Hawkeyes score a school-record 115 in second straight blowout

IOWA CITY — Hannah Stuelke still isn’t a big talker.

Her teammates, though ... they have big words for her. Big plans.

“Hannah doesn’t know how good she can be,” Caitlin Clark said. “Her potential is through the roof.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had a more athletic player here. Definitely not as long as I’ve been here. She gives us something we haven’t had.”

The Cedar Rapids native made the most of her 13 minutes Thursday night, posting 14 points and eight rebounds. She was part of a long list of offensive stars as fourth-ranked Iowa set a women’s basketball program record for points in a 115-62 rout of Evansville before a crowd of 7,675 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“I thought we played a really, really good first half,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes’ second lopsided win in four days.

Iowa (2-0) established a new record for points on A.J. Ediger’s three-point play with 3:00 left. The old mark was 108, against Illinois on Dec. 31, 2019.

The Hawkeyes scored 61 points in the second half, 35 in the third quarter.

“We were all on the same wavelength,” Monika Czinano said. “We were firing on all cylinders.”

Clark registered 26 points and 12 assists. Czinano added 23 points, McKenna Warnock 15, Stuelke 14.

Those four combined to make 30 of 40 shots from the floor, leading the Hawkeyes to a 64.2-percent night (43 of 67), and for the second straight game, all 13 active players scored.

Warnock and Stuelke both got behind the Evansville defense multiple times in transition, and the guards found them.

“When McKenna runs the floor like that and Hannah runs the floor like that, it’s fun,” Bluder said.

Stuelke committed to Iowa four years ago, as a freshman at Cedar Rapids Washington, where she was Miss Iowa Basketball last year. Bluder was asked at Wednesday’s press conference if she has coached a player like her before.

“She’s a little like Kachine Alexander, but taller,” Bluder said. “If you want to go way back, maybe Jerica Watson.”

If there was an award on this team for Most Likely To Dunk, it would be Stuelke in a rout.

“One step, and she can grab the rim,” Czinano said.

Stuelke said, “This team had made it easy to come in here, play hard and do what they want me to do.”

For the second straight game, Iowa trampled its opponent on the boards. The Hawkeyes outrebounded Evansville (1-1) by a 51-23 margin.

It has become apparent that Stuelke will be a major contributor off the bench. Molly Davis (five points, seven rebounds, five assists) will be another.

A transfer from Central Michigan, Davis also blocked a shot that “was the highlight of my year,” according to Czinano.

The Hawkeyes play at Drake at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Iowa 115, Evansville 62

AT IOWA CITY

EVANSVILLE (62): Abby Feit 2-8 1-1 6, Barbora Tomancova 5-10 0-0 11, Anna Newman 0-5 1-2 1, A’Niah Griffin 2-4 0-2 5, Myia Clark 4-14 7-8 18, Celine Dupont 3-8 2-4 8, Elly Morgan 0-2 0-0 0, Kynidi Mason Striverson 3-7 5-8 11, Jossie Hudson 1-2 0-0 2, Lexie Sinclair 0-0 0-0 0, Kodie Myszka 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-60 16-25 62.

IOWA (115): McKenna Warnock 6-7 0-0 15, Monika Czinano 10-14 3-4 23, Kate Martin 2-4 1-2 6, Caitlin Clark 8-12 8-9 26, Gabbie Marshall 0-2 1-2 1, Molly Davis 2-5 1-1 5, Addison O’Grady 2-6 1-2 5, Sydney Affolter 3-3 1-1 7, Hannah Stuelke 6-7 2-6 14, Taylor McCabe 2-4 0-0 6, Shateah Wetering 0-0 1-2 1, Sharon Goodman 1-1 0-0 2, A.J. Ediger 1-2 2-3 4. Totals 43-67 21-32 115.

Evansville 7 16 23 16 — 62

Iowa 26 28 35 26 — 115

3-point goals: Evansville 6-25 (Feit 1-4, Tomancova 1-3, Newman 0-1, Griffin 1-2, M. Clark 3-7, Dupont 0-4, Morgan 0-1, Mason Striverson 0-3), Iowa 8-16 (Warnock 3-4, Martin 1-2, C. Clark 2-5, Marshall 0-1, Davis 0-1, McCabe 2-3). Team fouls: Evansville 25, Iowa 19. Fouled out: Tomancova. Technical foul: Griffin. Rebounds: Evansville 23 (Dupont 5), Iowa 51 (Warnock, Stuelke 8). Assists: Evansville 11 (Newman 5), Iowa 27 (C. Clark 12). Steals: Evansville 11 (Feit 3), Iowa 11 (C. Clark, Marshall, Davis 2). Turnovers: Evansville 20, Iowa 16.

Attendance: 7,675.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com