Iowa

No. 14 Indiana frustrates Caitlin Clark en route to 86-69 win over No. 4 Iowa

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

No. 14 Indiana frustrates Caitlin Clark en route to 86-69 win over No. 4 Iowa

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana made Caitlin Clark fight for every point.

The 14th-ranked Hoosiers’ relentlessly physical defense finally derailed the top women’s basketball scorer in NCAA Division I history.

A frustrated Clark endured a rare off-night while Sara Scalia scored 25 points and All-American center Mackenzie Holmes added 24 points and nine rebounds to lead Indiana past No. 4 Iowa 86-69 on Thursday night.

“I thought defensively, we were just terrific,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said. “I think we made everything very difficult for Caitlin Clark tonight and that’s hard to do. She’s a phenomenal player.”

Playing for the first time since she broke the NCAA women’s career scoring record, Clark finished with 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds but struggled from the field. She was 8 of 26 overall and 3 of 16 on 3-pointers while scoring just four points in the second half.

Clark has 3,593 points and is 57 away from her next milestone, Lynette Woodard’s major women’s college scoring record, with three games left in the regular season.

Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder detected frustration from her star, who at one point was talking to the Indiana bench. Clark acknowledged how difficult it was to contend with the Hoosiers and their rotating defenders.

“I think being physical, face-guarding me, throwing a lot of different people at me, yeah, just very physical,” Clark said. “They kind of pushed me off my spots, got me out a little deeper than I wanted to be.”

Indiana, the defending regular-season Big Ten champion, had something to prove after Monday night’s inexplicable loss at Illinois, and the Hoosiers (22-4, 13-3) didn’t disappoint. Yarden Garzon made three 3s and finished with 15 points.

And the Hoosiers were more than ready for Clark, just like last year.

Three hours before tip-off, long lines were snaking around Assembly Hall for what had already been announced as a sellout. Inside the arena, Indiana T-shirts were the dominant fashion choice with a few black-and-gold No. 22 jerseys sprinkled around. And after Clark put up a rare shot that missed everything in the first half, the crowd responded with chants of “Airball!”

Clark’s three 3s gave her 143, breaking the single-season Big Ten record she set last season (140), but she couldn’t outduel the nation’s best shooting team.

Credit for that goes to Indiana’s defense.

“We knew she was going to get her 25, 30, 40 points, whatever,” Holmes said. “But we had a goal in mind to, you know, make it an inefficient 30, 40 points and to keep the others out of it. To be able to do that, and just be locked into the game that we had in store, that was the biggest thing.”

Indiana closed the first half on a 12-6 run for a 44-33 halftime lead, then shut out Iowa for nearly the first four minutes of the second half as it extended the margin to 51-33. Iowa finally responded with a 9-2 spurt and cut the deficit to 62-54 after three.

But Garzon opened the fourth quarter with two baskets and an assist to give the Hoosiers a 69-56 lead, and the Hawkeyes never recovered.

Kate Martin had 19 points for Iowa.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa: The Hawkeyes have lost three league games this season — all on the road. And it could cost them a shot at the Big Ten regular-season crown. No. 2 Ohio State has a two-game game lead over both Iowa and Indiana.

Indiana: Moren’s squad wasn’t about to let go of last season’s title without a fight. But the Hoosiers have only two games remaining and will need help to finish first again.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Iowa’s 17-week streak of being ranked in the top five could be in jeopardy. Indiana could move up, and this win keeps the Hoosiers in the mix to host NCAA Tournament games.

UP NEXT

Iowa: Hosts Illinois on Sunday.

Indiana: Visits Northwestern on Monday.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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Iowa

Previewing Arizona State-Iowa State – Keys, Game Prediction, and More

Published

23 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Previewing Arizona State-Iowa State – Keys, Game Prediction, and More

TEMPE — The Arizona State Sun Devils (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) are seeking to keep their slim Big 12 title hopes alive as they take on the Iowa State Cyclones (5-3, 2-3) in a rematch of the conference championship game from a year ago.

Iowa State’s defense has faced significant injuries in recent weeks, while Jeff Sims is set to start at quarterback the remainder of the season following Friday’s news that Sam Leavitt will undergo season-ending foot surgery.

Arizona State on SI covers all of the vitals for the game below – information surrounding the battle, major storylines to watch, a game prediction, and more.

WHO: Arizona State at Iowa State

WHERE: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa

WHEN: 10:00 A.M. AZT

TV NETWORK: TNT

The Skinny: Iowa State has dropped three consecutive games following a 5-0 start to the year – a 38-30 loss to Cincinnati, a 24-17 defeat at the hands of Colorado, and a 41-27 loss to Brigham Young in a game in which they controlled at one point.

Junior QB Rocco Becht had one of the roughest performances of his career against BYU, throwing three interceptions in the game – he still remains a player to watch after a very successful career in Ames.

Iowa State also has a potent backfield duo, as Abu Sama III and Carson Hansen have combined for over 1,000 yards to this season.

Becht’s three-interception showing in week nine currently puts him on pace to throw more interceptions in 2025 compared to the previous two years as the starting QB.

ASU DC Brian Ward’s calling card is drawing up opportune blitzes and disguised coverages that are designed to force the opposing quarterback into untimely mistakes – will this be a situation that presents itself on Saturday with all things considered?

One of the major determining factors might be DL Prince Dorbah’s status, as the star is currently questionable with an undisclosed injury after exiting the games against both Texas Tech and Houston. Myles “Ghost” Rowser will also miss the first half of the game due to a targeting call late in last week’s game.

Sims will receive his third start with the program after Leavitt was ruled out earlier in the week. The senior has requisite mobility, arm strength, and experience to navigate the last several weeks of the season – especially with a more favorable schedule in mind.

However, freshman QB Cameron Dyer has the potential to receive reps in the game as well according to local insider John Gambadoro.

It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff approaches this conundrum, as Sims’ experience has potential to be very valuable for a program that is still seeking to win as many games as possible, but there is an upside to playing Dyer – as the future of the program is just as vital as the present.

Sims should have a strong connection with close friend Malik McClain in this game after the latter broke out for 159 yards against Houston – could this tidbit factor into the approach as well?

This is a game that truly has the potential to go either way – Jeff Sims being pitted against a banged up Iowa State defense is the major factor in play when determining the outcome.

Ultimately, this is surely a game in which Raleek Brown and kicker Jesus Gomez have the ability to be difference makers in a toss-up battle.

The Sun Devils keep their slim conference title hopes alive behind a late Gomez field goal in what has the potential to be Sims’ first win as the starting quarterback for the program.

Read more on why the Arizona State men’s basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the 2025 football team is at a crossroads following a loss to Houston here.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!

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Iowa

Sheldon teacher named 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year

Published

2 days ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Sheldon teacher named 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year

SHELDON, Iowa (KCAU) — A Sheldon teacher and instructional coach from Sheldon High School was named the 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year.

Stephanie Pritts was named the 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year on Thursday in front of a full house at the Sheldon High School gym.

“It is just phenomenal. It’s actually really hard to describe because there are just so many people involved with what I do for a career. It was amazing to have all K-12 in one building,” Pritts said. “I should say Pre-K through twelve. Just all that extra added support for it just added to this experience. It was just exciting and so much fun.”

Pritts is a Sheldon native and has been a teacher for 23 years. She was selected out of a pool of nine teachers from across the state. Pritts also serves as Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year.

“It’s important to recognize the importance of good teaching; it’s important to recognize the importance of good education. This is the future of this great state, and we want to make sure we are giving them every opportunity to be the best they can be, and this is a way we can help celebrate that,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

For Pritts, it was important for her students to see her win this award.

“I really hope that students really see that you put your mind to something, you have good work ethic, that you will move mountains and go so far,” Pritts said.

Now, as part of being the teacher of the year, she’ll travel the state to speak to other school districts and work with them, and hopefully learn from them also.

“I thrive off collaborating with other school districts. I look forward to not only helping support those school districts, but I look forward to learning from them as well,” said Pritts. “Because, like I said, we do a lot together and we can learn from one another. So, I do. I give but also receive.”

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Iowa

Top Iowa high school football Round of 16 playoff games, and our predictions

Published

3 days ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

Top Iowa high school football Round of 16 playoff games, and our predictions

The Iowa high school football regular season is over, and now it’s time for the playoffs.

Last week, teams in Class 3A, 4A and 5A wrapped up their regular seasons, while teams in Class A, 1A, 2A and 8-player kicked off the postseason with first-round games. That means it’s all win-or-go-home from here on out, with 16 teams remaining in all seven classes.

This week’s schedule is packed with exciting matchups.

We’re picking 10 games each week of the IHSAA season and attempting to predict the outcomes. Each week, we’ll provide an update on how successful – or unsuccessful – those predictions are.

We finished the regular season with a 63-27 record in our picks, after going 9-1 last week.

Here are our predictions for some of the best Iowa high school football Round of 16 games.

Ankeny Centennial at Johnston

This hasn’t been the Jaguars’ season, and the Dragons have come out on top in games that mattered most. So long as Johnston does what has worked against teams like Ankeny and Southeast Polk, the Dragons should advance to the quarterfinals. Johnston 30, Ankeny Centennial 13

Central DeWitt at Wahlert Catholic

On paper, Central DeWitt looks like the more complete team in this matchup, but Wahlert Catholic came out on top when these teams met in the regular season. That game was less than a month ago, and there’s a chance that the Sabers get their revenge in the postseason. Wahlert Catholic 19, Central DeWitt 14

Dallas Center-Grimes at Sioux City East

The Black Raiders boast a 2,000-yard passer in Cal Jepsen; the Mustangs balance a trio of receivers with Ozzie Grimm’s success in the ground game. If Dallas Center-Grimes can come out with a couple of turnovers, the Mustangs could end Sioux City East’s season. Dallas Center-Grimes 27, Sioux City East 20

Fort Dodge at Newton

Both teams enter this matchup with 8-1 records, and Fort Dodge has some difference makers on both sides of the ball. But the Cardinals are battle-tested, and Nick Milburn is a defender who can keep any opposing offense on its toes. Newton 35, Fort Dodge 21

Glenwood at North Polk

If the Comets are healthy, they should win this first-round game. But North Polk had to go without starting quarterback James Armstrong in the regular season finale against Gilbert, and things didn’t go well. Because Glenwood relies a lot on the run and the Comets struggled in that department against Gilbert, the Rams might have the advantage in this one. Glenwood 28, North Polk 17

Iowa City West at Cedar Falls

The Trojans look like a tough team to beat on both sides of the ball, but Cedar Falls has walked away with some upsets this season. Iowa City West should have the advantage with the number of impactful players on offense, though. Iowa City West 28, Cedar Falls 14

Southeast Polk at Ankeny

It’s difficult to imagine a playoff bracket without Southeast Polk making a deep run, but Ankeny looks like the stronger team on paper. Between Kael Roush and Daniel Larmie – and company – on offense and a defense that capitalizes on turnovers, the Hawks could send the Rams packing early. Ankeny 30, Southeast Polk 16

Underwood at West Marshall

Underwood’s offense runs through Garrett Luett, and it’s been difficult for opposing defenses to slow him down. But West Marshall’s defense loves to get after the quarterback, and if they can alter the Eagles’ game plan, that could be good enough for a win. Underwood 27, West Marshall 17

Van Meter at Roland-Story

Experience means a lot at this point in the season, and the Bulldogs have plenty after making it to the state semifinals last season. Van Meter should benefit from that senior leadership, as well as sophomore Christian Williams’ dominance on both sides of the ball. Van Meter 14, Roland-Story 12

Waukee at Iowa City Liberty

The Warriors pulled out some unlikely wins at the end of the season, but Iowa City Liberty came up with some upsets, as well. The Lightning’s defense, though, tends to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes, and that should benefit Liberty. Iowa City Liberty 35, Waukee 24

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

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