Women's Basketball Breakdown: Iowa vs. Nebraska

Hawkeyes open Big Ten schedule on the road.

Breaking down Saturday's game between Iowa and Nebraska.

Game facts

Time and place — 1 p.m., Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.

TV — BTN-Plus (Online)

Radio — Hawkeye Radio Network

Records — Iowa 9-2, Nebraska 10-1

Rankings — Neither team is ranked.

RPI — Iowa is 16th, Nebraska is 101st.

Series — Tied, 14-14.

The lineups

Iowa — Monika Czinano (C, 6-3, Soph., 15.1 ppg.), Kathleen Doyle (G, 5-9, Sr., 15.5 ppg.), Makenzie Meyer (G, 5-9, Sr., 15.9 ppg.), Alexis Sevillian (G, 5-9, Jr., 6.6 ppg., Amanda Ollinger (G, 6-1, Sr., 6.6 ppg.)

Nebraska — Ashtyn Verbeek (F, 6-2, Soph. 9.3 ppg.), Kate Cain (C, 6-5, Jr., 10.1 ppg.), Hannah Whitish (G, 5-9, Sr., 7.6 ppg.), Sam Haiby (G, 5-9, Soph., 10.7 ppg.), Nicea Eliely (G, 6-1, Sr., 8.2 ppg.)

Fast facts

• The Hawkeyes have won three of their last four games at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

• Iowa leads the Big Ten and is fifth nationally in assists at 21 per game.

• Czinano leads the nation in field goal percentage (.723).

What to watch

Both teams had strong nonconference records, but Iowa probably had the better tests — the Hawkeyes' strength of schedule ranks 24th nationally, while the Huskers' SOS is 309th.

Still, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder takes nothing for granted.

"When I first started in this league (in 2000-01), there were some gimmes," Bluder said. "There were teams you knew if you didn't give your best performance, you could still probably get out of there with a win. It's not that way anymore. Every game is so difficult, especially when you are on the road — winning on the road in the Big Ten is very special."

Nebraska's leading scorer, sophomore forward Leigha Brown, comes off the bench. Brown averages 14.7 points per game.

Cain, at 6-5, will be a good test for Czinano to open conference play.