The Hawkeyes (26-6) earned a No. 2 seed when the pairings were released — prematurely — Monday afternoon. They will face 15-seed Mercer (25-7) at 1 p.m. Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Mercer won the Southern Conference tournament championship and carries a 17-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes and the Bears have never met.

The delicious aspect of the Iowa City subregion is the other first-round game. No. 7-seed Missouri (23-10) meets 10-seed Drake (27-6) at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Missouri is coached by Robin (Becker) Pingeton, formerly of Cedar Rapids Jefferson and a former player of Bluder’s at St. Ambrose. Drake is coached by Jennie (Lillis) Baranczyk, another former Bluder player.

Iowa defeated Drake, 91-82, Dec. 21 in Des Moines behind a 44-point outing from Megan Gustafson.

The Hawkeyes are 15-0 at Carver this season.

NCAA brackets were leaked mid-afternoon Monday, will before the Selection Show, which was scheduled for 6 p.m., then moved up to 4 p.m. on ESPN.