Alexander leaves behind winning legacy

SPOKANE, Wash. -- In her last game as an Iowa Hawkeye, Kachine Alexander was the last player out of a despondent locker room.

"To realize that it's over, it won't hit me until tomorrow at least," she said.

Alexander's college career ended -- Gonzaga ousted Iowa from the NCAA women's basketball tournament, 92-86, Saturday at McCarthy Athletic Center -- in typical fashion. She posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

"I hope I created a legacy here," she said afterward. "It's up to the other girls to keep it going."

In the four years that Alexander and Kelsey Cermak played at Iowa, the Hawkeyes made it to four NCAA tournaments and won 20-plus games four times.

Alexander was the first Hawkeye -- and the fifth Big Ten player -- to register more than 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists in a career.

Listed generously at 5-foot-9, she leaves as the school's No. 2 career rebounder with 910. Her 1,239 points rank 16th all-time.

She'll be remembered less for her numbers than her hustle and her grit.

And more.

"What I'm most proud about, she sat out (the second semester of) her freshman year (to academic ineligibility), then came back the way she did," said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. "It's amazing.

"You think about competitors, you think of Kash."

Alexander plans on a professional career. Maybe the WNBA. Maybe something overseas. Someday she wants to coach.

"What the future brings, I don't know," she said. "We'll see."