Gabbie Marshall’s shots are falling again, and just in time for Iowa women’s basketball

MINNEAPOLIS — The evidence was already clear. Saturday afternoon at Target Center, it was overwhelming. Gabbie Marshall has her shot back.

And the Iowa women’s basketball team has another reliable threat for the most important part of the season.

A 41.5-percent 3-point shooter in her first three seasons at Iowa, Marshall was faced with an uncharacteristic slump to start her fourth — a 20-of-82 mark (24.4 percent) from long range in her first 23 games.

That’s firmly in the past.

Saturday’s 7-for-13 performance in a Big Ten tournament semifinal win over fifth-ranked Maryland added to an outstanding month, in which the 5-foot-9 guard has made 23 of her last 39 3-point attempts (58.9 percent). That includes a 4-for-7 display in No. 7 Iowa’s quarterfinal win Friday against Purdue.

“It’s a long season,” Marshall said. “You’re gonna have highs, you’re gonna have lows, you’re gonna face adversity. But just having the veteran team that we have, we’ve been through it, we’ve been here before, we’ve been in the championship game. We’re so close off and on the court and I think that really helps.”

Coincidentally, it was perhaps Iowa’s worst game of the season in which Marshall made a then-season-high five triples in a 96-68 loss at Maryland on Feb. 21.

Saturday’s new season-high felt better, each make seemingly timely as the Terrapins pushed. Two were in a first-half stretch of less than 40 seconds, sandwiching a Caitlin Clark three that increased Iowa’s lead to 10.

Of course, the most important shot came with 1:44 left, when McKenna Warnock corralled an offensive rebound and kicked to Marshall for the go-ahead 3 after Maryland got even for the first time since the opening quarter.

“Leaving Gabbie all alone was not great for them,” Clark said. “Proud of her for making that shot.”

Marshall has contributed defensively — opposing ball-handlers are typically in for a surprise or two in the back court per game — and the nation’s top scoring offense didn’t always need points from her. But ahead of Sunday’s Big Ten championship game against No. 14 Ohio State, that prolific attack appears even more dangerous.

“I’m so proud of her because she started out the season struggling,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “She kept believing in herself. She kept working hard and getting in that gym. I couldn’t be more proud of anybody, just what her effort was in getting back. This team’s belief in this woman is unbelievable. Gabbie was incredible on both ends of the floor.”

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