The Iowa women fell out of first place in the Big Ten with a loss to Ohio State last Thursday, but got right back into a tie Monday when the Buckeyes lost on the road at Indiana. The Hawkeyes look to hold onto the top spot with the first of their two final regular season games tonight at home against Northwestern.
Coach Lisa Bluder says this is the position they want to be in. Bluder says the destiny is in their hands as they have the opportunity to tie by winning both games, and she says there’s no weighted value on either game as the need both. She says the Northwestern game will be a little more emotional then the game at Wisconsin Saturday, as it is the last home game for five seniors.
Bluder says a shared or outright Big Ten title would be big for the program. Bluder says it would mean a lot of things for recruiting and be an incredibly successful career for the seniors, and would bode well for the future with a strong junior class returning.
Bluder says finishing with two wins would also give them post-season momentum. Bluder says you want to end your year on the a positive note, and she believes the tournament is wide open, with many teams struggling on the road this year and the tournament at a neutral site. She says her team’s experience should give them an advantage on a neutral floor.
Iowa enters the game at 11-5 in the conference and 18-9 overall. Northwestern is 1-15 in the conference, and 5-23 overall.