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UNIVERSITY OF IOWA BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 2, 2017

Lisa Bluder

Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa - 71, Rutgers - 57

LISA BLUDER: First of all, I just think this was a great day. For us to be able to come out here and celebrate National Women and Girls in Sport Day, and to be able to have Vivian (Stringer) come back, to have Dr. Grant here, it was really special, and I'm just so thankful that we got to celebrate this day today.

I asked Dr. Grant to come back last week, and I said, Dr. Grant, we're having all the other female athletes here, this just screams Dr. Grant; and I'm just so pleased that she could be here and be a part of it. I said this to her, and I mean it: Without you, I don't know if we'd be having a game here tonight. I think she's meant that much to women's athletics across the United States, and I have so much admiration for her. So I'm really, really pleased to be able to share this night with her and then to come out with a good victory against Rutgers.

Megan had another double-double, tied a season high of 25 points. It was really nice to see Ally shooting the ball well tonight, 3 for 6 from three-point range, but I loved -- the statistic I loved the most probably is that she had nine rebounds tonight, including three offensive rebounds. I've been on her a little bit about that, so it's nice to have her one rebound shy of a double-double.

But just want to thank the crowd for coming out and helping us celebrate tonight. That was really meaningful to all of us.

Q. Before the game you wanted to emphasize rebounding. I know their offensive rebounds are down a little, but your take on the rebounding tonight?
LISA BLUDER: We got out-rebounded pretty badly at their place just two weeks ago, and for us to come out here and out-rebound them just speaks volumes about their focus on it. We crashed extremely well tonight. We got 42 percent of offensive rebounds, which is great, against a team like Rutgers, and we only had four offensive rebounds over at their place last time, so that's a big improvement, and I like to see us this time of year making improvements in those areas.

Q. 20 to 2 free throws; how does that happen? Were you just the more aggressive team?
LISA BLUDER: It happened at their place, as well. I think we attacked really well. I thought we got the ball inside, and that gives us opportunities to shoot free throws. But I do think that we're pretty smart at attacking and drawing fouls, too.

Q. Which was more impressive, the worm after Iowa State or that little kick the ball up in heels?
LISA BLUDER: At my age it's easier to do that than to bend over and pick it up.

Q. Michigan coming up, start of a big six-game stretch for you guys.
LISA BLUDER: Yeah, obviously we're going to have to bring a great defensive game. They're scoring 80 points a game. They're 11-0 on their home court. They've got three outstanding scorers. They have a 6'5" center, but Megan doesn't shy away from that, but they are shooting the three ball very, very well, and we are going to need great three-point defense against them at their place.

Q. Was this upcoming stretch kind of the one that you had circled on the calendar before the season started?
LISA BLUDER: No. No, now I've got the next one circled. That's all I ever do.

Q. You got off to a hot start and you saw Rutgers kind of chip away, all the way down to four I think late in the third. What's it say about your team that they were able to withstand those runs and then pull away with the win?
LISA BLUDER: I think our team understands that basketball is a game of momentum. Swings happen within the game, and we had a run, they get a run. It happens, and you just have to not lose your confidence or lose your cool or composure when those things happen, and I think our team -- and I think Ally, the senior out there, really leads them and helps them with those type of situations.

Q. Ally and Megan both had 20-plus points. Is that kind of what you expect from them in a game where Rutgers is defensively aggressive and that might impose the freshmen to struggle more scoring?
LISA BLUDER: Our goal is to have five people in double figures every game. We want balanced scoring. Some games it happens and some games it doesn't. Sometimes you go to what's working. You can go in with a game plan and then you have to alter that depending on what's working for you and what's not working for you. I think our players are really smart at understanding, hey, if something is working, keep going to the well, and they understand how effective and efficient Megan is on the block. Our guards each had five assists tonight. You look at Kathleen tonight and Makenzie, each of them had five assists. So they're understanding who to look for in those type of situations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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