Go Iowa Awesome – Iowa 100, FGCU 62: Bluder Hits Milestone in Blowout Win

Head coach Lisa Bluder celebrated her 500th win as the Iowa women’s head coach on Saturday night as the Hawkeyes blew out Florida Gulf Coast, 100-60, in semifinal action at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Ostero, Florida.

Caitlin Clark led all scorers with 21 points along with six rebounds and six assists, while the team broke an Iowa record with 20 threes made; Clark was 4-for-8 from deep in the process. Iowa also out-rebounded the host Eagles 43-20 on the glass; Iowa gathered 11 of 23 potential offensive rebounds, which propelled the Hawkeyes to an outrageous 1.35 points-per-possession rate.

Sixth-year senior Kate Martin continued her hot streak with an 11-5-6 line in just 19 minutes in the blowout win.

Iowa will play in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Showcase on Sunday (6:30 PM CT, FloHoops) against old friends Kansas State.

1. Maybe Kansas State deserves the hype. Iowa was shocked by a 65-58 loss to Kansas State last week, one that effectively shelved the then-No. 2 Hawkeyes’ run for the top of the AP Poll.

Both KSU and Iowa had to earn their ways to the Showcase title game — moreso for Kansas State, who had No. 18 North Carolina waiting Saturday. The Wildcats dutifully dispatched the Heels, 63-56, setting up the rematch both teams probably wanted the most.

Iowa will have to solve the KSU swarming defense that effectively stifled the Hawkeye offense, and some of that is just a matter of making open jumpers as Iowa has (quite prolifically) done in Ostero. Some is also managing the frustration of playing a physical, fearless opponent — there, Clark and the Hawkeyes still have a test to prove they can pass.

2. It’s an easy game when the jumpers are falling. Iowa has a “live by the three” reputation, especially with Caitlin Clark redefining the role of a perimeter threat, but FGCU is every bit the outside gunner as a team that the Hawkeyes are; the Eagles have led D-I ball in three-point attempts for the last four seasons and are right on 30 attempts per game this year, fifth-highest in the nation thus far.

It’s a great strategy — when it works. It worked Saturday for Iowa, and very much did not for FGCU.

Iowa set a team record with 20 three-pointers, breaking the record of 19 coming against Northwestern back in January 2015. Sophomore guard Taylor McCabe hit 6-of-7 threes off the bench for a career-high 18 points, part of a blistering 20-for-33 performance for the Hawkeyes from deep. FGCU, meanwhile, hit just 7-for-30, and that was an arctic 3-for-18 after one half.

Guard Gabbie Marshall was 4-for-5 from deep Saturday, a day after reaching a Big Ten milestone by registering her 200th career three-pointer to go with 200 career steals in the Friday night win over Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne. Naturally, Marshall also got a steal in Saturday’s win, also finishing with 12 points, a rebound and an assist in 23 minutes.

3. Heal up, Hannah. Hawkeye forward Hannah Stuelke missed the FGCU game, after leaving Friday’s game against IPFW in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury. Stuelke also only played 13 minutes against Drake last week, with Bluder telling reporters later Stuelke was nursing a minor knee injury.

Stuelke’s absence clearly didn’t hamper the Hawkeyes as they overwhelmed the host Eagles Saturday, but her size and athleticism are formidable weapons against the Wildcats’ feisty defense; Bluder and the Hawkeyes will gladly take every bit of contribution they can get from Stuelke Sunday.

The good news, at least, is that even without much contribution from Stuelke, Iowa has managed the workloads of its rotation as well as can be expected ahead of Sunday’s game. Clark and guard Molly Davis led the Hawkeyes with 26 minutes played Saturday, and only Davis (at 53) has more than 50 minutes combined through the first two games. KSU, meanwhile, has four starters who logged 52 minutes or more in the first two games, led by defensive guard Jaelyn Glenn with 73.

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