Iowa women basketball coach Lisa Bluder will try to earn her 200th win as the Hawkeyes head coach against the school she used to coach for. The 15th ranked Hawkeyes take a 10-1 record to play Drake. Bluder spent ten years as the Bulldogs’ coach and assistant coaches Jan Jensen and Jenni Fitzgerald both played at Drake.
Bluder says Drake was her first Division one job and they were there when the Knapp Center opened up and there are many emotional parts to the game. Bluder says over the years she has become more accustomed to coaching against Drake. She says they are still very close to a lot of former Drake players, and while it’s not as emotional as it once was, it will “always have a place in our heart.”
Iowa is coming off a 66-54 won at South Dakota State. Drake is 5-4 and will need a big effort to have a chance. Drake coach Amy Stephens says Iowa’s starting five as good as any they have played. She says the Bulldogs must limit Iowa’s offensive rebounds after a game where they gave up 17 offensive rebounds. Stephens says Iowa has always been a great rebounding team.
Iowa has won the last eight games in the series, including the last four in the Knapp Center.