Iowa Women's Basketball Tip Time Preview: Southern Lady Jaguars

SOUTHERN LADY JAGUARS (0-0, 0-0) AT #21 IOWA HAWKEYES (0-0, 0-0)

TIME: 6:30pm CT

TV: BTN+ – AJ Reisetter and Sam Kupres

SERIES: 4th Meeting – Iowa leads the series 3-0 – Won last meeting 87-34 back in ’22

BY THE NUMBERS (2024-25)

OFFENSE: IOWA: 74.4 PPG, 46.4% FG, 35.3% 3PT, 16.1 TO SOUTHERN: 59.3 PPG, 37.5% FG, 29.5% 3PT, 14.9 TO

DEFENSE: IOWA: 65.8 PPG, 39.4% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 15.6 TO, +5.8 REB MARGIN SOUTHERN: 57.2 PPG, 37.8% FG, 29.1% 3PT, 19.6 TO, -3.2 REB MARGIN

IOWA HAWKEYES PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Chit-Chat Wright	Point Guard	5-4/ Soph.	Georgia Tech transfer. Averaged 7.2 PPG, 2.6 AST and 25.3 MIN last season. Made 43 threes and posted a 2.21 assist-to-turnover ratio. 12 pts, 4 ast vs Ashland Univ
Taylor McCabe	Guard	5-9/ Sr.	Averaged 6.7 PPG, 23.5 MIN last season. Career-high 68 made threes at 40.5% shooting. 12 games with 3+ made threes. 9 pts, 4 reb vs Ashland Univ
Kylie Feuerbach	Guard	6-0/ Grad	Averaged 6.7 PPG, 2.3 AST and 25.4 MIN last season. Career-high 38 made threes and 78 assists. 5 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast vs Ashland Univ
Hannah Stuelke	Forward	6-2/ Sr.	Averaged 12.7 PPG, 7.7 REB and 27.5 MIN last season. Scored 10+ points in 25 of 32 games. Recorded seven double-doubles. 23 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast vs Ashland Univ
Ava Heiden	Center	6-4/ Soph.	Averaged 5.0 PPG, 2.6 REB and 9.7 MIN last season. Scored in double figures in three of last four games. 14 pts, 12 reb vs Ashland Univ

SOUTHERN JAGUARS PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

D’Shantae Edwards	Guard	5-7/ Sr.	Averaged 4.7 PPG, 1.9 REB and 21.6 MIN last season. Scored in double figures in three games. Former Bethune-Cookman transfer (8.2 ppg in ’24).
Aniya Gourdine	Guard	5-9/ Sr.	Averaged team-high 12.0 PPG, 4.7 REB, 2.8 AST and 25.7 MIN last season. Led the team in made field goals (140) and steals (75). Scored in double figures in 23 games.
Mykayla Cunningham	Guard	5-10/ Jr.	Lindenwood transfer. Averaged 7.6 PPG, 3.8 REB and 3.1 AST last season. Scored in double figures in nine games. Tallied 5+ assists in six games.
Jocelyn Tate	Guard	5-11/ Soph.	Averaged 6.0 PPG, 4.5 REB and 20.1 MIN last season. Led the team in bench minutes. Second on the team in offensive boards (55) and steals (61).
Anaja Hall	Center	6-5/ Jr.	Alabama State transfer. Averaged 3.8 PPG and 2.2 REB as a freshman in ’23. Career-high 12 points at Miami FL. Tallest player on the roster.

SOUTHERN PLAYER TO WATCH: Guard Aniya Gourdine

One of just two returning starters for the Lady Jaguars, senior guard Aniya Gourdine was the leading scorer last season and a Second Team All-SWAC selection, averaging 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. She wasn’t a very efficient scorer, shooting just 38.7% from the floor and 28.8% from three-point range, but she averaged 11.3 shot attempts per game, so expect her to get shots up. Gourdine scored in double figures in 23 of 32 games, including a season-high 22 points on 9/15 shooting against Nebraska. She is a capable rebounder and defender, tallying 6+ boards in 13 games and 3+ steals in 13 games.

KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH: Iowa Frontcourt vs Southern Frontcourt

The Hawkeyes hold a distinct advantage in the frontcourt, with Hannah Stuelke (6’2), Ava Heiden (6’4) and Layla Hays (6’5). Meanwhile, Southern just doesn’t have enough size or experience to counter that. Alabama State transfer Anaja Hall is 6’5 but is the most experienced of the three Lady Jaguars that stand taller than 6’0. Even as the most experienced height option, she is averaging just 12.3 minutes per game over two collegiate seasons. This feels like a game where the Hawkeyes will be able to get whatever they want in the paint and around the basket. If Heiden and Stuelke can both be efficient around the hoop, they should have a pretty good night.

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS

The Lady Jaguars are coming off of a 21-15 season that saw them go 18-3 against SWAC opponents, including winning the SWAC Tournament Championship. They defeated UC San Diego in the First Four the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament win, before falling to UCLA in the First Round. Under seventh-year head coach Carlos Funchess, the Lady Jaguars have appeared in three NCAA Tournaments.

Although guard Aniya Gourdine is the top player to watch for the Lady Jaguars, there are a couple more names to keep an eye on tonight, starting with Lindenwood transfer guard Mykayla Cunningham. A notable contributor for the Lions, mostly as a bench option the last two years, Cunningham is averaging 7.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game over 61 career games, including 14 starts. Last season, for a team that made a WNIT Super 16 appearance, she scored in double figures in nine games, including a season-high 15 points against Western Illinois. Cunningham also tallied 5+ assists in six games, with a season-high eight assists against Tulsa in the WNIT.

Sophomore guard Jocelyn Tate appeared in 34 games, with two starts as a true freshman last season, but could move into the starting lineup this year, after averaging 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She shot just 38.7% from the floor, but got to the free-throw line a decent amount, averaging 6.0 attempts per game. Tate scored in double figures in five games, including a season-high 15 points against Prairie View A&M, while she also pulled down 6+ rebounds in ten games, recording a season-high 14 boards against Southern University at New Orleans.

Rounding out the players to know for the Lady Jaguars, senior guard D’Shantae Edwards started 30 of 36 games last season, averaging 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures in just three games last season, but she will likely take a bigger a scoring role this season. Prior to her arrival at Southern, Edwards averaged 8.2 points per game over two seasons at Bethune-Cookman. She will also be someone to watch on the defensive end, leading the SWAC in steals as a true freshman (91), while she has tallied 210 steals in 96 careers games (2.2 per gm).

A deeper look at the advanced stats (2024-25) behind the matchup between the Hawkeyes and Jaguars…

THE PICK

Warren Nolan Projection: IOWA 83 SOUTHERN 55

Bart Torvik Projection: IOWA 82 SOUTHERN 55

The official start to a new year of Iowa women’s hoops has arrived and they should be able to take care of business tonight for a 1-0 start to the season. Southern has consistently been one of the top teams in the SWAC, but they are just 1-24 against Power 4 opponents over the last three seasons. That one win was a big one, defeating #21 Oklahoma (79-70) back in 2023, but the average score has been 77.5-49.0 over those 25 contests. Look for the Hawkeyes dominate in the paint and roll to season opening win. IOWA 87 SOUTHERN 54