Molly Davis’ contribution level has risen in her final season at Iowa

IOWA CITY — Molly Davis’ honesty was reflected in a subtle waver in her voice.

“Just where I was ... I get choked up thinking about it,” Davis said in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena media room last Saturday night.

“(Iowa women’s basketball) coach (Lisa) Bluder gave me a chance to play at a level like this, and it means a lot to me.”

With Caitlin Clark sidelined briefly with second-quarter foul difficulties, Davis provided stability and kept the Hawkeyes humming.

Clark picked up her second personal at the 4:49 mark of the quarter, and Indiana’s Yarden Garzon subsequently scored to cut the Hawkeyes’ lead to 28-26.

The next magical minute was all Davis:

* A drive and a basket, a foul and a free throw. Iowa led 31-26.

* An assist to Sharon Goodman. 33-28.

* A steal and a layup. 35-28.

* And then, stuck in the lane against players a half-foot taller than her, a pump fake, a step-through and a basket. 37-31.

Davis finished with 18 points, her most in two seasons at Iowa, and the Hawkeyes went on to roll, 84-57. Davis’ sequence was not lost on Bluder.

“Molly moved to point guard there, offensively and defensively, and she did a tremendous job leading our team,” Bluder said.

Davis came to Iowa from Central Michigan after her junior year. She scored more than 1,400 points at CMU, leading the Chippewas to the 2021 NCAA tournament.

There, they lost to Iowa in the first round despite Davis’ 18 points.

CMU sank to 4-25 in Davis’ junior season, so she entered the transfer portal.

At Iowa, she averaged 3.8 points last season, and her role — and production (5.9 points and 3.1 assists per game, 53-percent shooting from the floor) — have grown.

Just another reason that Bluder said Saturday, “The sky is the limit,” then added, “Now, I’m just thinking about Wisconsin.”

The Hawkeyes (17-1 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) — now ranked No. 2 nationally by the Associated Press — host the Badgers (8-8, 1-5) at 8 p.m. Tuesday in a game that will be streamed by Peacock.

Iowa already has an 87-65 victory over UW (Dec. 10 at Madison) under its belt, its 28th consecutive conquest of the Badgers.

Speaking of streaks: Iowa’s current 14-game string of victories is the longest of the Bluder era.

“They were terrific (Saturday),” Indiana Coach Teri Moren said. “All credit to them.”

Iowa owns sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. Wisconsin has dropped four of its last five games and had slid to its customary spot near the bottom of the league standings.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com