Caitlin Clark: ‘You can’t sulk about one game, that’s not how this works’

IOWA CITY — If you’re a believer that the Transitive Property of mathematics applies to women’s basketball, then you also believe that the Iowa Hawkeyes are in a heap of trouble Sunday.

You know, if A > B > C, then A > C.

On Monday, Illinois put an 86-66 whipping on Indiana. Three days later, Indiana gave Iowa an 86-69 spanking.

Of course, it’s not that simple.

When the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes (23-4 overall, 12-3 Big Ten) welcome Illinois (13-12, 7-8) to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a noon game (FS1), they’ll have three things in their favor:

* They’re at home.

* They’re simply and clearly the better team.

* They’re going to be angry. At least, they’d better be.

Iowa’s Big Ten regular-season title hopes fell through the floor Thursday. There’s no denying that.

The Hawkeyes trail league-leading Ohio State (23-3, 14-1) by two games with three to play. They can make up one game of that deficit if they beat the Buckeyes in the regular-season finale March 3 at Iowa City.

Ohio State’s two games preceding that are both at home, against Maryland and Michigan. According to WarrenNolan.com, the Buckeyes have a 76-percent probability of sweeping those games.

After hosting Illinois on Sunday, Iowa travels to Minnesota on Wednesday.

Last year, the Hawkeyes finished a game behind Indiana in the regular-season standings. But they caught fire in Minneapolis (Big Ten tournament), Iowa City (NCAA first and second round), Seattle (NCAA regionals) and Dallas (Final Four), finishing as national runners-up.

So, much remains on the table, even if the first course of the buffet appears to be out of reach.

“We’ve got to put this behind us and move on,” Caitlin Clark said Thursday. “We’ll go back, learn and move on. You can’t sulk about one game. That’s not how this works.”

The Hawkeyes were 5 of 28 from 3-point range Thursday. Clark was 3 of 16.

Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder was asked postgame what went wrong. Rushed possessions? Physicality of the game? Indiana’s defense?

“All of the above,” she said.

Last year’s Big Ten surprise, Illinois had been this year’s Big Ten disappointment. Until lately.

The Illini started 2-6 in league play, but have responded with five wins in their last seven games.

“With their handoffs and their weave action and their reverse screens, they’re a complicated team to defend with a lot of talented players,” Iowa associate head coach Jan Jensen said earlier this week.

“It’s just a tough matchup.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com