Iowa women's basketball spreads out the points late, rallies past Drake, 103-97

DES MOINES — For three quarters, Iowa was a one-trick pony. It was one great trick, mind you, but it wasn’t enough.

Then Caitlin Clark took off her scoring cap, became solely a facilitator, and the Hawkeyes flourished.

Iowa scored 38 points in the fourth quarter — none by Clark — and rallied to defeat Drake, 103-97, in a non-conference women’s basketball dandy Wednesday night at the Knapp Center.

“It was never said, but it was in the back of my mind,” Clark said, when asked if a conscious effort was made late to get more people involved. “Monika (Czinano) was able to take advantage inside, Gabbie (Marshall) had two huge steals that turned the game around, and that’s the reason we won the game.”

The Hawkeyes’ much-heralded and highly-awaited freshman point guard, Clark sparkled again in her second college game, posting 30 points and 13 assists. In other words, she had a hand in at least 56 points.

But she wasn’t going to win it by herself.

“She’s a special player,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “But we do need more people involved. We don’t want the Michael Jordan effect in which everybody stands and watches her.”

In the fourth quarter, everybody else got involved, and that allowed the Hawkeyes to improve to 2-0.

The critical stretch came with about eight minutes left, with Drake (1-2) holding a 76-69 lead.

Czinano, who scored 13 fourth-quarter points, started the rally with a basket, then Marshall stole the inbounds pass for another.

“I just saw an opportunity, so I took it,” Marshall said.

On the next Drake possession, Marshall turned another pass into a bucket. And when Czinano scored again, Iowa held a 77-76 edge, its first lead since 8-7.

Czinano’s hoop at the 6:24 mark capped a 10-0 run, and the Hawkeyes led the rest of the way.

“For 30 minutes, I was feeling pretty good,” Drake Coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “(Czinano) is really good. We didn’t have an answer. Unfortunately, the only answer was to put her on the free-throw line.”

Czinano finished with 27 points, and McKenna Warnock added 20. Iowa enjoyed a 24-7 advantage from the line.

Drake also had three players with 20-plus points: Grace Berg scored 26, Kierra Collier 25 (including 7-of-9 shooting from long distance), Maddie Monahan 23.

The Bulldogs led by as many as 10 points in the first half, held a 46-42 halftime edge, then stretched it to 61-50 midway through the third quarter.

If offensive basketball is good basketball, this one — like most Iowa-Drake games — was a beauty. And, as is often the case, the Hawkeyes had a little more at the end.

“We were just thinking positive thoughts, positive thoughts,” Clark said. “We stayed together, and were able to get over the hump.”

In addition to scorer and facilitator, Clark also was a good ticket broker. In her first return to her hometown, she was able to obtain 13 tickets for family and friends.

“Literally everybody on the team helped me out,” she said. “They came in clutch for me.”

Then, they did likewise when the game was on the line.

Iowa opens Big Ten play Saturday at home against Wisconsin. Tipoff is 2 p.m.

Drake is at Minnesota on Sunday.

IOWA 103, DRAKE 97

At Des Moines

IOWA (103): McKenna Warnock 5-12 8-10 20, Kate Martin 1-3 0-0 2, Caitlin Clark 12-19 3-4 30, Gabbie Marshall 3-6 1-2 8, Monika Czinano 11-13 5-8 27, Tomi Taiwo 0-0 3-4 3, Megan Meyer 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Jensen 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Cook 2-2 0-1 4, Sharon Goodman 0-1 2-2 2, Alexis Sevillian 2-3 2-2 7. Totals 36-59 24-33 103.

DRAKE (97): Kierra Collier 9-15 0-1 25, Allie Wooldridge 1-3 0-1 2, Maddie Monahan 9-15 2-2 23, Monica Burich 2-3 0-0 4, Grace Berg 12-17 1-2 26, Maggie Negaard 1-3 2-2 5, Taylor McAulay 0-4 2-2 2, Courtney Becker 0-2 0-0 0, Sarah Beth Gueldner 1-7 0-0 2, Mya Mertz 0-0 0-0 0, Maggie Bair 3-3 0-0 8. Totals 38-72 7-10 97.

Halftime: Drake 46, Iowa 42. 3-point goals: Iowa 7-17 (Warnock 2-3, Clark 3-10, Marshall 1-2, Sevillian 1-2), Drake 14-29 (Collier 7-9, Monahan 3-7, Berg 1-1, Negaard 1-2, McAulay 0-3, Becker 0-1, Gueldner 0-4, Bair 2-2). Team fouls: Iowa 18, Drake 27. Fouled out: Bair. Rebounds: Iowa 32 (Warnock 8), Drake 32 (Berg 9). Assists: Iowa 20 (Clark 13), Drake 27 (Collier 10). Steals: Iowa 11 (Clark 4), Drake 6 (Bair 2). Turnovers: Iowa 16, Drake 19. Attendance: 116.

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