Iowa women’s basketball makes it 12 straight wins with a 103-69 romp at Rutgers

Note: This story was written in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa’s longest women’s basketball win streak in 19 years now stands at a dandy dozen.

The fourth-ranked Hawkeyes blistered Rutgers with a 30-11 second-quarter surge and romped past the Scarlet Knights, 103-69, in a Big Ten mismatch Friday evening at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J.

Caitlin Clark recorded her 14th career triple-double: 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists (in 29 minutes), and Iowa (15-1 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) won its 12th consecutive game, its longest streak since the start of the 2004-05 season.

The Hawkeyes moved into sole possession of the league lead, a half-game ahead of Indiana and Nebraska.

The Hoosiers (12-1, 3-0) and the Huskers (11-3, 3-0) play Sunday at Lincoln.

Rutgers (6-11, 0-4) kind of stuck around for a while, trailing just 25-19 after a quarter. But the Hawkeyes warmed up, and their second-quarter clinic made it 55-30 at halftime.

Iowa has won 12 of 13 matchups with Rutgers since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten.

Kate Martin added 17 points. Gabbie Marshall, perhaps springing free of a shooting slump, hit 4 of 7 shots from behind the arc and tallied 12 points.

Sydney Affolter and Hannah Stuelke provided 10 points apiece, with Affolter grabbing 10 rebounds.

Addison O’Grady’s shot with 3:22 left got the Hawkeyes to the century mark.

Iowa connected on 39 of 72 shots from the floor, good for 54.2 percent.

The game was a sellout of around 8,000 fans; Rutgers’ previous 10 home games had drawn an average attendance of 2,048.

Three players scored 12 points apiece for Rutgers.

Iowa plays at Purdue at 7 p.m. (CT) Wednesday.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com