Tough stretches all around

IOWA CITY - UNI's extended season-opening women's basketball road swing runs through Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday.

High-scoring, 18th-ranked Iowa entertains the Panthers in the first intrastate battle for both teams. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

'We're in a tough stretch,” said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. 'Three games in five days ... that's tough to do, especially at this time of the season.”

Speaking of tough stretches, consider UNI.

Each of the Panthers' first six games are played away from the McLeod Center. UNI (1-1) opened with a win over Tulsa, then followed with a loss at Akron.

The road to a mythical state championship is no longer a full round-robin. UNI doesn't play Iowa State this season, so mythical is even more mythical this year.

Iowa (4-0) is averaging 94.8 points per game and has been at 90-plus on three occasions. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 9:40 to beat Dayton, 90-83, in the championship game of the Hawkeye Challenge on Saturday.

Four Hawkeyes are scoring in double-figures, led by Melissa Dixon at 16.8 points per game. Samantha Logic posted a triple-double - the fifth of her career - Saturday and is averaging 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game.

Sophomore Madison Weekly paces the Panthers at 18.5 points per game. The former Benton Community all-stater is shooting 61.9 percent from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point distance.

Jen Keitel adds 17.5 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Panthers.

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