Iowa Women’s Basketball: Back-to-Back

I’ll say that the Iowa girls’s basketball group is fairly dang good when watching them on TV. With the Hawkeyes taking part in a 5 minute stroll from my residence, I used to be in a position to watch the Caitlin Clark-led Hawks in-person for the primary time. They’re unimaginable in so some ways. I used to be completely blown away by the product Coach Lisa Bluder places on the ground. Earlier than we get to the sport, the surroundings was unimaginable. I get to a lot of Hawk/Gopher soccer video games up right here. This was Kinnick North on steroids. Carver North was about 99% Hawk followers yesterday. After a gradual begin by each groups with some missed photographs and turnovers, the Hawkeyes went all-gas, no brakes and the rabid crowd and our squad by no means seemed again. When a sporting occasion ends with confetti snow angels, it’s been a reasonably good match.

The Hawkeyes caught fireplace after a gradual begin by each groups. On the finish of the primary quarter it was 26-9 Hawks. The halftime rating of 61-24 didn’t give me quite a lot of consolation. Ohio State was down 24 factors to Indiana and so they pressed their option to the championship sport. The Buckeyes didn’t press as a lot as I believed they might/ought to. One factor essential to set a press is to make photographs. The Bucks didn’t make many within the first half. The Hawkeyes did flip the ball over 16 instances, however few of those got here in opposition to Ohio State’s press. Iowa did an ample job of breaking the press by flashing Czinano to the ball and working diagonal cuts and/or throwing the ball excessive of Ohio State’s protection.

This sport was as soon as once more the Caitlin Clark/Monika Czinano present. Clark had a triple-double and when she collected her tenth rebound, the group erupted. She completed with 30 factors, 10 rebounds, and 17 assists. As I acknowledged I had by no means seen her play in particular person. I coached a “child” in highschool who’s at present taking part in his tenth season within the NBA. I coached in opposition to NBA, NFL, and MLB gamers. I’ve by no means seen anybody like Clark. She is must-see leisure. She makes passes and photographs that actually make me giggle. What separates Clark from everybody else is that she is doing extra for ladies’s basketball than anybody could ever know. The younger followers within the enviornment would be the subsequent wave of hoopers and Clark is the rationale. I’m not evaluating her to the GOAT of all GOATS, however a younger fan on the enviornment had an indication that stated, “I need to be like Mike Caitlin.” That to me is extra highly effective than Clark’s stats.

Simply as Clark was dominant, Minnesota’s personal Monika Czinano was her typical, automated self. Czinano was 11-for-12 from the sector, had 26 factors, and seven rebounds.

Kate Martin had 13 factors. Sydney Affolter supplied 11 factors in 19 minutes. Affolter and Martin are two gritty gamers who don’t draw back from bodily play. McKenna Warnock grabbed 11 boards. Gabby Marshall continued her sizzling taking pictures from three level land. She was 3-for-3 past the arc and ended with 9 factors. I’m a giant fan of Hannah Stuelke. She performed 11 minutes and scored 6 factors and had 4 rebounds. What impressed me most was that she was very aggressive going after rebounds. After an offseason with Coach Jan Jensen, Stuelke will likely be approaching an all-Huge Ten participant.

All the Hawkeyes noticed motion within the sport.

Now the Hawkeyes can sit again and prepare for the NCAA match. The Hawkeyes needs to be a 2 (perhaps 1?) seed and function a number. Carver Hawkeye will certainly be rocking. The ladies’s area and NCAA bracket will likely be revealed through the choice present March 12 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.

This group is able to nice issues. Let’s make a run, Hawks! As all the time, it’s nice to be a Hawkeye.