HAWK TALK

March 2016

Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/651348

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 104 of 138

105 U niversity of Iowa freshmen Tania Davis and Megan Gustafson have grown immensely in their first season with Hawkeye women's basketball, wowing fans along the way. Both played their way in to the starting lineup and earned Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team recognition Feb. 29. ey are the fih duo from the same conference team to be named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 15 years and the first pair to accomplish the feat since 2008. "I'm thrilled to have two named to the Big Ten All- Freshman Team," UI head coach Lisa Bluder said. "Both are very deserving of this honor and I'm glad that everyone else in the league recognizes their excellence. It speaks volumes about the future of our program and what we're going to accomplish." Davis is one of two freshmen in the conference to lead her team in assists (110) and is second among freshmen in steals (35). e 5-foot-4 point guard is only the second freshman in Iowa women's basketball history to dish out more than 100 assists, joining All-American and first-round WNBA dra pick Samantha Logic (136). Logic started every game of her debut season, Davis has started 15 times. e Grand Blanc, Michigan, native compiled the first double-double of her career with 10 points and 10 assists against Michigan on March 3 at the Big Ten Tournament. Davis is the first Hawkeye to post 10-or-more assists in a tournament contest since Logic distributed 11 against Purdue in 2014. "Tania is an amazing leader," Bluder said. "She's an unselfish player, who loves the assist and the fancy pass. She will give up the shot in order to give her teammate one. ere's no doubt she loves any challenge and doesn't back down from anything. She has been a real blessing for us and we're happy to have Tania on our team." Gustafson has made her mark this year too, as she is the only freshman — and one of three players in the conference — to lead her squad in field goal percentage (.551), rebounds (213), and blocked shots (55). e 6-foot-3 center gained momentum as the season went on, tallying eight double- doubles in the last 12 games. e Port Wing, Wisconsin, native was impressive in her Big Ten Tournament debut against Michigan with a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Gustafson converted 10-of-13 field goal attempts in the 97-85 victory. "Megan has had nothing short of an amazing freshman year," Bluder said. "When you think that she leads our team in field goal percentage, blocked shots, and rebounding as a freshman, that bodes well for the future of her career and our program." e impact the duo has had on the Hawkeyes is significant for players making the jump from the high school level to the Big Ten. And just think, it's only the beginning.

Articles in this issue

view archives of HAWK TALK - March 2016