UCF’s defensive challenge awaits the Iowa women

IOWA CITY — A familiar name returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday. She’ll be accompanied by a rock-solid defense.

A 1990 graduate from the University of Iowa, Katie Abrahamson-Henderson brings a stingy outfit to town for a non-conference women’s basketball battle Saturday.

Tipoff is 6:30 p.m.

“That’s a really good basketball team,” Iowa assistant coach Jan Jensen said of UCF (8-1). “They have one of the best defenses in the country. Those stats should open everybody’s eyes.”

Those stats include the following:

* A defensive average of 45.9 points per game, which ranks third in the country.

* A field-goal defense of 34.4 percent, and a 3-point defense of 28.5 percent.

“They’re super-athletic. They’ll want to turn you over,” Iowa guard Caitlin Clark said. “It’s the kind of team you want to play, but not a kind of team you see very often. They’re unique.”

The Knights pose a stern challenge for the 14th-ranked Hawkeyes (5-2), who haven’t played since a Dec. 8 loss at Iowa State. Saturday’s game will be only the fourth for Iowa in the past month.

Three games in late November were canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Iowa program.

“It’s a tall order for any team to be able to get through that,” said Jensen, who filled in for head coach Lisa Bluder during Friday’s press conference. “I’m proud of our efforts. We’ve had a loss of reps ... reps, making corrections, getting into a flow.

“Everything is such a gift, a chance to get better. We can’t afford lost practices.”

Especially in preparation for a team like UCF.

“They run an extended 2-3 (zone). They take away the passing lanes so well. It’s hard to emulate in practice,” Jensen said. “They’re active. They move really well.”

Abrahamson-Henderson is a Cedar Rapids native and a graduate of Washington High School. She is in her sixth year at UCF, where she owns a record of 113-46.

She was a head coach previously at Albany (2010-16) and Missouri State (2002-07) and owns a career record of 354-154.

“Katie’s a former Hawk, a coaching colleague and a friend of ours,” Jensen said.

The Hawkeyes have navigated through Finals Week. Clark’s internet went down while she was taking a macroeconomics exam Thursday.

Now, until class resumes in January, it’s all about basketball. Iowa concludes non-conference play Tuesday at home against IUPUI, then the next 17 games are against Big Ten competition, starting Dec. 30 at Penn State.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com