Iowa Women's Basketball defeats Clarke University in an exhibition matchup
With an exhibition against DePaul already under their belt, the Iowa women’s basketball team took the court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday afternoon for their final tune-up before the regular season begins. The Hawkeyes showcased the talent and depth on their roster, as the took down reigning NAIA national champion Clarke University by a final score of 122-49.
“You don’t know how people are going to respond when the lights come on. You see it in practice ever day, but how are they going to respond to a game situation,” said head coach Lisa Bluder. “I thought we did some really good things, especially our bigs. We had the size advantage, we had the strength advantage, but 88 paint points is still really good…I thought we rebounded well and I thought we ran the floor pretty well.”
It took the Hawkeyes a few minutes to get things rolling. A basket from Clarke guard Taylor Haase tied the game, 10-10, four minutes into the contest. From there, the national runner-up turned it on showed why they are expected to contend for another run to the Final Four.
Iowa closed out the opening quarter on a 20-2 run to build a 30-12 lead after the opening 15 minutes. Caitlin Clark had 11 points in the opening quarter, while Molly Davis added seven points, including a three-pointer late in the shot clock. She finished the game with nine points, four rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers.
“She’s so capable and I really am happy that she’s playing like she’s capable of right now because I think she’s such a fun player to watch,” said Bluder. “Molly, I think realizes this is it. This is her senior year. This is why she transferred here was to contribute more to this basketball team.”
The second quarter was the Hannah Stuelke show. A couple of offensive rebounds turned into layups, a couple of transition baskets and a three-pointer, Stuelke had 20 points on 8/11 shooting, as well as eight rebounds going into the locker room. A little preview of what’s to come for the sophomore from Cedar Rapids. Hannah finished the game with 27 points on 11/15 shooting, ten rebounds and shot 4/5 from the free throw line.
“I think just being more confident on the floor,” said Stuelke on what the biggest difference has been for her so far this year. “Knowing that I can drive to the basket, knowing I can post up, get the ball and score. I think my teammates have helped me a lot in building that confidence.”
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“I always see the biggest jump between freshman and sophomore year,” said Bluder. “They’ve had a year of working in the weight room and they understand how physical and how fast the Big Ten is, so they just understand a little bit better and they are more comfortable. It’s like the game slows down for them a little bit.”
In the second half, the Hawkeyes continued their dominance outscoring the Pride 31-15 in the third quarter and 29-16 in the fourth quarter to close out the 73-point victory. Sharon Goodman had a big second half and finished the game with 14 points, nine rebounds and a pair of assists. She continues to round into form in her second year post-ACL surgery.
“I’m ready to do whatever the team needs me to do. I think a lot of that feeling more comfortable comes from my teammates. They’ve been encouraging me for the past two years since I’ve been back,” said Goodman. “Seeing all the work that’s been done and the support from my teammates pay off, it’s fun. It’s exciting to be back and looking forward to be able to help the team out.”
Caitlin Clark was the second-leading scorer for the Hawkeyes with 25 points, as well as four rebounds and nine assists. Addi O’Grady added 12 points on 6/10 shooting, while Kate Martin scored in double figures, with ten points, six rebounds and three assists. Gabbie Marshall finished with six assists to go along with four points. Kylie Feuerbach knocked down a pair of three-pointers in her first game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena after missing last season with an ACL tear.
Up Next, Iowa will take on Fairleigh Dickinson in the season opener at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on November 6th. Tipoff is set for 6:30pm CT on BTN+. HawkeyeReport will have a full week of articles to preview the season, this coming week.
