Mythical state women’s basketball championship on the line when UNI, Iowa collide Friday

IOWA CITY — In the moments immediately after Iowa defeated Iowa State on Dec. 11, the reaction — whether from fans or social media — was to proclaim this “a Hawkeye State.”

It may turn out to be accurate. But at the time, it was premature.

There’s still one game separating the Hawkeyes from a true mythical state championship in women’s basketball.

This game.

No. 22 Iowa (9-2) hosts Northern Iowa (5-5) in the final non-conference game for both teams. Tipoff is 6:30 p.m. Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“A state championship would be a great accomplishment for this group,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said Thursday. “I know (UNI Coach) Tanya (Warren) feels the same way about her team, and they’re sitting in the same spot we are.”

Both teams have a victory over Iowa State in the bank. Iowa also has beaten Drake, and UNI still has its Missouri Valley Conference home-and-home with the Bulldogs coming up.

Iowa has won eight consecutive intrastate games. A ninth would make the Hawkeyes undisputed state champs for the third straight year.

“Proving yourselves to be the best in the state is important,” said Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke, a Cedar Rapids native. “Coach wants it, and we all want it really bad.”

If it’s important to the Hawkeyes, it’s really important to the Panthers, who have 10 Iowans on their roster.

That includes guards Maya McDermott (Johnston) and Kayba Laube (Marion), whom you’ll find prominently on the NCAA statistical-leader charts.

McDermott ranks eighth nationwide in scoring, at 21.9 points per game. Laube is third in 3-point percentage (.522) and fourth in 3-pointers per game (3.6).

“They’re both really tough,” Iowa’s Lucy Olsen said. “We’ve got to make it as hard as possible on them as we can each time down the floor.”

As a team, UNI shoots 39.6 percent behind the arc, seventh-best in the nation.

“McDermott, she’s good. The drives she makes, and she can kill you with the 3. It’s crazy,” Jensen said. “And Laube’s shot is as pure as they come.”

As a former player and assistant coach at Drake, Jensen understands the dynamic from both sides, whether at a power conference or mid-major.

“If you’re the big guy in the fight, there’s a lot of pressure,” she said. “If we win, we’re supposed to win. If we lose, everybody wants to cry Chicken Little.”

Speaking of pressure ...

Turnovers have been the theme in Iowa’s two losses. The Hawkeyes committed 30 against Tennessee, 23 against Michigan State.

“We don’t have to be perfect, but we have to be much better,” Jensen said.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com