Iowa opens Big Ten women’s basketball tournament play Friday against Penn State

MINNEAPOLIS — How can such a long season go so fast?

“If you love what you do, and you love the people around you, it’s easier to go to work every day,” Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder said.

It has been nearly five months since more than 55,000 fans piled into Kinnick Stadium to watch Iowa play an outdoor exhibition game.

And it has been seven months since the Hawkeyes made their own variation of European Vacation.

Now the fun really starts.

No. 3 Iowa (26-4) opens Big Ten tournament play with a quarterfinal Friday against Penn State (19-11). Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. at Target Center (BTN).

Penn State was an 80-56 winner over Wisconsin in the second round Thursday.

The 2-seed, Iowa is one of four teams to earn a double-bye. To win their third consecutive Big Ten tournament title (and their fourth in six years), the Hawkeyes must rattle off three wins in about 41 hours.

“This tournament concerns me because it’s so (compacted),” Bluder said.

If the Hawkeyes win Friday (and they certainly should), they’ll play their semifinal at 3:30 Saturday afternoon.

The championship game will be televised by CBS at 11 a.m. Sunday, and that will feel like 10 a.m. with the move to Daylight Saving Time.

Plus, Iowa’s backcourt depth will be compromised due to Molly Davis’ knee injury suffered in the Hawkeyes’ win over Ohio State.

Davis will be sidelined this week, then will begin physical therapy next week with hopes that her mobility will be improved enough to play in the NCAA tournament.

Junior Sydney Affolter will join seniors Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall and sophomore Hannah Stuelke in the starting lineup. Minutes should rise for Kylie Feuerbach and Taylor McCabe.

“Somebody has to step up, and we’re willing to do it,” Feuerbach said.

Regardless of the outcome of Thursday’s Penn State-Wisconsin second-round game, the Hawkeyes will be heavily favored.

After all, they have won nine straight against Penn State (averaging 102.8 points in the last six), including 111-93 on Feb. 8, when Hannah Stuelke torched the Nittany Lions for 47 points at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“This time of year, you don’t have much time to scout,” Bluder said. “It has to be more of a mental scout than anything else.”

The entire tournament, for the first time, is sold out. Of course, that’s the kind of environment in which the Hawkeyes have toiled all season.

“Everywhere we’ve been, it’s been packed to the gills,” Bluder said. “Every game has felt like an NCAA tournament game.”

Speaking of which, you would think that Iowa or Ohio State would earn an NCAA 1-seed if it cuts down the nets Sunday.

The Hawkeyes, the fourth-ranked Buckeyes (25-4) and No. 12 Indiana (24-4) are the class of the conference.

A big reason for optimism surrounding the Hawkeyes is the re-emergence of Marshall’s shooting. She has hit four 3-pointers in each of the last two games.

“She’s shooting the ball well,” Bluder said. “If that helps take the pressure off of Caitlin, it makes us such a harder team to guard.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com