With victory secure, the Hawkeyes were able to rest their rotation Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS — Rest and recovery.

Ice baths and ... cherry juice?

That’s what awaits the Iowa Hawkeyes as they prepare for Sunday’s championship game at the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament.

“Anything we can do to recover at this point is what we're trying to do,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes sidelined Michigan, 95-68, in Saturday’s semifinal round.

“This is the shortest turnaround that we've ever had, but truly at this point, it's all about adrenaline. It's about getting the job done, keeping in the moment.”

Iowa (28-4) is in the title game for the fourth straight year. The Hawkeyes seek their third straight crown when they meet Nebraska (22-10).

Tipoff is 11 a.m. (CBS), about 16 1/2 hours after the buzzer sounded Saturday.

“We need to really focus on scout, film, rest, eat, sleep,” Bluder said.

Bluder was able to get her core players off the floor Saturday with about 6 minutes left and the Hawkeyes in front, 90-59.

“You know I would have loved to have kept playing, but obviously (assistant) coach (Abby Stamp) was not letting me go back in the game,” Clark said. “It was fun seeing some girls who don't usually get minutes, especially in this tournament environment, playing in front of our fans.

“It's definitely nice to rest your legs a bit here and there. Really, nobody played over 30 minutes other than myself, and I'm just over 30. That makes a big difference, especially when you're going into your third game in three days.”

Nebraska, on the other hand, will be playing for the fourth consecutive day. The Huskers haven’t showed any fatigue yet.

“I felt really good before this game, and there's no reason why I can't feel like that tomorrow,” Jaz Shelley said after Nebraska’s 78-68 semifinal win over Maryland. “We trained for this before the season even started. I'm ready for it.”

Bluder encouraged her players to limit their time on their phones, and their time with people outside of their immediate family.

Plus, “I encourage them to get into ice baths, have them drink cherry juice to work down the inflammation,” Bluder said.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com