubble last season. Saturday's win was one they needed to enhance their positioning.

'You only play a lot of these teams once, and it keeps you in front of them,' Coach Lisa Bluder said. 'This was a good RPI victory for us.'

Iowa trailed by as many as seven points in the first half, got within 36-35 by halftime, then controlled the second half.

Megan Gustafson converted a three-point play to put the Hawkeyes in front, 43-41, and they maintained — then eventually extended — the lead the rest of the way.

Makenzie Meyer scored just five points, but they came at a big time. With the Hawkeyes in front, 65-59, she hit a 3-pointer, then scored on a feed from Kathleen Doyle to ignite a 12-0 surge to put the game away.

Gustafson registered 19 points and 12 rebounds, her 10th double-double of the season. Disterhoft, who had been in a shooting slump since conference play began, rediscovered her stroke and added 17 points.

'Obviously, it had been frustrating,' Disterhoft said. 'You've got to have a shooter's mentality; they don't stop shooting when they have a cold streak.'

Doyle added 11 points, and Tania Davis did what great point guards do, scoring 10 points with an 8-to-1 assist-to-turnover margin.

'It's just so great to see the joy on my teammates' faces when the ball goes through the hoop,' Davis said.

The Hawkeyes held Minnesota (11-9, 2-5) to 10-of-34 shooting (29 percent) from the floor in the second half. Carlie Wagner and Whitney Tinjum scored 10 points apiece in the first half, then combined for six between them after intermission.

Gadiva Hubbard paced the Gophers with 18 points, and Wagner added 16.

Iowa has some momentum going, but doesn't play again until next Sunday — at No. 3 Maryland.

'When you're on a roll, you want to keep going,' Bluder said. 'But we'll come into practice with a little more pep in our step.'

Disterhoft said, 'This is a chance to rest our legs. We'll use this week constructively.'

IOWA 80, MINNESOTA 65

At Iowa City

MINNESOTA (65): Jessie Edwards 2-7 0-0 4, Joanna Hedstrom 2-4 0-0 6, Kenisha Bell 4-14 3-3 11, Carlie Wagner 6-20 4-5 16, Gadiva Hubbard 6-12 3-4 18, Taiye Bello 0-0 0-0 0, Bryanna Fernstrom 0-1 0-0 0, Jasmine Brunson 0-0 0-0 0, Palma Kaposi 0-0 0-0 0, Whitney Tinjum 4-5 0-0 10, Annalese Lamke 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-64 10-12 65.

IOWA (80): Megan Gustafson 8-13 3-3 19, Ally Disterhoft 6-12 2-2 17, Makenzie Meyer 2-5 0-0 5, Tania Davis 4-9 1-1 10, Kathleen Doyle 4-7 2-4 11, Alexa Kastanek 1-2 0-0 3, Chase Coley 3-9 0-0 6, Hannah Stewart 1-1 0-0 2, Christina Buttenham 0-1 2-2 2, Carly Mohns 0-1 0-0 0, Bre Cera 2-3 0-0 5, Hailey Schneden 0-1 0-0 0, Amanda Ollinger 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-64 10-12 80.

Halftime: Minnesota 36, Iowa 35. 3-point goals: Minnesota 7-17 (Hedstrom 2-3, Bell 0-1, Wagner 0-5, Hubbard 3-5, Tinjum 2-3), Iowa 8-22 (Disterhoft 3-7, Meyer 1-4, Davis 1-5, Doyle 1-2, Kastanek 1-2, Buttenham 0-1, Cera 1-1). Team fouls: Minnesota 15, Iowa 13. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Minnesota 34 (Edwards 14), Iowa 40 (Gustafson 12). Assists: Minnesota 13 (Bell, Wagner 4), Iowa 24 (Davis 8). Steals: Minnesota 5 (five with 1), Iowa 6 (Davis, Doyle 2). Turnovers: Minnesota 11, Iowa 11.

Attendance: 7,191.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com