Hannah Stuelke ‘definitely a difference-maker’ in Iowa’s win over UConn

CLEVELAND — Hannah Stuelke has scored more points in a game.

More than twice as many points, on one occasion.

But considering the circumstances, she has never played bigger than she did Friday night.

Stuelke scored 23 points — 11 in the third quarter — in second-ranked Iowa’s 71-69 win over No. 10 Connecticut in an NCAA women’s basketball national semifinal at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“She played with an energy about herself (in which) she really could go in there and dominate,” Iowa’s Caitlin Clark said after the Hawkeyes (34-4) advanced to the championship game for the second straight year.

“I’m a sophomore, so I’m 2-for-2,” Stuelke quipped, both shyly and slyly.

The Cedar Rapids native made 9 of 12 shots from the field, 5 of 7 from the free-throw line.

“She was amazing tonight,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

If you’re going to get boasting about Stuelke, you have to get it from her teammates. You’re not going to pry it from her.

“Confidence is everything,” she said. “Hearing Caitlin talk about me like that, it gives me a confidence boost.

“But they just fed me the ball very well. And the ball was going in for me tonight.”

Stuelke held her own against UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, and then some.

"She goes toe-to-toe with (Edwards), who in my mind is one of the best players in the country,“ Clark said. ”She was physical with her. Guarded her well. Boxed her out. And she wasn't afraid to take it at her either.

“She was definitely a difference-maker.”

Iowa dug its way out of a 12-point second-quarter hole. Despite 12 first-half turnovers, they were within 32-26 at halftime.

“We went into the locker room at halftime and it wasn't, like, ‘Oh, come on, you've got to make shots,’” Clark said. “It was, ‘No, stop turning the ball over and we’re going to be perfectly fine.

“We knew at some point our shots would go down. We didn't execute great (in the first half), and we were only down six. We felt really confident in that. Nobody panicked.”

Stuelke’s 11 third-quarter points were a tipping point in the comeback. So was a four-point play by Clark, which cut the UConn lead to 44-43.

It was 51-51 at the end of the third quarter, then Iowa led throughout the fourth.

Stuelke exploded for 47 points against Penn State on Feb. 8. Considering the circumstances and the opponent, this rivaled that, and maybe surpassed it.

The Hawkeyes didn’t depart Rocket Mortgage until after midnight. Rest and celebration would be brief before preparation for No. 1 South Carolina began.

“We got here once last year, and we wanted to get back,” Kate Martin said. “It’s like an addiction.”

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Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com