Go Iowa Awesome – Iowa 69, Purdue 58: Winning Ugly

Iowa likes to play quick. If the Hawks may discover a good shot within the first ten seconds of each possession, they might gladly take them nearly each time. Iowa continues to be good offensively within the half courtroom, however transition is the place the workforce thrives.

One tried and true method to get Iowa’s offense out of kinds is to sluggish the tempo of play down as a lot as potential — to bleed the shot clock right down to nearly nothing, shoot, then get again on protection as shortly as you’ll be able to to forestall Iowa’s transition offense.

Coming into this recreation, 7-seed Purdue knew it couldn’t sustain with 2-seed Iowa in a fast-paced recreation. It tried that in Iowa Metropolis and misplaced 83-68. As a substitute, Purdue got here into this recreation hoping to disrupt Iowa and win a low-scoring slugfest.

Iowa began the sport nicely on each ends and led 13-6 on the under-5 timeout. Caitlin Clark had a pair early baskets and Monika Czinano began the sport 3-3 from the ground. Defensively, Iowa pressured Purdue into lengthy jumpers and secured rebounds on many of the missed pictures.

Purdue’s technique was additionally unusual. The Boilermakers pressured a bunch of threes early, and after a made shot they have been doubling Clark 90 ft from the basket. The double didn’t cease Clark from getting the ball additional down the courtroom, however not less than as soon as led to a simple Iowa basket as a result of Purdue didn’t have sufficient defenders again.

Each groups struggled considerably offensively within the second half of the quarter, however Iowa maintained its benefit and led 19-10 heading to the second quarter.

Offense was robust to come back by for Iowa to begin the second quarter, however the Hawkeye protection stored forcing Purdue into bricked jumpers, and Iowa pushed its result in 11 at 25-14.

After the timeout, Iowa began turning the ball over on offense and the giveaways helped Purdue get a number of beauty on offense. The Boilermakers went on a run, and Iowa referred to as timeout with 3:46 to go and the lead right down to 27-23.

Iowa didn’t do any higher after the timeout, however Purdue couldn’t capitalize and Iowa took a 29-25 lead into the half. Iowa didn’t make a area objective within the ultimate 6:24 of the half.

Of be aware, Clark bought whistled for a technical foul with 33 seconds left within the half for screaming on the officers. Purdue had gotten away with contact on a number of Iowa possessions earlier than the tech, then Clark bought whistled for a foul on a play the place she appeared to get a clear block initially.

Purdue began the third quarter nicely and shortly tied the sport at 31. Iowa responded with a Gabbie Marshall basket, however Purdue hit one other three to take its first lead at 34-33.

However simply as a Purdue appeared to have all of the momentum, Iowa bought its offense going once more. The Hawks bought a pair baskets in transition, one other Marshall three, and all of a sudden they led 41-36 on the beneath 5 timeout. Each groups struggled offensively to shut the quarter, and Iowa took a 45-40 lead into the 4th quarter.

Iowa bought a Kate Martin three and a Clark jumper on its first few possessions of the fourth quarter, which helped the Hawkeyes push the result in 50-40. Purdue referred to as timeout, however the break didn’t assist. Within the subsequent jiffy Clark hit a pair threes, the Iowa offense stored clicking, and Purdue referred to as timeout once more with 5:25 to play and Iowa main 60-44.

Purdue continued to battle, however was by no means in a position to get sufficient stops to chop the Iowa result in single digits. Iowa in the end completed off a 69-58 win to advance to the semifinals.

Clark led Iowa with 22 factors and eight rebounds. She wasn’t superb within the second and third quarters, however scored 12 factors within the 4th quarter to assist Iowa draw back. Czinano scored 14 factors on 6-7 taking pictures, however once more couldn’t get the ball constantly sufficient to really take over. Marshall was Iowa’s final double-digit scorer with 11. She hit some huge pictures in the midst of the sport when Iowa’s offense was actually struggling. A field rating for the sport is right here.

Iowa has developed a behavior of sluggish begins on the Large Ten Match. Final 12 months, Iowa solely led a good-not-great Northwestern workforce 33-32 at halftime of the quarterfinal recreation. Two years in the past, Iowa solely beat a 7-16 Purdue workforce 87-76 within the second spherical of the match thanks largely to a 3-22 taking pictures efficiency from three.

No, this recreation wasn’t fairly. No, Iowa didn’t play near its greatest. However Iowa performed nicely sufficient within the fourth quarter to come back away with a victory and advance to the Large Ten Match semifinal. That’s all that issues for now. The Hawkeyes ought to look higher in tomorrow’s recreation as a result of they pushed by way of their struggles at this time.

Iowa’s common season recreation and Large Ten Match recreation towards Purdue couldn’t have gone a lot in another way, however the margins of victory have been pretty related. Iowa managed the common season recreation nearly from the tip, however Purdue by no means let it get fully uncontrolled, and Iowa ended up profitable by 15.

On this one, the sport was tied within the third quarter and Iowa solely led by 5 factors to begin the fourth quarter. However Iowa nonetheless dominated the fourth quarter and was up 14 earlier than Purdue hit a meaningless three on the buzzer.

[Ed. Note: Ross here — I was able to take in Iowa-Purdue in person at the Target Center.] Iowa and Purdue performed earlier than the biggest crowd thus far (by a large margin) at this 12 months’s Large Ten Match early Friday night. The edges of the decrease bowl have been draped in black and gold from high to backside. The gang appeared (and sounded) to be not less than 80-85% Iowa followers.

The Hawkeyes did not give these followers loads to cheer about within the second and third quarters, when Purdue’s grind-it-out offense and (extraordinarily) bodily protection bought Iowa out of sync. Caitlin Clark lastly discovered a rhythm within the fourth quarter, each when it comes to scoring (she lastly hit a number of 3s) and passing the ball (she had a number of crisp assists). As soon as she bought going, and Iowa as a complete managed to search out its footing on offense, the group actually roared to life.

In particular person, it was additionally simple to see simply how bodily the Purdue protection was; they did not miss many alternatives to clutch at an opponent or attempt to physique them out of place. Clark’s frustration with the best way the sport was being referred to as was seen early on (and reached a boiling level together with her technical foul close to the top of the primary half).

Convention tournaments are an exquisite alternative for groups to enhance their NCAA Match seeding. Iowa discovered that lesson nicely final 12 months. Previous to the Large Ten Match, Iowa was anticipated to be a 3 or 4 seed within the NCAA Match. However the Hawks went on a run and gained the match in a detailed recreation over Indiana. Consequently, the Choice Committee made Iowa the ultimate 2 seed within the 2022 NCAA Match although there have been groups behind Iowa with arguably higher general resumes.

This 12 months, Iowa was slotted ninth general within the Choice Committee’s final High 16 reveal, however that was earlier than Iowa’s emotional last-second win over #2 Indiana. Now ESPN initiatives Iowa as a 2 seed pending the season’s remaining outcomes earlier than Choice Sunday.

Even higher, groups above Iowa are already faltering. Stanford was the Choice Committee’s #3 general workforce, however the Cardinal misplaced to #4 general Utah final week. Utah then slipped up final night time, falling within the PAC 12 Match quarterfinal to a Washington State workforce that was on the bubble previous to that victory.

If Iowa repeats as Large Ten Match champions, I believe a 1 seed may be very a lot in play. At a minimal I believe Iowa would leap Utah and Maryland (who Iowa would both beat within the semifinal or who would have misplaced to Illinois within the quarterfinal on this state of affairs). Iowa would additionally probably leap LSU except LSU is ready to beat South Carolina to win the SEC Match, and would most likely leap Virginia Tech even when Tech wins the ACC Match.

If the Hawkeyes make the Large Ten Match ultimate, then lose, they most likely cement themselves as a 2 seed within the NCAA Match. In that state of affairs, Iowa both beat Maryland or noticed Maryland lose within the quarterfinal. In both case, Iowa most likely jumps Maryland at a minimal.

If Iowa loses within the semifinal, issues get extra difficult. UConn, Notre Dame, and Duke are all 3 seeds that might doubtlessly leap Iowa if the Hawks lose within the Large Ten Match semifinal. I believe a excessive 3 seed could be more than likely in that state of affairs.

Iowa returns to motion tomorrow afternoon within the semifinal of the Large Ten Match. The sport will tip off roughly 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 1:30 PM CT recreation between Indiana and Ohio State and can be televised on the Large Ten Community.

Iowa will play the winner of tonight’s quarterfinal recreation between 3 seed Maryland and 6 seed Illinois.

The Hawkeyes misplaced their solely matchup with Illinois 90-86 in Champaign approach again on January 1st. Illinois is the one Large Ten workforce Iowa hasn’t crushed this 12 months, so a rematch to avenge that loss could be good.

Iowa went 1-1 towards Maryland within the common season this 12 months. Iowa dominated the Terps in Iowa Metropolis on February 2nd, profitable 96-82. Maryland then gave Iowa its greatest defeat of the 12 months, beating the Hawks 96-68 at Maryland on February twenty first. A rubber match towards the Terps could be a very good alternative for Iowa to point out that the Maryland recreation was a fluke.

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