Flexing their muscles: Takeaways from Iowa Hawkeyes’ statement win over Indiana
The lights were never too bright for the Iowa Hawkeyes in this one. FOX had Gus Johnson in town for the call with the game nationally televised against another top-20 Big Ten team.
It didn’t phase Iowa for one second. The Hawkeyes took full advantage of the spotlight and never let the Indiana Hoosiers have a second to breathe on their way to an 84-57 blowout win inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in front of a sellout crowd. A crowd that packed the place despite slow, snowy travel and frigid temperatures.
Caitlin Clark put on another masterpiece for the nation to see with dazzling assists at the forefront and her incredible shooting range. But, Clark had her sidekicks Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin, and Molly Davis shining just as bright in the biggest moment of the year up to this point for the Hawkeyes.
The win propels Iowa into outright first place in the Big Ten as conference plays continue to be a gauntlet for each team to trek through. With this win, here are the takeaways from the statement performance made by Iowa.
Hello, Molly Davis!
Molly Davis has always been the gritty, tough player who dives on loose balls, makes the extra hustle play, and is always in the right place. But against Indiana, she had quite the game.
Davis was second in scoring for the Hawkeyes with 18 points on a 7-10 shooting performance. If Iowa is going to get contributions like this from Molly Davis down the stretch, I don’t know how you guard this team.
Gabbie Marshall has found it
Iowa’s sharpshooter is locked in. Gabbie Marshall has found her shot and it is a deadly part of the Hawkeyes’ offensive attack when she gets going from deep.
Marshall was 4-7 from three-point range last night pouring in 12 points for Iowa. After an uncharacteristically slow start to the year, she has found it as of lately. Gabbie Marshall is 12-22 from deep over the last three games.
Rebounds and assists win games
The Iowa Hawkeyes yet again put on another dominant performance on the boards. Iowa outrebounded Indiana 37-28 and that often led to this team playing their uptempo transition game for easy buckets.
Tied right into that is assists. It is much easier to score when you are given open looks versus creating on your own. Of Iowa’s 30 made shots, 19 of them came via an assist.
Martin & Clark double-double-trouble
Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin are experienced veterans of this team and know what big games mean. They mean it is time for big-time players to make big-time plays.
These two answered the bell by each putting up a double-double. Caitlin Clark had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists while Kate Martin added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Carver is a serious advantage
Temperatures were well below freezing and snow was covering the streets. It simply did not matter to the Iowa Hawkeyes fans and supporters. Carver-Hawkeye Arena was loud and filled to the brim.
Iowa has one of the best homecourt advantages in women’s basketball and it was on full display last night. FOX doesn’t just send the A-team to any game. They picked Iowa and they chose right.
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