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15 U niversity of Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder understands what she graduated in Megan Gustafson, Tania Davis, and Hannah Stewart. e 2019 Hawkeye senior class was the backbone of a team that won 29 games and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championships. A few months aer commencement, a talented four-member freshman class was welcomed to Iowa City. But, well, they are still freshmen. "We felt coming into the year, that the sooner our freshmen embraced and felt a part of it, the quicker we would become a better basketball team," Bluder said. e Hawkeyes are off to a 5-2 start to the season with wins over Florida Atlantic, North Alabama, and Princeton — teams with winning records at the beginning of December. If you throw out the losses to Iowa, those three teams have a combined winning percentage of .842. Part of that early success has to do with freshmen Gabbie Marshall and McKenna Warnock acclimating quickly to the college game. Marshall, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Cincinnati, averages 8.1 points and two 3-point field goals per game; Warnock, a 6-1 forward from Marshall, Wisconsin, averages 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds a game. "Our freshmen are getting comfortable in their roles, especially Gabbie and McKenna," Bluder said. "ey seem to understand they are a big part of it now and realize we are counting on them, even though they are freshmen." Because of an injury to redshirt junior guard Alexis Sevillian, Marshall earned a start in her second collegiate game — an 86-81 win over North Alabama. She played 31 minutes, making 5 of 8 field goals and 3 of 5 3-point field goals for 13 points. Marshall also handed out three assists. "As a freshman, there is always that little lack of confidence when you start, because you don't know what to expect," Marshall said. "e team has made me feel comfortable and that makes me more confident in my game." Iowa senior sharp-shooter Makenzie Meyer leads the team with 18 3-point field goals, followed by Marshall with 14. At the Puerto Rico Clasico on Nov. 27 against Cincinnati, Marshall was 3 of 6 from distance; three days later against Washington, she was 0 of 5. It's a typical part of the up-and-down learning curve for a freshman. "Coach Bluder says I have the green light to shoot. I'm going to take the shot when I'm open," Marshall said. "As a shooter, you know, shooters shoot. You're always going to have off days. When you're shot is not falling, there are other things you can do to help the team." It isn't surprising that through seven games, the top two scorers for the Hawkeyes are seniors. Meyer averages 15.4 points per game and point guard Kathleen Doyle averages 14.9. It wasn't long ago when Meyer and Doyle were new kids on the block, trying to thrive in their roles on the roster. "We're gaining chemistry," Meyer said. "is is a young group, so it takes a while to blend together. We're finally starting to get to that point and feeling comfortable with each other. "Sometimes you forget that freshmen go through a growing period. It is adjusting to the speed of the game and a new system. ey are adjusting well, and I'm excited to see them continue to grow the rest of the season." Iowa plays six games in December. e Hawkeyes open Big Ten play Dec. 28 at Nebraska and host Illinois on New Year's Eve day. DECEMBER SCHEDULE Dec. 11 at Iowa State Dec. 14 North Carolina Central Dec. 21 Drake Dec. 28 at Nebraska Dec. 31 Illinois