No. 7 Iowa 91, Wisconsin 61

On December 4th, Iowa defeated Wisconsin 102-71 in Madison. That result wasn’t an anomaly. At 3-11 in conference, Wisconsin is one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Iowa, meanwhile, is one of the best teams in the country.

In games like this, the result really isn’t in dispute. But the game itself is still important for coaches because the bench players generally get an extended run. That time will help the coaches evaluate which players can still help Iowa this year and which players will be important pieces on next year’s team.

The hope is that everyone stays healthy, the starters look crisp, and one or two of the bench players make an impression.

The game started poorly for Iowa on both ends, and Wisconsin held a 12-5 advantage early. Iowa finally showed up midway through the first quarter, and the Hawks immediately went on a big run. Iowa closed the quarter on a 21-4 run, and led 26-16 after one. In the last few minutes, Iowa did a much better job of forcing Wisconsin into jumpers and contesting those jumpers. The Hawkeye offense also got any shot it wanted.

Iowa’s momentum carried over to the second quarter, and the Hawks slowly built their lead throughout the quarter. A Sydney Affolter three with just under a minute to go pushed the Iowa lead to 20, and Iowa ended the half with a 48-28 lead. Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano’s combined stat line at the half was: 26 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 11-15 shooting from the floor.

Iowa’s offense kept on rolling in the third quarter, but Wisconsin hit enough shots to keep the game respectable. All told, Iowa led 73-48 after three. Iowa’s starters pushed the lead above 30 early in the fourth quarter, and Iowa put in its bench to close out the game. Iowa ultimately won 91-61.

Clark led Iowa with 24 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. She shot 9-12 from the floor. Czinano scored 19 points on 8-11 shooting and also grabbed 6 rebounds. McKenna Warnock was the final Hawkeye in double-figures with 16 points on 7-11 shooting. Iowa shot 64% as a team. A box score for the game is here.

It was good to see Affolter hit a couple jumpers in the first half. Shooting has been her biggest struggle thus far at Iowa. If she can consistently hit jumpers, her driving and rebounding ability will make her a nice offensive weapon on the wing.

Hannah Stuelke attempted a jumper and went 3-3 from the free throw line. Shooting will also play a huge role in her development. She’s already great at getting easy layups in transition and very good at scoring around the basket. But if she can’t prove to teams that her shot is a threat, they will start playing way off of her on defense. Or they will start fouling her anytime she gets the ball in good position. If Stuelke can start hitting jumpers and making her free throws, she will turn into a dynamic scorer to complement her incredible athleticism.

Taylor McCabe continues to be a lethal shooter from three late in blowouts. If she can improve the other areas of her game this off-season, she should be another great shooting option for Clark and company next year.

Iowa returns to action on Saturday, February 18th at 1pm on the road at Nebraska. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. Nebraska is 14-11 overall and 6-8 in the Big Ten. Iowa beat the Huskers a couple weeks ago 80-76 in Iowa City.