Iowa History Daily: On February 28, 1982, Lisa Becker poured in 63 points to send Cedar Rapids Jefferson to state. A 6-on-6 legend, Becker went on to star for the Hawkeyes while helping Iowa to the school’s first Big Ten title and first NCAA tournament appearance.
Becker grew up in Atkins, but transferred from the small Benton County to play high school basketball at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Over her career she started to rack up the points, and during her junior season she started to break records. In late-February of 1982, she led the J-Hawks to a 79-74 win over Mount Vernon. Becker dropped 64 points to allow the J-Hawks to quality for state by snapping Mount Vernon’s 22-game winning streak.
Although Becker’s junior season ultimately ended with a loss to Guthrie Center at state, she returned to put up 58.7 points per game, as a senior while capturing the title of ‘Miss Basketball’ for Iowa in 1983. Heading down I-380 to Iowa City, Becker shined for C. Vivian Stringer’s Hawkeyes.
Playing at Iowa from 1983-1987, Becker racked up 1,335 points while helping put the program on the national map. During her senior season, the Hawks posted a 26-5 record while finishing 17-1 in the Big 10. Becker went on to play for Athletes in Action, where she met her future husband Michael Porter Senior. The couple’s son, Michael Porter Junior currently plays for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
