Iowa women’s basketball rallies, completes sweep of Indiana

IOWA CITY — The finish line is in sight. And so is Iowa’s first Big Ten women’s basketball regular-season championship in 14 years.

Monika Czinano scored 31 points, Caitlin Clark added 29, and the 21st-ranked Hawkeyes cleaned up their act after intermission and concluded a three-day, two-game sweep of No. 10 Indiana, 88-82, in front of a noisy crowd of 7,510 Monday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“If we were going to win the game, we had to change that turnover thing,” said Clark, who had seven of them in the first half, none in the second.

The Hawkeyes (18-7 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) climbed into a three-way tie for second place — along with Maryland and Ohio State, a half-game behind Michigan.

Iowa visits Rutgers on Thursday, then concludes the regular-season slate Sunday against Michigan. Win both, and the Hawkeyes are assured no less than a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. Iowa’s last such prize came in 2008.

“We’ve put ourselves in position to play for something in the last week (of the regular season),” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

The Hawkeyes trailed by 12 points after Indiana (19-6, 11-4) assembled a 14-0 run late in the first quarter. The Hoosiers led 52-41 at halftime, and still held a 70-65 advantage before Czinano and the Hawkeyes pounced.

Czinano scored nine points in an 11-0 run that gave the Hawkeyes a 76-70 advantage.

“My teammates did a good job with the down screens, and I was really able to use it to our advantage,” said Czinano, who scored 13 in the fourth quarter on 6-of-6 shooting. “Things went in the hoop.”

Czinano’s big game came one day after she announced that she will return next year for a fifth season.

“I’ve known this for a little while,” she said. “I thought I would let everybody else in on it. It’s unreal; we’re going to have all five starters back next year.”

For now, next year can wait. There is much on the table this week, and it could come to a crescendo Sunday.

“I hope it’s a sellout,” Clark said. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

It’s no coincidence that Iowa took a pair from Indiana on the heels of McKenna Warnock’s return from an injury to her left hand, which caused her to miss four games.

Warnock scored 22 points in the Hawkeyes’ 96-91 win at Bloomington on Saturday, then tallied 16 more Monday.

“She’s our X-factor,” Clark said. “It’s incredible that she has come back and played at this level. She’s a very underrated player.”

Clark tallied eight rebounds and eight assists. Czinano grabbed 10 rebounds and Warnock snagged seven in leading the Hawkeyes to a 37-27 advantage on the glass.

Addison O’Grady, Czinano’s understudy in the paint, provided a lift with eight points (on 3-of-3 shooting).

Midway through the third quarter, Clark and Indiana’s Grace Berger were involved in a bizarre play. Clark drove for a basket, and Berger was whistled for a foul.

After the play, officials went to the monitor and Clark was called for an intentional foul on the same play.

Clark finished her three-point play, Berger made both free throws and the game continued.

Five Indiana players reached double figures. Berger scored 22 points.

Iowa 88, Indiana 82

At Iowa City

INDIANA (82): Aleka Gulbe 3-7 0-0 6, Mackenzie Holmes 5-12 3-4 13, Nicole Cardano-Hillary 6-8 3-5 15, Ali Patberg 3-11 4-4 11, Grace Berger 8-20 6-7 22, Kiandra Browne 2-3 0-0 4, Chloe Moore-McNeil 4-6 0-0 11, Grace Waggoner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-67 16-20 82.

IOWA (88): McKenna Warnock 5-8 4-4 16, Monika Czinano 13-17 5-7 31, Kate Martin 0-3 0-0 0, Caitlin Clark 9-20 9-9 29, Gabbie Marshall 0-3 2-2 2, Tomi Taiwo 0-1 0-0 0, Kylie Feuerbach 0-0 2-2 2, Addison O’Grady 3-3 2-2 8, Sydney Affolter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-55 24-26 88.

Indiana 23 29 14 16 — 82

Iowa 26 15 21 26 — 88

3-point goals: Indiana 4-16 (Gulbe 0-3, Cardano-Hillary 0-1, Patberg 1-5, Berger 0-2, Moore-McNeil 3-5), Iowa 4-19 (Warnock 2-4, Martin 0-3, Clark 2-9, Marshall 0-2, Taiwo 0-1). Team fouls: Indiana 27, Iowa 19. Fouled out: Gulbe, Cardano-Hillary. Rebounds: Indiana 27 (Gulbe, Cardano-Hillary 5), Iowa 37 (Czinano 10). Assists: Indiana 12 (Cardano-Hillary 4), Iowa 18 (Clark 8). Steals: Indiana 12 (Cardano-Hillary, Berger 3), Iowa 2 (Warnock, Marshall). Turnovers: Indiana 14, Iowa 21.

Attendance: 7,510.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com