Hawks play league game during non-league season

IOWA CITY - They have to play it sometime.

Iowa hosts Michigan in its Big Ten women's basketball opener today (5 p.m., Carver-Hawkeye Arena). Then it's back to non-conference action before resuming league play in 22 days.

The fluky deal is a byproduct of an 18-game Big Ten schedule, the holiday season and final exams.

“If we didn't play (today), we'd have had to play on Christmas Day,” said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. “I don't love the situation, but we're back to a 16-game schedule next year.”

The timing isn't great for Iowa (5-3). Injuries have riddled the Hawkeyes. And Michigan (5-2) is notoriously a start-fast, finish-slow program.

At 76.3 points per game, the Wolverines are second in the league in scoring offense.

“They're a much-improved team this year,” Bluder said. “They're playing very good basketball.”

The game features the Big Ten's most prolific outside shooting teams. Iowa averages eight 3-point goals per game, and Michigan shoots 39 percent from behind the arc.

Kamille Wahlin has emerged as Iowa's top player since Kachine Alexander was sidelined with a stress fracture in her lower right leg. Wahlin is averaging 22 points per game since Alexander's injury.

Because of the team's medical woes - JoAnn Hamlin is out for the season with a blood clot in her leg and Hannah Draxten is sidelined indefinitely with a herniated disc - Bluder has backed off the length and pace of practice.

“(Thursday), we didn't go on the floor at all. We watched film for an hour. That's highly unusual for me,” Bluder said. “(Friday), we practiced an hour, 50 minutes. Usually it's closer to three hours.

“For the amount of minutes we're playing, we need to save our legs.”