Indiana women’s basketball entered Saturday’s showdown in Iowa City on a 13-game winning streak.
Both No. 14 IU and No. 3 Iowa were vying for a leg up in the Big Ten title race. And ultimately, the Hoosiers were humbled. The Hawkeyes pulled away in the third quarter and cruised to a 84-57 win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa (17-1, 6-0 Big Ten) led by just six points at halftime, following a very even first two quarters. But the Hawkeyes locked in defensively in the third quarter and outscored the Hoosiers 22-11. Indiana (14-2, 5-1) shot just 27.3 percent from the field in the decisive quarter.
IU committed 20 turnovers on Wednesday against Penn State, and it was an issue once again at Iowa. The Hoosiers committed nine in the first half — which, along with free-throw shooting, was the difference in the game at that point — and finished at 15. This was IU’s fifth consecutive game with at least 14 turnovers.
Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark got off to a slow start, missing her first six 3-point attempts. But she didn’t need long to heat up. The All-American scored a game-high 30 points, on a 10-for-21 line and a 6-for-16 clip from beyond the arc. She added five rebounds, 11 assists, and six turnovers.
IU All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes won the battle in the paint, and scored in double-figures for the 15th time this year. The graduate student shot 6 for 13 from the field for 16 points. She added seven rebounds, four assists, three turnovers, two blocks, and a steal. Meanwhile, Iowa sophomore Hannah Stuelke was a non-factor for most of the game, as the reigning Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year finished with just five points.
But IU had trouble guarding Hawkeyes fifth-year Molly Davis, which proved costly. She shot 7 for 10 for 18 points.
Sydney Parrish (11 points) and Yarden Garzon (11 points) both also chipped in double-digit scoring for IU. Chloe Moore-McNeil, who tweaked her ankle on Wednesday, guarded Clark for most of the evening, and was creating offensive looks earlier in the game. But she got in foul trouble later, and IU’s bench struggled to replicate her impact at point guard.
Indiana will look to get back on track on Wednesday against Minnesota at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
