Hear from Caitlin Clark, Lisa Bluder and Kate Martin after Iowa’s win over Wisconsin
Hear from Caitlin Clark, Lisa Bluder and Kate Martin after Iowa’s win over Wisconsin
IOWA CITY — For a quarter and change Tuesday night, it appeared Iowa was going to make this simple challenge harder than it needed to be. A midweek home date with Wisconsin is rarely known for its treacherous elements.
Ultimately, though, that typical Hawkeyes product busted through for another women’s basketball rout over the Badgers.
Playing its first game since jumping to No. 2 in both polls, Iowa turned a sluggish start into a fantastic finish for the program’s 29th consecutive win over Wisconsin, 96-50, to punctuate Tuesday’s “blackout” at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The win also saw Caitlin Clark pass Brittney Griner for fourth on the NCAA’s all-time scoring list while delivering a game-high 32 points.
“This is a tough conference,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said, “and we always think about one game at a time.”
Sandwiched in between Saturday’s raucous win over No. 16 Indiana and Sunday’s sizable trip to No. 15 Ohio State, Tuesday’s task was simply designed to make sure Iowa (18-1, 7-0 Big Ten Conference) was paying attention. The Hawkeyes, who entered as 30-plus point favorites and hadn’t lost to Wisconsin (8-9, 1-6) since 2007, needed to make this challenge as drama-free as possible.
Just as it did last month in Madison, the Badgers hung with Iowa into the second quarter as Lisa Bluder’s squad tried to find footing. Mild turbulence unfolded down low, where Wisconsin’s Serah Williams took advantage of a sidelined Hannah Stuelke (lower-body injury) and stuck Sharon Goodman and Addi O’Grady with two first-half fouls apiece. That meant a rare cameo from A.J. Ediger, who hadn’t appeared in the first half since Nov. 26 versus Kansas State. Iowa was dealing with the same interior issues on that night.
The Hawkeyes rolled out their five-guard lineup for one second-quarter stretch, with Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter holding down both interior positions.
“I just have to use my speed and my quickness and play to my strengths there,” said Martin, who supplied 16 points with four treys. “But I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do, and that creates problems for them on the opposite end. It’s not easy (for me) to guard the fives, but it’s not easy for them to guard me on the opposite end.”
Still, the Badgers did little to actually dent the scoreboard. And Iowa wasn’t going to stay dormant forever. A swift second-quarter surge saw the Hawkeyes power through all mounting frustration.
Iowa’s 13-0 run in less than two minutes featured two of Clark’s six 3-pointers, all of them arriving after the senior guard opened 0-for-4 from the field. More was coming as the Hawkeyes surged ahead for a 47-28 lead late in the first half.
That would’ve been a strong enough cushion to glide home on, but Iowa still yearned for one more spurt to fully put this one away. It came midway through the third quarter with ample contributions, as five different Hawkeyes scored on Iowa’s back-breaking 19-2 run to end the period. The final 10 minutes were covered on cruise control.
“I really believe this is the strongest bench we’ve had in a long time,” Bluder said. “Thirty-eight bench points to four. I have so much confidence going to our bench. I really do. And right now, Hannah didn’t play and we’re still able to win by 40 (plus) points. It’s pretty impressive, and I’m very happy with how our bench is performing.”
Alongside a typical Clark shooting show, Iowa leaned heavily on Martin (16 points), Affolter (12 points) and others with Stuelke on the bench. O’Grady, playing double-digit minutes for the first time since Dec. 2 versus Bowling Green, provided a serviceable relief effort in a pinch. That run could prove valuable with heftier challenges up next and Stuelke dinged up.
“Hannah’s doing well,” Bluder said. “Really well. It was just a little bit of a tweak and had an opportunity to rest her.”
This article was originally published by a www.hawkcentral.com . Read the Original article here. .