Minnesota makes Iowa Hawkeyes sweat until the final minutes

IOWA CITY — Uneasy. Restless. That was Carver-Hawkeye Arena as the fourth quarter approached.

This was no peaceful, easy feeling.

Caitlin Clark, though? She was in her element.

“These are the games you’d rather play,” she said. “I’d rather have a close game than a 100-point win.”

In what had been a much closer game than expected — or desired — 25th-ranked Iowa scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and battled past Minnesota, 88-78, in a Big Ten women’s basketball game before a Carver crowd of 8,141 Wednesday night.

Monika Czinano scored 12 fourth-quarter points as the Hawkeyes improved to 16-6 overall, 10-3 in the Big Ten.

“(Assistant coach Jan Jensen) trusts in me. I want perfection out of myself,” said Czinano, who struggled with her shot early before settling in. “Caitlin, my teammates ... they said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ They trusted I would make the next one.”

The result was a far cry from the Jan. 20 game in Minneapolis, in which the Hawkeyes’ 105-49 laugher was their biggest Big Ten win in program history.

This time, the Gophers (11-14, 4-9) were right on the Hawkeyes’ heels until that fourth-quarter breakaway.

“It wasn’t the same game as last time,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “They came and played much better. But I’m really happy with our fourth quarter.”

Iowa made 8 of 12 shots, 10 of 10 free throws in the last 10 minutes.

Clark finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists. She was one of four Hawkeyes in double figures.

Czinano added 23 points, Tomi Taiwo 14, Kate Martin 10.

Gabbie Marshall returned to the lineup after two games away with injury, expanding the Hawkeyes’ available roster to eight. Marshall started, played 25 minutes and scored three points.

A senior who has started the past three games, Taiwo has accepted her expanded role and run with it. She made 3 of 5 shots, all six free throws.

“It’s that mentality of next man up,” Taiwo said. “Somebody needed to pick up the scoring, and I needed to be a defensive presence, help in any way possible.”

Taiwo’s plus-21 figure was tops on the team.

“She had a tough assignment in guarding (Sara) Scalia,” Clark said. “She’s starting to get more comfortable in her role. All of us are settling in.

“She’s been here for four years. She knows the system.”

Iowa steadily built a 13-point lead through the first 16 minutes — the high-water mark of the half was 37-24 and 39-26 — but Minnesota fought back and trailed just 42-37 at halftime.

The Gophers never led in the second half, but five points at the end of the third quarter by Deja Winters got the visitors within 62-61.

Winters finished with a team-high 30. Scalia added 23.

Martin opened the final period with a driving basket. Clark converted a three-point play. Czinano scored six in a row, and the one-point nail-biter became a more comfortable 73-61 advantage with 6:56 left.

At 73-63, Kylie Feuerbach deflected a pass, then tapped the loose ball forward to Clark for a layup.

Taiwo’s two free throws gave the Hawkeyes their largest cushion, 82-67, with 3:38 left.

The Hawkeyes host No. 15 Maryland — coached by Cedar Rapids native Brenda Frese — at 8 p.m. Monday.

Bluder said there is “a possibility” that McKenna Warnock, who missed her third game Wednesday with an injured left hand, will be back.

“We’ll know more (Thursday),” she said.

Iowa 88, Minnesota 78

At Iowa City

MINNESOTA (78): Laura Bagwell Katalinich 2-5 2-2 6, Alanna Micheaux 1-1 0-0 2, Deja Winters 11-21 3-3 30, Gadiva Hubbard 2-7 0-0 5, Sara Scalia 8-19 4-4 23, Kadiatou Sissoko 2-9 1-1 5, Bailey Helgren 0-0 1-2 1, Alexia Smith 1-6 3-3 5, Kayla Mershon 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 27-69 15-17 78.

IOWA (88): Monika Czinano 10-19 3-4 23, Tomi Taiwo 3-5 6-6 14, Kate Martin 4-7 2-2 10, Caitlin Clark 10-20 8-11 32, Gabbie Marshall 1-2 0-0 3, Kylie Feuerbach 2-4 1-1 6, Addison O’Grady 0-2 0-0 0, Sydney Affolter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-60 20-24 88.

Minnesota 21 16 24 17 — 78

Iowa 27 15 20 26 — 88

3-point goals: Minnesota 9-22 (Winters 5-10, Hubbard 1-4, Scalia 3-8), Iowa 8-18 (Taiwo 2-3, Martin 0-2, Clark 4-8, Marshall 1-2, Feuerbach 1-2, Affolter 0-1). Team fouls: Minnesota 20, Iowa 14. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Minnesota 36 (Sissoko 8), Iowa 38 (Clark 8). Assists: Minnesota 8 (Hubbard, Scalia, Smith 2), Iowa 15 (Clark 6). Steals: Minnesota 6 (Winters 5), Iowa 9 (Clark 3). Turnovers: Minnesota 12, Iowa 10.

Attendance: 8,141.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com