IOWA CITY — It wasn’t the March Madness start Iowa or Caitlin Clark expected, but in a month of survival and advancement, the Hawkeyes did just that with a 91-65 win over Holy Cross in the NCAA Tournament: Saturday’s round game.
“I think the first quarter was kind of frustrating, maybe for all of us,” Clark said. “I feel like this is a match where you want to come out and dominate from the start because that fuels your game. Like the coach (Lisa Bluder) said, I think maybe we played with a little bit of rust.
It’s been 13 days since the Hawkeyes hoisted the conference trophy after the Big Ten Tournament title game, and the nearly two-week break was especially noticeable early on when No. 1 seed Iowa simply couldn’t shake off No. 16 seed Holy Cross.
The Crusaders came out with a physical, aggressive defense that filled the paint and gave the Hawkeyes early trouble. As a team, Iowa shot the ball well in the first quarter – 46 percent from the field, including making 3 of 5 shots from above the arc – but Iowa’s six turnovers (which Holy Cross converted into seven points) wiped out any potential early lead it could have built hot shooting.
In the second quarter, Iowa began to regain its form, making several defensive stops and chipping away at the deficit. The Hawkeyes outscored Holy Cross 25-9 in the second quarter, building an 18-point halftime lead that held for the rest of the game.
This quarter in particular showed how dangerous the Hawkeyes are when attacking. They broke out on a 19-6 run that included five three-pointers from five different players as Clark worked to stretch the defense and got inside to get to the free throw line. As Iowa strung together stops and clicked on offense, the lead seemed to immediately grow.
“I think that’s one of the best parts of this team,” Clark said. “We are always in the game, regardless of the situation.”
Despite Clark’s slow start (2 of 8 from the field in the first half) and six turnovers in the first half, the senior turned in her usual dazzling performance, ending the day with 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds (no rebounds in the second half). turnover). Sixth-grade senior Kate Martin recorded a double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds), while reserve forward Addison O’Grady, who saw increased usage in the second half on account of freshman forward Hannah Stuelke experiencing migraine symptoms, was tops in 14 points from the bench this season.
In addition to Stuelke’s rumored return, the Hawkeyes will even likely return fifth-year senior guard Molly Davis to the lineup for Monday’s second-round game against West Virginia. Davis, who averaged six points, three assists and three rebounds per game this season, suffered a knee injury during the regular-season finale. Having one other primary ball handler to help Clark in the backcourt might be crucial on Monday as the Mountaineers use a wide ranging, full-court offensive defense to force turnovers.
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