The Hawkeyes were without starters McKenna Warnock and Gabbie Marshall, but that did not stop them from beating the Badgers 84-50 at the Kohl Center this evening.

“It just felt like we came in here and took care of business tonight,” said Coach Lisa Bluder. “I’m really proud of the women that stepped up tonight.”

The Hawkeyes were slow out of the gates, starting 0/6 from the floor and trailed Wisconsin 4-0. After going scoreless for the first 4:42 of the game, Iowa got their first basket from Monika Czinano and that was the end of the struggles.

“We don’t all play at same time sometimes, so it’s kind of hard to get that good chemistry,” said Tomi Taiwo who entered the starting lineup for the first time this season. “After a couple of minutes, we were able to find each other’s niches and just work well together.”

The Badgers got open looks in the first half, but could not cash in. They were 4/15 from the floor, while a 7-0 run by the Hawkeyes gave them a 15-8 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

The second and third quarters weighed heavily in favor of the Hawkeyes, as they outscored Wisconsin 50-24, to build up a 33-point, 65-32 lead.

The only question that remained? Could Caitlin Clark get another triple-double? And of course, she did. Caitlin Clark notched her fifth triple-double of the season with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Her six triple-doubles for her career ties her with former Hawkeye Samantha Logic for the most in a career in Big Ten history.

“Sharing it with the #22, must be in the number, I guess,” said Clark on tying Logic’s record. “That’s super cool and Sam was a really great player here and someone I watched growing up.”

Monika Czinano and Fr Addison O’Grady combined for 33 points in the post on 15/22 shooting, while O’Grady recorded a career-high 16 points with her extended time on the court. Kate Martin added 10 points, while Tomi Taiwo made a pair of 3pt shots. Sydney Affolter saw her most minutes of the season and grabbed eight rebounds.

“They did some great things,” said Bluder on those who stepped up in the absence of Marshall and Warnock. “That’s why we recruited them because they’re great players and tonight they had the opportunity to show it.”

With this win, the Hawkeyes move to 15-5 on the season and 9-2 in Big Ten play, but a trip to the Crisler Center to face #6 Michigan looms on Sunday afternoon. The Hawkeyes are expecting to be short-handed again, but that means all the pressure if off of them and squarely on Michigan to take care of business.

“I think the pressure is off of us. I mean they are playing at home; they are the sixth ranked team in the country,” said Bluder. “The pressure is on them, and the pressure is off of us…We will just go in there and give it everything we have.”

Caitlin Clark echoed that statement saying, “Obviously, a big challenge, but that’s what you and that’s what the Big Ten is about. I want to play the best; I want to compete with the best and we want to beat the best…We are going to have to be focused in and dialed in. A tall task, but anybody can be beat on any given day.”

The game against the Wolverines is on Sunday at 5:30pm. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.