Iowa women’s basketball grinds out win over West Virginia, advances to NCAA Sweet 16

IOWA CITY — Turns out, the Iowa Hawkeyes can win a grinder, too.

Defense — and free throws — saved the day, and No. 2 Iowa fought past West Virginia, 64-54, in an NCAA women’s basketball second-round game before a sellout crowd of 14,324 Monday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“We won with defense tonight,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said, something she has rarely said in her 24 years in Iowa City.

Held well below their nation-leading 92.6 points per game, the Hawkeyes (31-4) were able to grunt and groan their way back to the Sweet 16.

They’ll face No. 17 Colorado (24-9) in a regional semifinal at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CT).

“This was more fulfilling than winning by 30 points,” said Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who registered 32 points and eight rebounds.

Fulfilling, yes. Worrisome, absolutely.

West Virginia (25-8) scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to forge a 48-48 tie, and the Mountaineers got even at 50-50, then 52-52 with 2:57 to go.

J.J. Quinerly lined up a 3-point attempt from the right wing for the lead, which Gabbie Marshall blocked.

Sydney Affolter converted a three-point play on the other end for a 55-52 Iowa lead with 2:03 remaining, igniting a 12-2 run to close the game.

“As soon as Gabbie got that block, I’m like, ‘Oh, we’re winning,’” Kate Martin said.

Affolter’s bucket was Iowa’s lone make in 10 fourth-quarter tries.

No matter. The Hawkeyes were 14 of 17 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, 9 of 10 in the final 1:07.

Hannah Stuelke, who had missed a pair early in the quarter, made the first of two. Then Clark hit two, Stuelke made two more and Clark hit four in a row in the final 21 seconds.

“I’m really proud of Hannah,” Clark said. “That’s somebody who has worked really hard on her free-throw shooting.”

Monday marked the Carver finale for Clark, Marshall, Martin, Molly Davis and Sharon Goodman.

In the Clark era, Iowa is 4-8 in games in which the Hawkeyes were held below 70 points.

This was one of those rare low-scoring wins.

The pace was just how West Virginia preferred; the Mountaineers were the national leader in turnover margin, in the top five in steals and in turnovers forced.

“That’s one of the better defensive teams we’ve seen all year,” Bluder said. “West Virginia isn’t an 8-seed. That team is really good.”

Iowa managed just seven assists against 15 turnovers, but prevailed nonetheless.

Only four Hawkeyes scored.

Affolter added 13 points, Stuelke 12 points and 11 rebounds, Martin seven points and 10 boards.

Iowa was 25 of 30 from the line; West Virginia was 3 of 5, and shot 34 percent from the floor.

Quinerly led the Mountaineers with 15 points.

“Wish we could have made a few more shots and made a few more plays,” West Virginia Coach Mark Kellogg said. “When we were tied with 5 minutes to go, that was what we wanted to be.

“The game went about to script for us as far as holding them down and trying to give ourselves a chance late.”

The Hawkeyes matched their program-high for wins in a season — they were 31-7 last year — and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 10th time.

Iowa 64, West Virginia 54

NCAA Tournament Second Round, at Iowa City

WEST VIRGINIA (54): Kylee Blacksten 2-4 0-0 5, Jordan Harrison 1-3 1-2 3, J.J. Quinerly 6-14 0-0 15, Lauren Fields 0-7 0-0 0, Kyah Watson 5-12 0-0 13, Jayla Hemingway 3-15 2-2 10, Tirzah Moore 4-7 0-1 8, Messiah Hunter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-62 3-5 54.

IOWA (64): Hannah Stuelke 3-6 6-9 12, Sydney Affolter 4-6 5-5 13, Kate Martin 2-7 3-4 7, Caitlin Clark 8-22 11-12 32, Gabbie Marshall 0-4 0-0 0, Kylie Feuerbach 0-1 0-0 0, Addison O’Grady 0-1 0-0 0, Taylor McCabe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-47 25-30 64.

West Virginia 15 9 14 16 — 54

Iowa 20 6 22 16 — 64

3-point goals: West Virginia 9-34 (Blacksten 1-3, Harrison 0-1, Quinerly 3-6, Fields 0-7, Watson 3-7, Hemingway 2-10), Iowa 5-22 (Affolter 0-2, Martin 0-2, Clark 5-14, Marshall 0-3, Feuerbach 0-1). Team fouls: West Virginia 27, Iowa 11. Fouled out: Harrison, Quinerly. Rebounds: West Virginia 35 (Watson 7), Iowa 42 (Stuelke 11). Assists: West Virginia 14 (Harrison 9), Iowa 7 (Clark 3). Steals: West Virginia 8 (Quinerly 3), Iowa 4 (Clark 2). Turnovers: West Virginia 9, Iowa 15.

Attendance: 14,324.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com