Two different looks, two solid options

IOWA CITY — Need speed? Chase Coley is your option. Prefer strength? Call on Megan Gustafson.

Regardless of matchup, the Iowa women's basketball team has one less question mark than it did three weeks ago.

'We've found that we've got two really good centers,' Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

The 21st-ranked Hawkeyes (4-0) take their new (Gustafson) and improved (Coley) posts on the road for three games in the next three days. It starts with an encounter with Wright State (4-1) as part of the Lone Star Classic at 11 a.m. Thursday in Austin, Texas.

Iowa meets No. 23 George Washington (2-1) at 1:30 p.m. Friday, then faces Houston (1-2) at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Gustafson and Coley took turns being the Hawkeyes' post with the most last week.

Last Thursday against Western Illinois, Gustafson scored 23 points as the Hawkeyes rallied to a 96-81 overtime win. Three days later, Coley answered with a 16-point, 14-rebound beauty in an 80-65 road triumph over Northern Iowa.

'I saw my dad after the game, and he said he was really proud of me,' said Coley, a sophomore who averaged 2.9 points per game as a freshman. 'Then, like always, he told me of things to work on to keep getting better.'

The minutes are split nearly evenly between the posts. Coley starts and averages 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game. Gustafson, who comes off the bench, is averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per contest. She ranks sixth in the nation in field-goal percentage (.731).

So the Hawkeyes are getting 21.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game out of their center position.

'Like (assistant coach Jan Jensen) said, we can give you two different looks in the post,' Coley said. 'Megan gives us a big, strong girl in there. I might be a little more agile.'

Bluder credits senior reserve Nicole Smith for the impact, and the progress that Coley and Gustafson have made.

'Nicole pushes them hard in practice,' Bluder said. 'She goes right at them. She told me before the season that her job is to make Chase and Megan as good as they can become.'

Coley said, 'I hate guarding (Smith) in practice. She's long, and has that hook shot that's hard to defend. But she's so helpful and makes us better.'

Wright State guard Kim Demmings is 11th in the country in scoring, at 24.4 points per game.

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