Hawkeyes shoot for 2-game, 3-day sweep of Indiana

IOWA CITY — A glaring hole in Iowa’s resume has been filled.

The 22nd-ranked Hawkeyes earned their first women’s basketball victory over a top-25 team Saturday, building a 24-point lead and holding off No. 5 Indiana, 96-91.

They did it with an apparently healthy and absolutely effective McKenna Warnock.

“Oh, man. It’s so nice to have her back,” Coach Lisa Bluder said.

How nice?

The junior, who had missed the previous four games with an injured left hand, scored 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

“I was ready, ready to go,” Warnock said. “It had been too long.”

If the Hawkeyes (17-7 overall, 11-4 Big Ten) can duplicate the feat Monday — tipoff with the Hoosiers (19-5, 11-3) is 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena — and win out, they will climb to at least fourth in the Big Ten, and maybe higher.

The top four teams earn coveted double-byes for the Big Ten tournament.

Heading into Sunday, five teams are within one game of each other at the top.

Maryland (20-6, 12-3) has won eight straight games and sits atop the standings. The Terrapins play at Michigan (20-4, 11-3) Sunday. Ohio State (18-5, 11-4) hosts Wisconsin on Sunday.

Michigan, Maryland and Ohio State all have the advantage on Iowa in any tie-breaker scenarios, but the Hawkeyes have another crack at the Wolverines in the league finale next Sunday.

Despite Saturday’s win, Iowa’s NET ranking stayed steady at 23.

There was plenty to like about the Hawkeyes, particularly offensively.

All five starters reached double figures. Monika Czinano scored 22 points. Caitlin Clark posted 18 points and 12 assists. Kate Martin added 13 points, Gabbie Marshall tallied 10.

That added up to a 96-point explosion over a team that hadn’t allowed more than 72 previous to Saturday. The Hawkeyes were able to hang on despite surrendering 42 fourth-quarter points.

“We needed to stay composed,” Warnock said. “We stayed together as a team.”

Now, they merely need to do it again.

Like Warnock, Marshall missed time due to injury. That expanded roles for players like Tomi Taiwo, Kylie Feuerbach and Sydney Affolter.

“Some people got better when McKenna were out,” Bluder said.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com