Opening Night observations on Iowa women’s basketball

IOWA CITY — Things from Iowa’s 93-50 women’s basketball win over New Hampshire Tuesday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena:

My favorite play was the last one of the first quarter, with Caitlin Clark on the bench with two fouls.

The Hawkeyes got the ball with six seconds left after a missed New Hampshire free throw. Iowa’s Kylie Feuerbach drove the other way, with UNH’s Ella Fiore between her and the basket. She whipped a pass to Gabbie Marshall, who was open in the right corner.

Marshall, who made 47.1 percent of her 3-pointers a season ago, beat the clock with a swish.

Many players would have gone straight to the basket. Feuerbach, a transfer from Iowa State, has game.

My favorite Clark moment didn’t involve a basket or assist.

Clark was assessed her second foul of the game with nine seconds left in the first quarter while dribbling down the clock and going one-on-one with Amanda Torres of the Wildcats.

“It was a flop,” Clark told teammates on the sideline after she was removed from the game.

Same scenario late in the second quarter, Clark vs. Torres. This time Torres was called for a foul. Clark nodded somewhat aggressive agreement at the official, then went to the line and sank two free throws.

She had 26 points on just 10 field goal attempts in 26 minutes, by the way.

Clark can pass.

Yes, you already knew that. Her 7.1 assists average last year was kind of a clue, and she had six Tuesday.

Midway through the first quarter, Clark hit center Monika Czinano with a pass for a layup that was like a quarterback hitting a wide receiver on a timing route, throwing to a spot instead of directly to a player.

It wasn’t the only such time she did it. A few times, her teammates didn’t finish off sweet passes with made shots. Once, her pass was too high even for the 6-foot-3 Czinano. But she can pass.

And dribble. Clark made a 3-pointer after a behind-the-back move followed by a step back move to create space between her and her defender. That was first-team All-America stuff.

New Hampshire isn’t Maryland, or Indiana, or …

But the Wildcats didn’t back down, and had their moments. They traveled from Durham, N.H., to Iowa City for one game, and won’t leave the Eastern time zone again this season unless they reach the NCAA tournament.

One day, they’ll probably tell people they played against Clark.

Freshman Talia Davis came off the bench and scored five points in the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter to cut UNH’s deficit to 71-39. Her teammates roared as if they’d taken the lead.

I liked that.

Good free throw-shooting is a mark of a good team.

Last season, the Hawkeyes were third in the nation at 80 percent and Clark made 85.8 percent of hers. Iowa was tied for 11th in free throws made.

Tuesday, Clark was 11-of-11 and Iowa was 27-of-28. It’s a start.

“We shoot free throws every day in practice,” Clark said after the game, “and we’re always over 90 percent.”

Mediocre teams aren’t great from the foul line.

The line for soft serve ice cream on the Carver concourse at halftime was 35-deep.

My theory: People love ice cream.