Back to the title stage the Hawkeyes go!
After being dismantled by this same Maryland team not two weeks ago, 96-68, No. 7 Iowa (25-6, 15-3 Big Ten) made sure that wouldn’t happen again with a trip to the Big Ten Tournament championship game on the line.
Really, each of the teams’ first two meetings were duds relative to the lofty expectations surrounding what were both top 10 matchups. Not in round three. There was drama aplenty and terrific performances from both.
Iowa senior guard Gabbie Marshall had a career-tying day, knocking down 7-of-13 3-pointers to finish with 21 points and keying the Hawkeyes’ trip back to the Big Ten Tournament final. She connected on the 3-pointer with 1:44 remaining that put Iowa up for good.
While Marshall’s star arguably shined brightest for Iowa inside the Target Center, the Hawkeyes got big-time contributions across the board in its starting lineup. Each of Iowa’s starters finished in double-figure scoring.
That included star point guard Caitlin Clark with a team-high 22 points on 5-of-13 from downtown and a cool nine assists. McKenna Warnock connected on each of her four three throws in the final 22 seconds, effectively icing the win for Iowa. She finished with 21 points on 3-of-8 3-point shooting with eight rebounds.
Guard Kate Martin filled up the stat sheet, tallying 10 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out seven assists. Hawkeye forward Monika Czinano added 15 points to round out Iowa’s scoring.
Meanwhile, Maryland (25-6, 15-3 Big Ten) fell despite 21 points from both Diamond Miller and Abby Meyers.
Iowa marches on and will meet fourth-seeded Ohio State for all the marbles and a chance to defend its Big Ten Tournament title. The Hawkeyes beat the 14th-ranked Buckeyes back on Jan. 23, 83-72.
At the time, that spoiled Ohio State’s perfect season. Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano combined for 50 points in the contest.
Before the second battle with the Buckeyes and a chance at another crown, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights and some of the best social media reactions from Hawkeye fans and beyond. Naturally, it was a joyous day among the black and gold faithful.