IOWA CITY — A postseason run benefits the youngsters on the University of Iowa women’s basketball team. The veterans are thriving, too.
Senior Alexa Kastanek scored a season-high 19 points with five 3-point field goals and senior Ally Disterhoft added 15 points and four assists to lead the Hawkeyes (20-13) to the WNIT quarterfinals with an 80-62 victory over Colorado (17-16) on Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa shot 56 percent from the field through three quarters (25-of-45) and built a 25-point lead with 6:44 left in the third quarter. It added up to the Hawkeyes’ eighth consecutive victory at home and the program’s eighth 20-win season in the last decade.
Thursday’s attendance of 3,735 was 509 more than the Hawkeyes played in front of in their WNIT home opener against Missouri State and 1,441 more than South Dakota.
“We love playing at Carver, especially with the fan support,” Disterhoft said. “Fans don’t know it, but the energy they bring influences the game, and I know that our team gets excited to play in front of our fans.”
It was the second time this season Kastanek has scored in double figures. She had 17 points (and five 3-pointers) during a 71-30 win over Massachusetts on Nov. 19.
Meyer added 13 points, sophomore Megan Gustafson scored 12, and freshman Kathleen Doyle had nine points with three steals.
Gustafson pulled down eight rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes. She became the fourth Hawkeye in program history to score more than 600 points in a single season.
Iowa hosts a WNIT quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. Sunday against Washington State.