The Iowa men’s team kicked off march madness in disastrous fashion on Thursday as they fell at the hands of the 12th seeded Richmond Spiders 67-63. Now it’s the women’s turn as they look to buck the trend of Big Ten Tournament champions being bounced in the first round.
For Lisa Bluder’s bunch, they’ll have a bit more favorable matchup and certainly a friendlier crowd as they play host to the 15th seed Illinois State Redbirds inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes steadily climbed the national rankings down the stretch and ultimately earned a 2 seed thanks in part to the incredible run to the Big Ten Tournament title and are rewarded with home court advantage through the first two rounds if they can advance that far.