Hawkeyes with comfortable win over Illini
There haven’t been many losses this season for the Iowa women’s basketball team, but when they have dropped a game, they have responded in a strong manner. That was the case on Sunday as the Hawkeyes bounced back from a loss to Indiana with a convincing 101-85 victory over Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
For the season, Iowa moves 24-4 on the season and 13-3 in conference games. As usual, it was Caitlin Clark that led the way for the Hawkeyes on offense. While the All American had an off shooting game for her, she still a team high 24 points and finished with a triple-double, adding in 15 rebounds and 10 assist. It was the 16th career triple double for the expected National Player of the Year.
It was a game of runs early on in the first quarter. Iowa scored the first nine points of the game, capped by a three pointer from Kate Martin. The senior forward had 13 points and was 3-6 from three point range in the game.
The Illini responded in kind with a 6-0 run. After a jumper by Makira Cook cut the lead to 14-10, the Hawkeyes went on a 10-0 run to open up a 14 point advantage in the game. That run was started and ended by three point field goals from Kylie Feuerbach, who finished with 9 points on 3-5 shooting from deep.
The lead for the Hawkeyes grew to twenty early in the second quarter after five straight points from Molly Davis, including a three, and a layup by Hannah Stuelke to make the score 42-22. Cook, who finished with a game high 26 points, hit a pair of three’s but Davis and Taylor McCabe answered with a pair of their own and Iowa went to the halftime break up 50-34. Davis had 17 points in the contest.
Both teams offense’s took over in the third quarter with the two teams trading blows. Clark hit a couple of three’s but the Illini were pesky and not going away. A basket by Kendall Bostic and Adalia McKenzie cut Iowa’s edge in the game to eleven, 63-52. The Hawkeyes responded with a 7-0 spurt, including a three by Sydney Affolter gave Iowa a 70-52 lead.
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The Fighting Illini, mainly in the form of Cook, finished the third quarter strong with a run that cut Iowa’s lead back to 13 points.
The fourth period opened with Iowa hitting three straight three pointers and the Illini trying to match. Clark, Martin, and Davis all hit from three point range and the Iowa lead was 83-66. The Hawkeyes went on a 7-2 run that was finished up by a layup for Stuelke and a steal and layup by Davis to put Iowa up 90-70.
The lead grew to 21 after a triple from Clark, but then the Fighting Illini went on a 9-0 before the Hawkeyes closed out with a small run of their own to wrap up the victory.
Iowa will be back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to Minnesota. The game starts at 8 p.m. and will air on Peacock.
