Hawkeyes reach the Big Ten tournament final for the fourth straight year

MINNEAPOLIS — They know the routine. They packed for three days.

“This is all we know,” Caitlin Clark said. “This is what we do.”

They play on Sunday at the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament, that’s what they do.

Clark registered 28 points and 15 assists, and No. 3 Iowa ruled the paint in a 95-68 semifinal romp over Michigan before a vastly pro-Iowa sellout crowd of 18,746 Saturday afternoon at Target Center.

The Hawkeyes (28-4) set a tournament-game record with 30 assists.

“We valued the ball, made some beautiful passes, shared the ball,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “It’s so much fun when we’re playing like that.”

Sydney Affolter said, “We moved the ball really well. Everybody was knocking down shots. It was fun.”

The Hawkeyes are in the title game for the fifth time in the last six seasons, the fourth year in a row in the Clark era.

It’s all they know. It’s what they do.

“In my six years I’ve been here, I’ve gotten to the championship five times, so that’s pretty cool,” Kate Martin said. “I’m pretty acquainted with championship Sundays now and I really like them.”

Iowa seeks its third straight title Sunday against Nebraska (22-10), a 78-68 semifinal winner over Maryland.

Tipoff is 11 a.m. (CBS).

The 2-seed Hawkeyes and the 5-seed Huskers split their two regular-season games.

Michigan (19-13) was 6-for-6 from the arc on its way to a 25-17 lead late in the first quarter.

“We didn’t panic or anything when we got down,” Bluder said. “There was a lot of basketball yet to be played.”

A lot of good basketball.

A basket by Hannah Stuelke and a 3-pointer by Gabbie Marshall got the Hawkeyes within 25-22 by the quarter break.

Then came a 20-5 blitz in the first 4:55 of the second period, which put the Hawkeyes in command, 42-30.

Clark was at her best in that game-flipping surge, scoring eight points and dishing out three assists, including a behind-the-back beauty in transition to Affolter.

Iowa led 51-42 at halftime behind 22-of-32 shooting from the floor (68.8 percent).

Michigan didn’t get any closer than that nine-point bulge. It was 72-55 after three quarters, and the margin grew as large as 31 points on Marshall’s 3-pointer with 6:15 left.

Bluder took her foot off the gas at that juncture, and the five on the floor at one point consisted of a funky look of Addison O’Grady, Sharon Goodman, Jada Gyamfi, Kylie Feuerbach and Taylor McCabe.

“We were playing people out of their position, but our system is kind of positionless anyway,” Bluder said.

Iowa enjoyed a whopping 54-16 advantage of points in the paint.

Hannah Stuelke made all seven of her shots (and both of her free throws) in a 16-point effort. Martin added 13 points, and Affolter (12 points, seven rebounds, eight assists) continued to look like a bona fide all-tournament candidate.

“Syd is playing her best basketball,” Clark said. “She does so many things that aren’t in the boxscore.”

Martin added about Affolter: “The kid’s a stud. I”m glad that the numbers are showing it. She’s doing something amazing, rebounding-wise, assist-wise.

“She’s always making hustle plays. Scoring is showing right now and I’m really proud of her, but she’s an amazing player no matter what, if she’s scoring her not.”

After starting 7-of-7 from deep, Michigan made 4 of its last 16 3-point tries.

Laila Phelia paced the Wolverines with 21 points.

So now it’s Iowa-Nebraska in a title game that should be emotion-packed.

The Huskers are making their first trip to the final since winning the title in 2014.

“We know how good they are,” Clark said. “Jaz (Shelley), in my eyes, is one of the best players in the country.”

Iowa 95, Michigan 68

Big Ten Tournament Semifinal, at Minneapolis

MICHIGAN (68): Chrya Evans 0-2 0-0 0, Elissa Brett 3-7 0-0 9, Lauren Hansen 4-10 2-2 13, Laila Phelia 8-16 3-3 21, Jordan Hobbs 4-10 3-3 14, Taylor Woodson 2-4 3-4 7, Cameron Williams 1-7 0-0 2, Elise Stuck 0-3 0-0 0, Greta Kampschroeder 1-1 0-0 2, Alyssa Crockett 0-1 0-0 0, Whitney Sollom 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 11-12 68.

IOWA (95): Hannah Stuelke 7-7 2-2 16, Sydney Affolter 5-6 0-0 12, Kate Martin 5-9 2-2 13, Caitlin Clark 10-19 4-4 28, Gabbie Marshall 2-4 0-0 6, Addison O’Grady 4-4 0-0 8, Taylor McCabe 1-4 0-0 3, A.J. Ediger 3-5 0-0 6, Jada Gyamfi 0-0 0-0 0, Sharon Goodman 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 38-62 8-8 95.

Michigan 25 17 13 13 — 68

Iowa 22 29 21 23 — 95

3-point goals: Michigan 11-23 (Brett 3-5, Hansen 3-7 Phelia 2-4, Hobbs 3-6, Crockett 0-1), Iowa 11-26 (Affolter 2-3, Martin 1-2, Clark 4-11, Marshall 2-4, Feuerbach 1-2, McCabe 1-3, Ediger 0-1). Team fouls: Michigan 14, Iowa 12. Fouled out: Brett. Rebounds: Michigan 26 (Stuck 5), Iowa 36 (Affolter 7). Assists: Michigan 18 (Phelia 7), Iowa 30 (Clark 15). Steals: Michigan 5 (Hansen, Woodson 2), Iowa 7 (Affolter, Clark 2). Turnovers: Michigan 15, Iowa 12.

Attendance: 18,746.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com