Hawkeyes hold off Nebraska, 80-76, for 6th straight win

IOWA CITY -- They were slow out of the gate, and they limped to the finish line.

But in between, the Iowa Hawkeyes assembled about 21 minutes of pinpoint action. And that was enough.

“It was a win,” Coach Lisa Bluder said after 10th-ranked Iowa held off Nebraska, 80-76, in a Big Ten women’s basketball battle before an announced crowd of 13,843 Saturday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “It wasn’t a pretty win.

“We did what we needed to do, but we didn’t put the fear in them like I wanted to put the fear in them.”

Caitlin Clark registered 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, and the Hawkeyes (17-4 overall, 9-1 Big Ten) won their sixth straight game -- their 12th in the last 13 -- and rejoined Indiana in a first-place tie.

Credit a second-quarter bonanza that flipped the game Iowa’s way.

Iowa trailed 21-11 late in the first quarter, and still 21-15 at the end of the period. But Molly Davis opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, igniting a 26-9 show than enabled the Hawkeyes to take a 41-30 lead into the locker room.

“We got a lot of tips and deflections,” Clark said. “Our zone defense was really good. We had some big (3-pointers) in transition.”

Clark’s two free throws gave Iowa its largest lead of the game at 58-40, and the Hawkeyes still enjoyed a 67-50 bulge heading to the fourth quarter.

Then, well, the game got a lot closer than it should have.

Nebraska (12-9, 4-6) opened the final period with 12 straight points to slide within 67-62. Iowa restored the lead to 12 on a couple of occasions, but Isabelle Bourne converted on an inbounds pass to make it 75-70 with 1:53 left.

Kate Martin had a key steal in the final minute when the Huskers threatened to make it a one-possession game.

“Nobody panicked when we were down 10 (early), and nobody thought we were going to lose (at the end),” Clark said. “But they’re not situations we want to be in.”

Bluder said, “Every time you get through something difficult, it’s going to make you better. We didn’t play poorly, but we didn’t play to our capabilities.”

Iowa missed its first seven shots, committed four early turnovers and trailed 6-0 three minutes into the game when the game was halted for about 10 minutes due to a clock malfunction.

Clark’s 3-pointer got Iowa on the board at the 5:22 mark of the first quarter.

Monika Czinano added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Hannah Stuelke chipped in with 12 points.

“We talked about going off the dribble more. It worked better than posting them up,” Stuelke said.

A freshman from Cedar Rapids, Stuelke had the Hawkeyes’ highest efficiency at plus-9.

“I think I’ve made a lot of progress,” she said. “I used to be antsy and turn the ball over. The game has slowed down a lot.”

Iowa was without McKenna Warnock (ribs injury) for the second straight game.

“I thought she’d be closer to being ready today,” Bluder said. “I don’t know when she’ll be back.”

All five starters reached double figures for Nebraska. Sam Haiby scored 16 points.

The Hawkeyes host Maryland at 7:30 Thursday night.

Iowa 80, Nebraska 76

At Iowa City

NEBRASKA (76): Isabelle Bourne 7-10 0-1 14, Alexis Markowski 4-10 3-4 12, Jaz Shelley 4-13 1-1 10, Sam Haiby 5-10 5-5 16, Maddie Krull 5-9 0-0 13, Callin Hake 2-5 0-0 6, Kendall Moriarty 0-2 0-0 0, Annika Stewart 2-3 0-0 5, Maggie Mendelson 0-0 0-0 0, Kendall Coley 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 29-64 9-11 76.

IOWA (80): Monika Czinano 7-10 3-3 17, Molly Davis 2-5 0-0 5, Kate Martin 2-4 1-2 6, Caitlin Clark 9-26 10-12 33, Gabbie Marshall 3-7 0-0 7, Hannah Stuelke 4-9 4-5 12, Sydney Affolter 0-2 0-0 0, A.J. Ediger 0-0 0-0 0, Addison O’Grady 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-64 18-22 80.

Nebraska 21 9 20 26 -- 76

Iowa 15 26 26 13 -- 80

3-point goals: Nebraska 9-30 (Bourne 0-1, Markowski 1-5, Shelley 1-7, Haiby 1-3, Krull 3-5, Hake 2-5, Stewart 1-2, Coley 0-2), Iowa 8-22 (Davis 1-4, Martin 1-2, Clark 5-12, Marshall 1-3, Affolter 0-1). Team fouls: Nebraska 20, Iowa 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Nebraska 32 (Markowski 11), Iowa 43 (Clark 12). Assists: Nebraska 20 (Shelley 11), Iowa 18 (Clark 9). Steals: Nebraska 8 (four with 2), Iowa 7 (Martin, Clark 3). Turnovers: Nebraska 12, Iowa 15.

Attendance: 13,843.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com