Indiana behind, Michigan ahead: No time for Iowa women’s basketball to overlook Rutgers

IOWA CITY — They’ve got two glorious wins in their rearview mirror.

They’ve got, potentially, their biggest regular-season game in more than a decade on the horizon.

In the present, the Iowa Hawkeyes have a long trip, a physical opponent, a potential trap game.

They’ve got Rutgers.

“It’s a game in which we’ve got to get the players’ attention,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “You look at their record, and you think it’s one you’ve got in the bag, but that’s not the case at all.”

Tipoff is 7 p.m. (CT) Thursday at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. (TV: BTN).

Win, and the 21st-ranked Hawkeyes (18-7 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) will play for no less than a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship Sunday against current leader Michigan.

Lose, and they tumble out of the title hunt.

It’s that simple.

“This team is pretty good about not looking too far ahead,” Caitlin Clark said. “A Big Ten title, that would be pretty incredible. It seems like we’ve been on a roller coaster (with injuries and illness). This is one of our goals, and we can accomplish it.”

This is not a good Rutgers team, but the Scarlet Knights (9-18, 2-13) have won two of their last three games after losing their first 12 Big Ten games.

It’s not as if they are getting blistered every night. Six of their losses have been by single digits, 11 of the 12 by 17 points or less.

“They’ve got talent,” Bluder said. “They have eight transfers, including all five starters. It takes time to put talent together.”

Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer is taking the season off due to COVID-19 concerns.

Thursday’s contest will be a vast contrast of styles. Rutgers averages 57.0 points per game and allows 59.3; Iowa prefers life in the 80s and 90s.

“Defense has been their calling card forever,” Bluder said. “Their philosophy has always been defense, defense, defense.”

Iowa put itself in Big Ten contention with two victories over Indiana — 96-91 at Bloomington on Saturday, 88-82 at Iowa City on Monday. The Hawkeyes are tied for second with Ohio State and Maryland, a half-game behind Michigan, a half-game ahead of Indiana.

The Hawkeyes and Ohio State are the only contenders that will finish with 18 games. If both win out, they will share the title, and it would be Iowa’s first regular-season crown since 2008. The Buckeyes would be the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten tournament and Iowa the No. 2 because of their head-to-head victory.

McKenna Warnock’s return came at the same time of the Indiana sweep. That’s no coincidence.

“She has a physical presence on the floor,” Bluder said. “She’s a great 3-point shooter and one of our best rebounders. She brings a certain amount of toughness and level-headedness.

“She’s an all-Big Ten performer to me. I think she gets lost with Caitlin and Monika (Czinano).”

Warnock confirmed that her injury was a broken left hand, and that she underwent surgery. She has worn a protective device on the court since her return.

“It’s not hurting too much,” she said. “I’m just super excited to be back.”

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