It’s a rout in Round 1: Iowa whips Southeastern Louisiana, 95-43

IOWA CITY — It was just one play in a blowout.

One unconventional play. Somewhat confusing. And, truly, quite pivotal.

Third-ranked Iowa regained some mojo with a six-point possession late in the second quarter. That, and a defensive switch to zone alone, helped send the Hawkeyes to a 95-43 rout of Southeastern Louisiana in an NCAA women’s basketball tournament first-round game before a sellout crowd of 14,382 Friday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“(That play), that was the loudest it got in here,” Caitlin Clark said.

Let’s review:

The Hawkeyes (27-6) were fast out of the gate, leading 28-17 after a quarter and by 16 points on two occasions in the second quarter. But they hit a mild, brief lull, and Southeastern (21-10), an NCAA rookie, got back within 11.

Baskets by Hannah Stuelke and Clark made it 44-29. Then, after a steal, Clark found Molly Davis streaking toward the basket in transition.

Davis converted while absorbing a hard foul — an intentional foul — by SLU’s Taylor Bell, a forearm to the head.

“Caitlin was coming down, my girl stepped up to guard her,” Davis said. “I didn’t even realize I made it.”

In a little-known rule on intentional fouls (it was news both to Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder and Clark), Bluder got to choose the free-throw shooter.

She chose Kate Martin, who hit both foul shots.

“We have a contest every day,” Bluder said. “The winner, the one at the top of the ladder, is the one who gets to shoot technical fouls.”

Martin was the most recent winner.

“I didn’t know the situation,” Davis said. “Kate made them, so we’re good.”

Iowa got the ball after the free throws, and Hannah Stuelke scored to make it 50-29.

One possession, 17 seconds, six points.

It was 54-32 at halftime, then the Hawkeyes held Southeastern to 11 points in the second half.

“When they went zone, it was a great game plan,” Lions Coach Ayla Guzzardo said.

⧉ Related article: After saying Iowa is ‘not a big defensive team,’ Southeastern Louisiana flustered by Iowa’s zone defense

It was a scheme born out of preservation: Iowa faces Georgia (22-11) — a 66-54 winner over Florida State — in the second round at 2 p.m. Sunday (ABC).

“I kind of wanted to preserve our legs,” Bluder said. “Why run and chase screens if you don’t have to?”

Clark scored 12 of Iowa’s first 15 points and finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists. Monika Czinano added 22 points and eight boards.

In her first postseason appearance, freshman Hannah Stuelke tallied 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor.

“I was just really excited to play,” Stuelke said. “We had really good communication. We really locked down in the second half.”

Up 61-38 with 5:20 left in the first quarter, Iowa stung the Lions 34-5 the rest of the way.

Bell was called for her second intentional foul on a drive by Clark with 8:28 remaining. A second intentional foul means disqualification.

Though Martin is the current “ladder champion,” Bluder let Clark shoot her own free throws.

“She’d have been madder than a pistol if I’d have let somebody else shoot them,” Bluder said.

Southeastern’s 43 points were the second-fewest Iowa allowed this season. The Lions shot 9 percent from the floor (3 of 32) in the second half.

“We were just moving well, talking,” Czinano said.

Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes — facing a team that came into the game allowing 54 points per game (13th in the nation) — shot a healthy 60 percent, with 27 assists.

That’s Iowa basketball, with a big bonus defensively.

So that’s one win down. Southeastern had played two other top-10 teams this season in LSU and Utah. What sets Iowa apart?

“(LSU and Utah) both had very important pieces of the puzzle,” Guzzardo said. “But we haven’t seen anybody like Caitlin Clark.”

Iowa 95, Southeastern Louisiana 43

NCAA First Round, at Iowa City

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (43): Natalie Kelly 1-1 0-0 2, Jen Pierre 2-10 1-2 5, Cierria Cunningham 6-18 0-0 15, Chrissy Brown 4-6 0-0 8, Hailey Giaratano 1-11 2-2 4, Taylor Bell 3-13 2-2 9, Dajia Harvey 0-3 0-0 0, Dijone’ Flowers 0-4 0-0 0, Allasia Washington 0-1 0-0 0, Jaylen Huderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-67 5-6 43.

IOWA (95): McKenna Warnock 2-4 1-1 6, Monika Czinano 10-12 2-2 22, Kate Martin 1-4 2-2 5, Caitlin Clark 9-14 5-5 26, Gabbie Marshall 1-5 0-0 3, Sydney Affolter 0-3 0-0 0, Molly Davis 2-3 2-2 6, Hannah Stuelke 5-5 3-6 13, Addison O’Grady 3-3 0-0 6, Taylor McCabe 1-4 0-0 3, Shateah Wetering 1-2 0-0 3, Jada Gyamfi 0-0 0-0 0, A.J. Ediger 0-0 0-0 0, Sharon Goodman 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 36-60 15-18 95.

Southeastern Louisiana 17 15 9 2 — 43

Iowa 28 26 23 18 — 95

3-point goals: SLU 4-22 (Pierre 0-1, Cunningham 3-5, Brown 0-1, Giaratano 0-4, Bell 1-5, Harvey 0-3, Flowers 0-3), Iowa 8-20 (Warnock 1-2, Martin 1-3, Clark 3-6, Marshall 1-4, McCabe 1-3, Wetering 1-2). Team fouls: SLU 20, Iowa 6. Fouled out: Bell (disqualified, 2 intentional fouls). Rebounds: SLU 31 (Brown 8), Iowa 45 (Warnock, Czinano 8). Assists: SLU 13 (Pierre 7), Iowa 27 (Clark 12). Steals: SLU 6 (Brown 3), Iowa 10 (Marshall 3). Turnovers: SLU 15, Iowa 16. Attendance: 14,382.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com