#2 IOWA HAWKEYES (21-7) (14-4) vs #6 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (24-7) (11-7)

INFO: 5:00pm on Big Ten Network

The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers will meet for a third time this season, while this one will be the most important one yet. The winner will earn a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.

Iowa advanced from the quarterfinals, with a win over #7 Northwestern by a score of 72-59. The Hawkeyes got 21 points from Monika Czinano, 19 points from Caitlin Clark and 15 points from Kate Martin en route to their win. The win almost certainly locks them into a regional host spot for the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska knocked off #3 Michigan in the quarterfinals by a final score of 76-73 and will be playing in their third game in three days today. The Huskers had four scorers in double figures, led by 16 points from Allison Weidner and Sam Haiby. Freshman Alexis Markowski scored just four points, but grabbed nine rebounds to lead the team. They shot 25/49 (51.0%) from the floor and 8/17 (47.1%) from 3pt range.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

- A third straight Big Ten Tournament Championship appearance

- A 3-0 season record against Nebraska

THE NUMBERS – OFFENSE

NEBRASKA: 78.9 points (9th), 45.2% FG (19th), 36.4% 3pt (16th), 72.1% FT (128th), 42.3 rebounds (17th), 14.3 TO (83rd)

IOWA: 84.9 points (2nd), 50.4% FG (1st), 35.8% 3pt (22nd), 84.5% FT (1st), 38.4 rebounds (102nd), 15.1 TO (140th)

THE NUMBERS – DEFENSE

NEBRASKA: 63.6 points (180th), 37.8% FG (84th), 27.7% 3pt (43rd), +7.2 rebounding margin (27th), 14.9 TO (234th)

IOWA: 71.1 points (310th), 39.6% FG (161st), 31.7% 3pt (242nd), +3.8 rebounding margin (90th), 14.3 TO (278th)

PROJECTED STARTERS

NEBRASKA

G Jaz Shelley – 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 41.1% 3pt

G Allison Weidner – 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 47.5% FG

G Sam Haiby – 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 40.2% FG

F Isabelle Bourne – 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 38.5% 3pt, 51.6% FG

C Alexis Markowski – 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 52.6% 3pt, 50.7% FG

BENCH

F Bella Cravens – 6.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 53.9% FG

F Annika Stewart – 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 47.3% FG

IOWA

PG Caitlin Clark – 27.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 33.6% 3pt, 41 steals

G Gabbie Marshall – 7.0 points, 39.8% 3pt – best defender

G Kate Martin – 7.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 45.9% FG

F McKenna Warnock – 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 44.1% 3pt, 52.7% FG

C Monika Czinano – 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 67.1% FG

BREAKDOWN

If the two regular season match-ups are any preview of today’s semifinal, then everyone is in for a treat. Both games had over 170 combined points and were within a couple possessions deep into the fourth quarter.

While it has been a while since these two teams faced off, Coach Lisa Bluder does not expect any huge changes from the Huskers.

“At this time of year, I don’t think people can really change a lot,” said Bluder. “You’ve had three months to do that, so it’s not like anybody is going to have all these news plays…It becomes a mental game, as well as a physical game, as you go along in this tournament, just because it is wearing (on you).”

Northwestern held the Hawkeyes offense well below their season scoring average, while vs the Huskers are exact opposite. Iowa averages 94.0 points in two games vs Nebraska and has shot 51.2% from the floor.

“We love to play fast. That’s what we do and put up a lot of shots, exciting basketball, but it’s a lot more fun when they are going in, rather than when they’re not,” said Bluder after the game in Lincoln.

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski has been impressive, scoring 41 points on 16/21 (76.2%) shooting against the Hawkeyes, including six threes in the second match-up, while also grabbing 12 rebounds.

“We weren’t playing Markowski for the three to begin with…it’s one of those things, you go with statistics sometimes and sometimes statistics lie,” said Bluder, after Markowski’s shooting performance. She has just 14 made 3pt shots in the other 30 games of the season, but the Hawkeyes will have to respect her ability to hit the shot, rather than letting her hit some before they step out to guard her.

Monika Czinano has been good against Nebraska and that is great news, considering the stretch of play she has put together coming into the match-up. Over her last five games, Czinano has 116 points on 50/64 (78.1%) shooting, while grabbing 30 rebounds. In two games vs Nebraska, she had 51 points on 21/31 (67.7%) shooting and 11 rebounds. The match-up of her and Markowski in the post will be a big one to watch throughout the game.

The point guard matchup will be worth the price of admission into Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as Jaz Shelley will be going up against Caitlin Clark. Clark landed on the First Team All-Big Ten list, while Shelley made the Second Team list. The Hawkeyes played good defense on Shelley in the first game, holding her to 14 points on 17 shots, while she missed the second game due to Covid.

She has scored 15+ points 11 times, while her last four games have been impressive. Jaz has scored 81 points (20.3 ppg), including 18/32 (56.3%) from behind the arc. On Clark’s end, she has combined for 62 points on 20/46(43.5%) shooting against the Huskers, including a triple-double in the second matchup. She will have to deal with the Shelley who landed on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and leads the Huskers with 54 steals.

With the absence of Ashley Scoggin from the lineup, freshman Allison Weidner has stepped up for the Huskers. Weidner is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in six games, since she has stepped into the starting rotation. Sam Haiby missed the game in Iowa City, but she was big for the Huskers in Lincoln, scoring 18 points, including three 3pt makes and is coming off 16 points against Michigan.

Nebraska has won seven of their last eight games coming into the game and they beat the Wolverines in the quarterfinal, despite grabbing just four offensive rebounds. Iowa struggled to keep the Huskers off the glass in Lincoln, allowing 23 offensive boards and it almost cost them the game. However they did a much better job in the second game, holding them to just eight offensive boards.

This match-up has all the ingredients to be an incredible semifinal and it will come down to the same things that always decide Iowa games. Rebounding and turnovers. The Hawkeyes cannot allow the Huskers to get extra possessions on the offensive glass, while they have to take care of the ball and not give Nebraska free points off turnovers. When Iowa rebounds and takes care of the ball, there are not many teams that can hang with them.

I have a feeling Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano are going to combine to have an incredible game. However, the Huskers didn’t flinch when they fell down by as much a six points late vs Michigan and I expect them to push Iowa to the end. The Hawkeyes will get it done in a high scoring affair and move on to the Big Ten Championship Game. Iowa 91 Nebraska 86