No two ways around it, the Iowa Hawkeyes handed a win to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on a silver platter. After being in control, the offense went stagnant and Iowa gave away a game it had no business losing.
The Hawkeyes don’t need to press the panic button, though. They are 22-3 overall with an 11-2 mark in Big Ten play. What hurt them is Ohio State is 12-1 in conference play. Should the Hawkeyes want a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, their regular-season finale against the Buckeyes has become a must-win.
The loss means Iowa slides in the rankings. In this week’s ESPN women’s power rankings, the Hawkeyes tumble two spots to No. 4.
4. Iowa Hawkeyes (22-3)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: vs. Michigan Wolverines (Thursday)It was a week of emotional highs and lows for the Hawkeyes. Sophomore Hannah Stuelke had a career-high 47 points — second in Iowa history to Megan Gustafson’s 48 — in a victory over Penn State on Thursday. Then with the Hawkeyes appearing in control Sunday (leading by 14 after three quarters) they stumbled badly in the final period and lost at Nebraska. With Caitlin Clark eight points from setting the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record, Iowa will attempt to get the good vibes back in its lone game this week. – Michael Voepel, ESPN
The Hawkeyes get a bit of rest before they take the court again. They can digest this loss and figure out some issues with their late-game management. Up next are the Michigan Wolverines, who come to town on Thursday, Feb. 15 in a game that should be a special occasion.
Caitlin Clark is just eight points shy of the women’s all-time scoring record and barring something crazy, she should claim ownership of that record inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. After a loss like this to Nebraska, the Hawkeyes could use a palate cleanser with a record-setting moment tucked inside a win.
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