Hawkeyes end Big Red jinx in overtime

IOWA CITY - The Iowa Hawkeyes tore a Big Red gorilla off their backs Monday night.

Ally Disterhoft scored all 20 of her points after intermission, Bethany Doolittle scored six in a row midway through overtime, and 18th-ranked Iowa outlasted No. 15 Nebraska, 78-72, in a Big Ten women's basketball showdown in front of 4,489 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Exciting finish. New, different outcome.

Iowa (16-3 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) defeated the Huskers (15-4, 5-3) for the first time in nine tries since their western neighbors joined the conference.

'As a competitor, you don't want to keep losing to the same team,” said Iowa guard Samantha Logic. 'It's huge to have this (skid to Nebraska) end.”

The Hawkeyes overcame 26-percent first-half shooting, early foul trouble by Doolittle and a 10-point second-half deficit.

As a result, they stay on the heels of conference front-runner Maryland, a game behind the Terrapins and two games clear of the rest of the pack.

Nebraska led 63-61 and 65-63 to start the extra session, then Doolittle went to work.

She scored on an inside move, hit a couple free throws, then put back her own miss for a 69-65 Iowa lead with 1:55 left in OT. The Hawkeyes maintained the lead the rest of the way.

'We beat a really good team tonight,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. 'Nebraska's a great team. That's what makes this win feel so good. We hadn't beaten them in a while.”

Disterhoft suffered through a 0-for-5 first half, then turned it around. She grabbed 13 rebounds to go with her 20 points.

'At no time did my teammates and coaches doubt that my next shot was going to go in,” Disterhoft said.

Disterhoft scored Iowa's final basket, then two free throws with 16 seconds left in OT to clinch it.

Logic posted 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Doolittle, like Disterhoft, did all of her damage after halftime, adding 12 points.

Doolittle was burdened with two quick fouls and played only four minutes in the first half. Nebraska led 28-21 at halftime, then extended the margin to 10 on three occasions, the last at 42-32 with 13:33 left.

Iowa chipped away, tied it at 53, then took its first lead at 58-57 on Logic's jumper with 3:50 to go.

Rachel Theriot scored to give Nebraska a 61-60 edge with 4.5 seconds left, and it looked as if the Huskers would break Iowa's heart again.

But Bluder set up a last-second, full-court play and the Hawkeyes executed it.

Logic threw a half-court hook and ladder to Doolittle, who pitched it to Jennings, who dribbled hard for the basket from the left side. She was fouled with 1.3 seconds left, missed the first free throw then made the second to force overtime.

'We practice last-second situations all the time,” Bluder said. 'I didn't even draw it up. They knew what to do, and they ran it to a T.”

Emily Cady and Tear'a Laudermill scored 19 points apiece for Nebraska, with Cady grabbing 18 rebounds. Theriot added 15 points.

Iowa is 12-0 at home, and six of its next eight games are on the road, starting Thursday at Northwestern. Then comes a Sunday showdown at Maryland, which is coached by Cedar Rapids native Brenda Frese.

IOWA 78, NEBRASKA 72 (OT)

At Iowa City

NEBRASKA (72): Hailie Sample 3-4 0-0 6, Emily Cady 8-18 3-4 19, Tear'a Laudermill 5-15 9-10 19, Brandi Jeffery 2-7 4-4 8, Rachel Theriot 7-20 0-0 15, Natalie Romeo 1-4 0-0 3, Allie Havers 1-1 0-0 2, Chandler Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-69 16-18 72.

IOWA (78): Bethany Doolittle 5-9 2-2 12, Ally Disterhoft 7-15 5-6 20, Whitney Jennings 1-8 2-4 5, Melissa Dixon 2-6 2-2 7, Samantha Logic 10-18 2-3 22, Alexa Kastanek 0-0 0-0 0, Claire Till 0-1 0-0 0, Chase Coley 2-2 0-0 4, Christina Buttenham 1-3 0-0 3, Kali Peschel 2-6 0-0 5. Totals 30-68 13-17 78.

Halftime: Nebraska 28, Iowa 21. End of regulation: 61-61. 3-point goals: Nebraska 2-10 (Cady 0-2, Laudermill 0-2, Theriot 1-3, Romeo 1-3), Iowa 5-13 (Disterhoft 1-3, Jennings 1-3, Dixon 1-2, Logic 0-1, Buttenham 1-1, Peschel 1-3). Team fouls: Nebraska 17, Iowa 14. Rebounds: Nebraska 42 (Cady 18), Iowa 42 (Disterhoft 13). Assists: Nebraska 13 (Theriot 5), Iowa 13 (Logic 8). Steals: Nebraska 5 (Jeffery 3), Iowa 10 (Doolittle 4). Turnovers: Nebraska 18, Iowa 17.

Attendance: 4,489.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com