Caitlin Clark is ‘perfectly fine,’ and Iowa is 1-0 for the 23rd straight year

IOWA CITY — There were about five gut-churning minutes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and it had nothing to do with anything on the scoreboard.

Caitlin Clark hit the floor, then stayed there a lot longer than the crowd of 7,417 cared to see.

“I just stepped on somebody’s foot and turned my ankle a little bit,” Iowa’s All-American guard said. “I’ll be perfectly fine. I’m all good.”

Clark overcame the turned ankle, then a bloody lip, and fourth-ranked Iowa trampled Southern University, 87-34, Monday night.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game,” Bluder said. “Southern came out very physical, and at first that shocked us a little.”

The most unnerving moment came when the game was barely three minutes old. Clark was driving to the basket in transition, then hit the deck.

She stayed there as Carver went silent, then hobbled to the bench, then to the training room.

“We definitely had to recalibrate,” Monika Czinano said.

Clark only missed about two minutes of game time, then returned. She led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Iowa is 1-0 for the 23rd straight season. The Hawkeyes held Southern to 21.1-percent shooting from the floor (12 of 57).

“We made them take quite a few midrange jumpers,” Clark said. “We’d rather have them take hard 2s than easy 3s.”

The Hawkeyes were slow out of the gates, as well, going 0-for-8 from long range in the first quarter, and led only 15-10 at that point.

That didn’t last long.

Clark hit back-to-back 3-pointers to highlight a 19-0 run, and Iowa led 43-15 at halftime.

Much of the second half was a chance to check out the rookies and those that missed last year due to injury.

* Hannah Stuelke, a freshman from Cedar Rapids who earned Miss Iowa Basketball honors last year, finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

“You can see her athleticism,” Bluder said. “It just oozes out of her.”

* Taylor McCabe, last year’s Nebraska Gatorade player of the year, hit three 3-pointers in less than a minute.

* Molly Davis, the senior transfer from Central Michigan, posted seven points and led the team with four assists.

* Sharon Goodman and Shateah Wetering, a pair of ACL casualties last year, scored three points apiece.

All 13 players that dressed, scored. Iowa was without freshman Jada Gyamfi (sprained ankle).

For the second time in her career, Kate Martin will wear a protective face mask for a prolonged period of time.

“She just has a nose that likes to break,” Bluder said.

Iowa enjoyed a 51-22 rebounding advantage.

The Hawkeyes host Evansville on Thursday. The Purple Aces opened with an 89-81 road win against Eastern Kentucky on Monday.

Southern continues its Iowa swing with a Thursday date at No. 8 Iowa State.

Iowa 87, Southern University 34

AT IOWA CITY

SOUTHERN (34): Taylor Williams 0-4 0-2 0, Raven White 0-3 1-2 1, Aleighyah Fontenot 2-14 0-0 6, Chloe Fleming 2-8 0-0 4, Amani McWain 3-11 0-0 8, Kyanna Morgan 1-6 0-0 3, Tyneshia Metcalf 1-5 0-0 2, Soniyah Reed 1-2 0-0 3, Sky Castro 0-0 0-0 0, Osha Cummings 0-0 0-0 0, Xyllize Harrison 0-0 0-0 0, Sirviva Legions 2-4 3-4 7, Ravon Robertson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-57 4-8 34.

IOWA (87): McKenna Warnock 2-6 0-0 5, Monika Czinano 3-4 4-5 10, Kate Martin 2-4 0-0 5, Caitlin Clark 6-10 5-7 20, Gabbie Marshall 3-8 0-0 6, Molly Davis 3-5 0-0 7, Addison O’Grady 1-1 0-0 3, Sydney Affolter 0-1 4-4 4, Hannah Stuelke 5-7 0-0 10, Shateah Wetering 1-2 0-0 3, Taylor McCabe 3-8 0-0 9, Sharon Goodman 1-2 1-1 3, A.J. Ediger 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 30-58 16-19 87.

Southern 10 5 8 11 — 34

Iowa 15 28 24 20 — 87

3-point goals: Southern 6-17 (Fontenot 2-6, McWain 2-7, Morgan 1-2, Reed 1-2), Iowa 11-36 (Warnock 1-5, Martin 1-3, Clark 3-6, Marshall 0-5, Davis 1-3, O’Grady 1-1, Affolter 0-1, Stuelke 0-2, Wetering 1-2, McCabe 3-8). Team fouls: Southern 24, Iowa 13. Fouled out: Harrison, Castro. Rebounds: Southern 22 (Williams 4), Iowa 51 (Clark 9). Assists: Southern 6 (Legions 2), Iowa 18 (Davis 4). Steals: Southern 11 (McWain, Castro 3), Iowa 7 (seven with 1). Turnovers: Southern 18, Iowa 19.

Attendance: 7,417.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com