Iowa’s Sweet 16 wait is over

IOWA CITY — For four years, the seniors had envisioned this. Waited for this.

Lisa Bluder had waited a lot longer.

'Do I look a lot lighter? I think there's a monkey off my back,' Bluder said. 'We've been there so many times, and just not been able to finish it.'

This time, the Iowa Hawkeyes finished it.

No. 15 Iowa shot 75 percent in the second half and ran away from Miami (Fla.), 88-70, in an NCAA women's basketball tournament second-round game in front of 7,220 Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

And finally, a stumbling block has been crossed.

The Hawkeyes (26-7) advance to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time — and the first since 1996. They'll face No. 6 Baylor in a regional semifinal Friday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

Baylor (32-3) whipped Arkansas, 73-44, Sunday.

'Unbelievable,' said point guard Samantha Logic, a plastic mouthpiece on her top row of teeth after losing part of a front tooth during the game. 'We are really excited. I think it has not even completely hit me yet. Going to the Sweet 16 is something we've wanted to do since we've gotten here. Obviously it took four years but we're happy to do it right now.'

Ally Disterhoft won a state championship at Iowa City West, but said Sunday's triumph 'takes the cake.'

'It's an incredible feeling,' she said. 'One of the best feelings I've ever had. These girls are like my sisters.'

The Hawkeyes won with (no surprise) balanced scoring — all five starters reached double figures, led by a 22-point, 11-rebound masterpiece by Bethany Doolittle. They also won with (BIG surprise) a 44-35 rebounding advantage against the athletic Hurricanes (20-13).

Disterhoft added 15 points, Logic and Melissa Dixon 12 apiece, Whitney Jennings 11.

Miami held a 27-23 lead when Jessica Thomas drilled a 3-pointer in front of Iowa's bench, then lingered there for a few moments to celebrate.

Iowa closed the half with a 15-4 surge after that point and took a 38-31 lead to the locker room, and the Hawkeyes stayed in front the rest of the way.

The signature moment, according to Miami Coach Katie Meier, came with about 7 minutes to play. The Hurricanes had scored eight straight points to pull within 69-63. Logic missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Doolittle got the rebound, then closed the possession with a 15-foot jumper.

'She hit a jumper in our face,' Meier said. And that's a huge basically four-point swing there, and from that point on, I think we just kind of broke.'

Doolittle's hoop ignited a 15-3 run as Iowa put it away. And the rest of the game was a countdown to a celebration. The Hawkeyes lingered at the center circle in a happy clump, soaking it all in. When it was time to depart, they ran off the court, high-fiving pep-band members before heading for the tunnel.

'It's something we'll never forget,' Doolittle said. 'Just seeing everybody in the center of the court after the game smiling, singing, dancing together, is just something that will be in my memory for the rest of my life.

'I can't wait to keep it going.'

Dixon said, 'We are so happy, especially with the huge crowd that came out. To play our last game in Carver and to make it to the Sweet 16 is pretty special, and we're going to remember it forever.'

The Hawkeyes finished 18-0 at Carver this season.

Thomas led the Hurricanes with 20 points. Adrienne Motley added 18 — including Miami's first 12 points of the second half — and Necole Sterling tallied 15.

Bluder got close to the Sweet 16 once at Drake, then had gone 0-5 in NCAA second-round games at Iowa before breaking through on Sunday.

'I'm joyful for Lisa and her staff, because I know how they operate and I see them recruiting. I know what class they operate with,' Meier said. 'Those seniors on that team came here with a dream and I think they can go a long way.'

Presumably she wasn't talking solely about the 650-mile trip to Oklahoma City.

'We want to keep going,' Logic said. 'We love playing together, and we don't want this to end.'

IOWA 88, MIAMI (Fla.) 70

At Iowa City

MIAMI (70): Necole Sterling 6-11 2-3 15, Jessany Williams 2-4 2-2 6, Jessica Thomas 8-22 1-1 20, Michelle Woods 3-10 0-0 6, Adrienne Motley 8-16 2-3 18, Nigia Greene 1-3 0-0 3, Khalia Prather 1-2 0-0 2, Erykah Davenport 0-2 0-0 0, Suriya McGuire 0-3 0-2 0. Totals 29-73 7-11 70.

IOWA (88): Bethany Doolittle 8-16 6-6 22, Ally Disterhoft 4-7 6-10 15, Whitney Jennings 4-9 3-3 11, Melissa Dixon 3-5 4-4 12, Samantha Logic 4-11 4-9 12, Alexa Kastanek 1-2 0-0 2, Chase Coley 3-4 0-0 6, Kali Peschel 3-3 0-1 8. Totals 30-57 23-33 88.

Halftime: Iowa 38, Miami 31. 3-point goals: Miami 5-21 (Sterling 1-1, Thomas 3-11, Woods 0-2, Motley 0-2, Greene 1-3, Mcguire 0-2), Iowa 5-9 (Disterhoft 1-1, Dixon 2-3, Logic 0-2, Peschel 2-2). Team fouls: Miami 24, Iowa 14. Fouled out: Woods. Rebounds: Miami 35 (Sterling 7), Iowa 44 (Doolittle 11). Assists: Miami 10 (Sterling, Thomas, Woods 3), Iowa 17 (Logic 7). Steals: Miami 8 (Woods 3), Iowa 6 (Doolittle, Disterhoft 2). Turnovers: Miami 14, Iowa 14.

Attendance: 7,220.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com