Hawks' 'redemption tour' continues at Penn State

IOWA CITY — The low point of the University of Iowa women's basketball season didn't come in a series of blown leads during the Big Ten season.

No, it came just over a month ago, at home against Penn State.

'It's one of those (video) tapes you want to throw away,' Coach Lisa Bluder said Monday. 'I don't want to look at it. It makes me sick to my stomach.

'I'd venture to say it was our worst game of the year.'

The Hawkeyes didn't blow a lead that day. They didn't have a lead to blow. They were outplayed from start to finish in a flat 82-69 loss.

'We're going to need to do a lot of things differently,' Bluder said. 'That one really felt like a shock to me.'

With two straight wins, Iowa (17-11, 7-9) has put itself back on the verge of NCAA tournament contention. The Hawkeyes get another crack at the Lady Lions at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa.

'We're still on a redemption tour. And we want it,' Bluder said.

The Hawkeyes defeated Purdue and Indiana at home last week. A third straight win would mark Iowa's longest winning streak since a four-game run that ended Jan. 4.

'It shows that we're making progress,' junior Ally Disterhoft said. 'Being able to finish those games off is a good sign.'

Megan Gustafson earned Big Ten freshman of the week honors, the first time an Iowa player was so honored since 2012. The native of Port Wing, Wis., is third on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and leads the squad at 6.3 rebounds per contest. She has started the last nine games.

'At first, I was thinking about it too much,' she said. 'I was making sloppy moves. Now I'm more confident and comfortable.'

Penn State (10-17, 5-11) has its own freshman ace in Teniya Page, who leads the Lady Lions in scoring at 15.8 points per game. Brianna Banks, a transfer from the University of Connecticut, adds 13.6 ppg.

Iowa closes its regular season Saturday at home against last-place Illinois.

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