The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa –
IOWA CITY – Earlier this week when asked what her team needed to do to replace the game-night contributions of Jamie Printy, University of Iowa teammate Samantha Logic suggested quietly that everyone else on the women’s basketball team needed to do just a little more than they would have before the Hawkeyes’ all-Big Ten guard was lost for the season.
Thursday night on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the multi-talented freshman guard from Racine, Wis., did exactly that and a little more to lead Iowa to a convincing 75-58 victory over Minnesota in the Hawkeyes’ annual “Pink Game” in support of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Logic entered the contest averaging 7.7 points per game, but just a week away from dropping 20 points on Wisconsin in Iowa’s 69-57 overtime win in Madison. She was also averaging six rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
The 5-foot-9 high school All-American completed her night with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Morgan Johnson led all scorers with 23 points. Iowa’s post player also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Kamille Wahlin added 19 points and five three-point baskets.
Rachel Banham led Minnesota with 20 points. Katie Loberg added 10.
The victory was Iowa’s fourth straight and second in a row since the loss of Printy. It pushed Iowa’s Big Ten Conference record to 7-5 and the team’s overall mark to 15-10. The Gophers fell to 4-8 in league play – a mark that includes a victory over league-leading and nationally ranked Ohio State – and 12-14 for the season.
The Hawkeyes put this game away early in the second half building a 15-point halftime margin to a 20 at 47-27 on buckets by Melissa Dixon, Wahlin and Morgan in the first two minutes. The lead reached 54-31 on a layup by Dixon at the 14:56 mark.
Iowa started the game fast, grabbing an 11-4 lead, thanks in large measure to the play of Logic, who opened the game the first of seven there-pointers by the Hawkeyes. The crafty freshman scored five points, grabbed three rebounds, and was credited with an assist all before the first television timeout.
Logic’s line at halftime showed 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, 5-of-6 shooting from the line, five rebounds, a pair of assists, and a steal in 17 minutes of court time. Wahlin added 13 points – nine coming from behind the arc, four rebounds, and two assists, and Johnson seven points and five rebounds.
Iowa’s offense was sparked by eight steals and a 26-15 edge in rebounds, totals that included an 8-4 edge in favor of the home team in offensive rebounds.
The Hawkeyes return to action Sunday, hosting Michigan State at 2 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
