Mackenzie Holmes wins the post duel; No. 2 Indiana tops No. 5 Iowa in a Big Ten women’s basketball showdown

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The battle of the posts was pivotal, indeed.

Mackenzie Holmes outdueled Monika Czinano inside, and second-ranked Indiana topped No. 5 Iowa, 87-78, in a back-and-forth Big Ten women’s basketball showdown before a record crowd of 13,046 Thursday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

“I knew the task at hand, the kind of player that (Czinano) is,” Holmes said. “I tried to have that mindset ... I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

“I just had to be myself, not do anything out of the ordinary.”

Indiana (23-1 overall, 13-1 Big Ten) won its 11th consecutive game and extended its league lead to 1 1/2 games with four to play.

The Hoosiers lost three times to Iowa last year, once in the championship game in the Big Ten tournament.

They remembered.

“Iowa’s a really, really, really good team,” said Grace Berger, who led the Hoosiers with 26 points, 19 in the second half.

“I remember the three games with them last year. When you play a great team like that, it means a little more.”

Indiana Coach Teri Moren said, “We have some veteran players on this team, and I think (last year) stuck with them.”

The rematch — the regular-season finale — is Feb. 26 at Iowa City. That game is sold out.

“Great game by Indiana,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “We’ll bounce back.”

The Holmes-vs.-Czinano matchup featured the nation’s second- and third-most accurate field-goal shooters.

Advantage Holmes, who went for 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

Czinano finished with six points (she attempted only six shots) and seven rebounds before fouling out with 2:51 remaining.

“I think what’s different this year is that Indiana didn’t have the 3-point shooters to open things up (for Holmes),” Bluder said. “Now they do.”

The first three-plus quarters consisted of nine ties and 13 lead changes, but the Hoosiers scored seven straight points to pull away from a 62-62 deadlock.

Iowa (19-5, 11-2) got no closer than five points again, and the Hawkeyes’ eight-game win streak came to a close.

Ribbed passionately by the Indiana fans throughout, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark still managed 35 points and 10 assists, but committed eight turnovers.

“The crowd’s energy was awesome,” Clark said. “Sixty minutes to go before the game, and the place was jam-packed.

“We had a lot of self-inficted problems, and that’s what this crowd wants. I don’t think we helped ourselves with three turnovers in a row to start the game.

“I’m happy for Indiana. They deserved it. They’re a great team.”

McKenna Warnock added 14 points, Hannah Stuelke 10.

Stuelke made all five of her shots from the field, missed all eight from the line.

Iowa was held under 80 points for the first time in 14 games.

“(Holmes) did a tremendous job on Czinano,” Moren said. “Caitlin is Caitlin, she’s a special scorer, but I think we made her work hard. And we did a really sound job on the rest of them.”

The game was tied 19-19 after a quarter, 39-39 at halftime.

Iowa returns home for a Sunday contest with Rutgers. Tipoff is 2 p.m.

Indiana 87, Iowa 78

At Bloomington, Ind.

IOWA (78): McKenna Warnock 5-8 2-2 14, Monika Czinano 3-6 0-0 6, Kate Martin 2-7 2-2 6, Caitlin Clark 12-28 8-11 35, Gabbie Marshall 1-2 0-0 3, Molly Davis 0-2 0-0 0, Sydney Affolter 1-3 0-0 2, Hannah Stuelke 5-5 0-8 10, Addison O’Grady 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 30-62 12-23 78.

INDIANA (87): Mackenzie Holmes 10-17 4-8 24, Yarden Garzon 3-6 0-0 8, Chloe Moore McNeal 1-8 8-8 11, Sydney Parrish 3-5 1-2 9, Grace Berger 10-20 6-10 26, Sara Scalia 2-6 2-2 8, Lilly Meister 0-0 1-2 1, Ariella Wisne 0-0 0-0 0, Henna Sandvik 0-0 0-2 0, Lexus Bargesser 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-62 22-34 87.

Iowa 19 20 18 21 — 78

Indiana 19 20 23 25 — 87

3-point goals: Iowa 6-23 (Warnock 2-4, Martin 0-4, Clark 3-11, Marshall 1-1, Davis 0-2, Affolter 0-1), Indiana 7-14 (Garzon 2-3, Moore-McNeil 1-4, Parrish 2-2, Berger 0-1, Scalia 2-4). Team fouls: Iowa 24, Indiana 20. Fouled out: Warnock, Parrish. Rebounds: Iowa 38 (Warnock 11, Indiana 37 (Moore-McNeil, Berger 9). Assists: Iowa 17 (Clark 10), Indiana 15 (Berger 6). Steals: Iowa 4 (Clark, Marshall 2), Indiana 9 (Holmes 4). Turnovers: Iowa 18, Indiana 12.

Attendance: 13,046.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com