To most, the idea of a quick, mid-week getaway sounds like a dream come true. A chance to relax, see new sights and spend time with friends.
But for the Northwestern women’s basketball team, who have yet to snap their 22-game Big Ten road losing streak, its trip tonight is far from a vacation.
And the Wildcats aren’t jetting off to a tropical paradise — they’re going to Iowa.
But the Corn State might just be the perfect destination for the Cats. The Hawkeyes — which haven’t won any Big Ten games this season — could be the foe NU needs to put a win in their 0-6 away record this season.
“To finally get a Big Ten victory on the road would be great,” sophomore center Sarah Kwasinski said. “We want it bad. We’re hungry.”
Unfortunately for the Cats, the Hawkeyes are equally hungry. Coming off a 29-point loss at No. 9 Minnesota on Sunday, Iowa is looking for redemption in its Big Ten home opener. That defeat wrapped up three straight away games for the Hawkeyes, and the Cats are hoping their opponent is fatigued.
Iowa boasts stellar offensive rebounding, ranking second in the conference in offensive boards this season — a fact the Cats, last place in offensive rebounds, aren’t overlooking.
“They’re great at getting the ball, and we want to stop that and make it work for us,” Kwasinski said. “We’ve been struggling with our offensive rebounds, but we’ve been working on our technique in that area.”
Junior forward Jennie Lillis leads the Hawkeyes with 14.2 points per game, just ahead of NU’s Kwasinski, who averages 13.8 points.
“We can’t give Iowa any second chance points,” Olkowski said. “Jennie (Lillis) is an inside threat, but we’ve got to rebound out of the zone.”
In its practices this week, NU has been strategizing against Iowa’s inside-outside game, Kwasinski said.
Besides wanting a win, NU hopes to be healthy tonight. Samantha McComb was hit by the stomach flu earlier this week and missed practice Tuesday, but Olkowski said the sophomore guard likely will play tonight.
With a perfect 6-0 record at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season, Iowa wants to keep its home winning streak going tonight. But NU isn’t ready to hand them the victory in the two squads’ only match-up of the season.
“We’ve come off some hard losses this season, like against Penn State and DePaul,” Kwasinski said. “We know what it feels like to lose, and we’re ready to move ahead in the conference.”
NU (6-9, 1-3 Big Ten) at Iowa (6-5, 0-2)
7 p.m. tonight
Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Player to watch: Iowa forward Jennie Lillis. Look for Lillis to lead her team in offensive rebounds — a weak point for NU.
