Iowa completes an in-state women’s basketball sweep, 88-74 over UNI

IOWA CITY — Caitlin Clark called it a “bleh” performance.

But there’s nothing “bleh” about shooting 28 of 31 from the free-throw line.

And there’s nothing “bleh” about sweeping your in-state sisters.

No. 12 Iowa accomplished both in an 88-74 non-conference women’s basketball victory over Northern Iowa before a crowd of 13,394 Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“Our game was OK. It wasn’t our best of the year,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes (9-3) completed a sweep of their Big Four rivals — UNI, Iowa State and Drake — for the fourth time in the last six years. “We didn’t shoot like we’re capable of, except from the free-throw line.”

Indeed, the Hawkeyes did their best work Sunday from 15 feet away.

Clark made 13 of 14 from the line in a 26-point effort, and Czinano hit 10 of 11 and scored 22. The duo was a “bleh” — Clark said it; we didn’t — 12 of 31 from the field.

“You’re going to have a game where you’re kind of ‘bleh,’” Clark said. “I don’t know if we were rusty or didn’t get into a flow.”

Either way, it doesn’t matter. The Hawkeyes were good enough to pull away after UNI (5-4) got within 71-66 early in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t back down,” said Grace Boffeli, one of 10 Iowans on the UNI roster. “We didn’t care that they were ranked in the country.”

UNI Coach Tanya Warren said, “Our mindset was good, but we’ve got to eliminate turnovers. We had 20 of them, and most of them were live-ball turnovers.”

Plus ...

“(Clark) is the best guard in the country, and it’s not even close. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I haven’t seen (a duo) in the country with a chemistry like her and Czinano.”

Clark pushed her career total to 1,993 points, Czinano is at 1,969. Iowa hosts Dartmouth at 2 p.m. Wednesday in its non-conference finale.

Trailing 25-20, Iowa took the lead for good with an 11-0 run in the second quarter. Clark had a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, then Gabbie Marshall and Molly Davis hit a pair of 3-pointers.

Iowa led 46-39 at halftime, then shot 14 free throws in the third quarter, sinking 13.

Clark added eight rebounds and seven assists to her ledger. Kate Martin and McKenna Warnock scored nine points apiece, Marshall eight.

Martin sustained a shin bruise Dec. 10 against Minnesota, but showed no lingering effects Sunday.

“She makes a huge difference when she’s on the floor,” Czinano said. “Kate’s such a fighter. This girl was going to find a way to get back, somehow, some way.”

Bluder also singled out the effort of sophomore Sydney Affolter. She posted four points and five rebounds, but more importantly, Iowa was plus-13 in Affolter’s 16 minutes of floor time.

“Syd did a lot of good things,” Bluder said. “She gave us some good minutes off the bench.”

Boffeli led UNI with 16 points. Maya McDermott tallied 15, Emerson Green 11, Kam Finley 10.

UNI opens Missouri Valley Conference action Dec. 30 at Bradley.

Iowa 88, Northern Iowa 74

At Iowa City

NORTHERN IOWA (74): Grace Boffeli 6-11 4-4 16, Cynthia Wolf 2-3 0-0 6, Maya McDermott 5-15 4-4 15, Emerson Green 5-9 0-0 11, Kam Finley 4-10 1-2 10, Cailyn Morgan 0-5 0-0 0, Ryley Goebel 1-2 0-0 2, Taryn Wharton 0-1 1-2 1, Kayba Laube 2-6 0-0 6, Rachael Heittola 2-4 2-4 7. Totals 27-66 12-16 74.

IOWA (88): McKenna Warnock 3-10 2-2 9, Monika Czinano 6-14 10-11 22, Kate Martin 4-8 0-0 9, Caitlin Clark 6-17 13-14 26, Gabbie Marshall 3-7 0-0 8, Molly Davis 1-2 0-0 3, Addison O’Grady 1-1 1-2 3, Hannah Stuelke 2-2 0-0 4, Sydney Affolter 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 27-62 28-31 88.

Northern Iowa 19 20 17 18 — 74

Iowa 18 28 23 19 — 88

3-point goals: UNI 8-30 (Boffeli 0-1, Wolf 2-2, McDermott 1-4, Green 1-4, Finley 1-6, Morgan 0-4, Wharton 0-1, Laube 2-6, Heittola 1-2), Iowa 6-22 (Warnock 1-5, Martin 1-2, Clark 1-7, Marshall 2-6, Davis 1-2). Team fouls: UNI 25, Iowa 14. Fouled out: Green. Rebounds: UNI 42 (Wolf 8), Iowa 35 (Clark 8). Assists: UNI 9 (McDermott 3), Iowa 21 (Clark 7). Steals: UNI 7 (Green 3), Iowa 13 (Warnock, Clark 3). Turnovers: UNI 20, Iowa 11.

Attendance: 13,394.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com