Iowa’s win streak ends in bitter fashion

IOWA CITY — They were bruised. They were battered.

And in the end, the Iowa Hawkeyes were beaten by Ohio State.

The 23rd-ranked Buckeyes held Iowa to one basket in the final 5 minutes and rallied for a 92-88 Big Ten women’s basketball victory before a crowd of 6,185 Monday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

This one smarted, in more ways than one.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed. We had the lead until the last 4 or 5 minutes,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

She was just getting warmed up.

“I don’t know. They quit calling fouls after a while. It gets frustrating.

“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to field a team (Thursday). It’s that bad. We got taken to the ground. We got slammed on screens.”

Yes, it was physical. And Ohio State (16-4 overall, 8-3 Big Ten) was the team more suited to the conditions.

“I’ve got to give credit to Gabbie (Marshall) and Tomi (Taiwo) and Kate (Martin),” Iowa guard Caitlin Clark said. “They got hammered all night.”

Iowa (14-5, 8-2) couldn’t hold a nine-point third-quarter lead. But the Hawkeyes still were in good shape, leading 83-79 with 5:04 left after Monika Czinano scored seven straight points.

From that point on, though, the Hawkeyes turned it over five times. Jacy Sheldon’s layup gave the Buckeyes an 86-85 edge with 1:40 to go.

Clark’s bucket at the 1:19 mark put Iowa in front for the final time, 87-86, then Tanaya Beacham answered for Ohio State.

Clark, who led all scorers with 43 points, missed a scoop shot on the next possession, and Taylor Mikesell converted two free throws for a 90-87 OSU advantage.

Iowa’s Kate Martin was fouled with 5 seconds left. She made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second. McKenna Warnock had the rebound for a moment, but was bumped — no foul was called — and the Buckeyes recovered the loose ball.

Warnock was on the ground as officials huddled at the monitor. Four-tenths of a second were put back on the clock, and Sheldon made two free throws for the final margin as boos rained down.

“I thought (Warnock) was taken to the ground,” Bluder said. “I thought she got mugged.”

The Hawkeyes play at Wisconsin on Thursday. Only nine players dressed Monday (A.J. Ediger joined Sharon Goodman, Shateah Wetering and Logan Cook on the inactive list with a high ankle sprain, suffered during shootaround earlier Monday), and Marshall and Warnock both were banged up Monday night.

“I only have so many kids,” Bluder said. “I don’t know Gabbie’s status. I don’t know McKenna’s status.”

Clark made 16 of 28 shots from the floor, including 7 of 14 from long range. She had seven assists, but committed seven turnovers.

“I could have executed better,” she said. “I’ll take the blame for that. Small details haunted us.”

Czinano made 11 of 13 shots in a 23-point outing, and the Hawkeyes shot 61 percent from the field.

Somehow, that wasn’t enough, and Iowa’s seven-game win streak came to a bitter end.

“I think we’ll grow from it,” Czinano said. “We’re all very eager to play them again. I hope we see them in the (Big Ten) tournament.”

“We’ll use it as fuel,” Clark said. “This will light a fire.”

Four Buckeyes scored in double figures, led by Mikesell’s 24 points. The two-time transfer (she played two years at Maryland, one at Oregon) scored 15 in the second half.

Sheldon added 20 points. Rebeka Mikulasikova, who entered the game with seven 3-pointers in 33 attempts this season, was 4 of 5 in the first half, and finished with 17 points.

Ohio State 92, Iowa 88

At Iowa City

OHIO STATE (92): Rebeka Mikulasikova 6-9 0-0 17, Rikki Harris 4-9 1-4 9, Jacy Sheldon 8-15 2-2 20, Braxtin Miller 4-10 0-0 10, Taylor Mikesell 10-16 2-2 24, Taylor Thierry 2-3 0-0 4, Tanaya Beacham 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 38-68 5-8 92.

IOWA (88): McKenna Warnock 2-5 0-0 5, Monika Czinano 11-13 1-3 23, Kate Martin 2-6 3-4 8, Caitlin Clark 16-28 4-6 43, Gabbie Marshall 2-3 0-0 5, Tomi Taiwo 1-1 2-2 4, Kylie Feuerbach 0-0 0-0 0, Addison O’Grady 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-56 10-15 88.

Ohio State 28 16 22 26 — 92

Iowa 27 21 20 20 — 88

3-point goals: Ohio State 11-24 (Mikulasikova 5-6, Harris 0-3, Sheldon 2-5, Miller 2-5, Mikesell 2-3, Thierry 0-1, Beacham 0-1), Iowa 10-20 (Warnock 1-3, Martin 1-2, Clark 7-14, Marshall 1-1). Team fouls: Ohio State 20, Iowa 14. Fouled out: Martin. Rebounds: Ohio State 28 (Harris, Beacham 6), Iowa 30 (Czinano 9). Assists: Ohio State 17 (Harris, Sheldon, Miller 4), Iowa 16 (Clark 7). Steals: Ohio State 9 (Harris 3), Iowa 4 (Marshall 2). Turnovers: Ohio State 7, Iowa 14.

Attendance: 6,185.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com