Hear from Caitlin Clark, Taylor McCabe and Lisa Bluder after Iowa’s big win over FGCU
Hear from Caitlin Clark, Taylor McCabe and Lisa Bluder after Iowa’s big win over FGCU.
ESTERO, Fla. – Hopes were high in the hometown that the tournament host could stick with the tournament darling and make Saturday night’s semifinals of the Gulf Coast Showcase somewhat interesting.
Iowa crushed that dream in what seemed like 30 seconds.
With a decent Florida Gulf Coast cheering section eager to neutralize another strong Hawkeyes squad as best they could, No. 6 Iowa (6-1) immediately erased any sense of excitement with stout defense and versatility downtown. The Hawkeyes turned that game into a 100-62 laugher and advanced to Sunday’s championship game, where they will have a highly anticipated rematch against No. 22 Kansas State (6-0) at 6:30 p.m
The dominance produced two strong milestones – Lisa Bluder’s 500th win at Iowa and a school record 20 treys – both of which came before a record crowd of 4,257 at the Gulf Coast Showcase.
“I thought our group was really locked in defensively,” said Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, who had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in just 26 minutes. “We made a lot of adjustments because they’re a really great 3-point shooting team. And we knew that from the start.”
For a program that has risen to the elite ranks primarily through tireless offense and big points, a stifling defensive performance fits well with what the Hawkeyes currently have in front of them. Some of FGCU’s numerous misses were obvious. Many of them were hard-fought – even when the Eagles fired a shot.
Iowa immediately put FGCU on a losing streak that lasted nearly half of the first quarter and resulted in nine turnovers in the first ten minutes. The Eagles (4-2) did not get three players on the scoresheet until 3:11 into the second quarter. It took almost 14 minutes for them to reach double figures. Iowa ultimately held FGCU to 7:31 from deep.
Oh, and about those dots and 3-point clues? The Hawkeyes stacked plenty of both to create a perfect, complementary mix. Six different players scored from deep, five of them hitting multiple treys.
There was the usual cavalry of stars – Clark (4 of 8), Gabbie Marshall (4 of 5) and Kate Martin (1 of 4) scored all three goals – but downtown’s depth went far beyond that. Taylor McCabe hit and hit and hit some more. Sydney Affolter scored. Kylie Feuerbach scored. All of these reserve contributions can pay dividends now and in the future.
“That felt so good, how can it not be?” said McCabe, who scored a career-high 18 points on 6-of-7 from distance. “I like to think that even if I miss a few shots, my confidence doesn’t go down. Coaches always tell me that numbers don’t lie and the next ones come in. I know my teammates and coaches have confidence in me.”
McCabe was one of four double-digit scorers outside of Clark, along with Affolter (12 points), Marshall (12) and Martin (11). The only late drama in this game was when Bluder would start given what happened Friday night.
What was impressive was that Iowa delivered all this dominance with Hannah Stuelke in sweatpants and her right ankle wrapped. The highly touted sophomore fell hard to the ground early in the fourth quarter of Iowa’s Friday win over Purdue Fort Wayne and appeared to slip while running under the basket in transition.
Stülke entered Saturday’s game as questionable, but it is unlikely she will appear again in this tournament. Their absence wasn’t a factor against FGCU, but it could be against the Wildcats.
“It’s everyday life. I don’t know what will happen,” Bluder said about Stülke’s status. “She has just had treatment and you never know how quickly someone will bounce back from it. We have excellent medical care and she is getting the best she can.”
Although Iowa hasn’t been swayed by too much talk of rematches leading up to the tournament, the Hawkeyes are certainly ready for another go against Kansas State after last Thursday’s stunning 65-58 home loss. It’s rare to face a non-conference opponent twice in a season, but that quirk could work to Iowa’s advantage if Clark and Co. show up on Sunday.
“We know we didn’t play our best basketball a week ago, and that’s what’s exciting about it,” Clark said. “We get another chance to show who we are.”
Iowa had to get there first. This was done with the necessary authority from the opening tip.
Dargan Southard is a sports trends reporter who covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.