Lisa Bluder: “That was a really good win at the start of the season for us.”
Hear from Lisa Bluder, Caitlin Clark and Sydney Affolter after Iowa’s 80-76 win over Virginia Tech
CHARLOTTE – The high-profile product that Iowa women’s basketball loves to rely on stayed on the floor much longer than usual in Thursday’s high-profile showdown that was supposed to feature points from two top-five teams.
Luckily for the Hawkeyes, No. 22 usually figures it out one way or another.
Although Caitlin Clark and the No. 3 Hawkeyes as a whole had a poor shooting night against No. 5 Virginia Tech, Iowa’s superstar built a winning route with tough attacks and deft passes until the treys finally came. The end product was an 80-76 Iowa win at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, a victory that gave a compelling early glimpse of where this team could go.
If there’s such a thing as a grueling 44-point performance, it’s what Clark delivered in front of a pro-Virginia Tech crowd that benefited from geographic proximity. But it was the ones in black and gold, many of them adorned with Clark swag and handmade signs, that made the loudest noise as the clock hit all the zeros.
Clark finished the game 13 of 31 from the field, including 5 of 16 from deep and 13 of 17 at the line. Predictably, much of that production came in crucial time – with 16 points in the fourth quarter – when Clark provided the buffer Iowa needed to finally pull away.
“Sometimes you play checkers and she plays chess,” Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks said. “She’s so good.”
Clark’s three-pointer with 4:50 remaining gave the Hawkeyes a 71-62 lead, then their largest lead since late in the first quarter. Virginia Tech made a late push in the final minutes, leaning on Georgia Amoore’s downtown bat that held up all night and stifled Elizabeth Kitley late into the night. The Hokies got within four with 48 seconds left and within three with 5.6 seconds left – but they got no closer as Clark closed things out at the finish line.
Iowa won despite missing 14 of its 15 attempts from 3-point range in the first half. The Hawkeyes warmed up in the second half, shooting 5 of 11 from long range.
“I think this is a really good win to start the season for us,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “We shot the ball so poorly, which is so uncharacteristic of us. But we got to the free throw line and did a good job on the boards.”
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Iowa outrebounded Virginia Tech 47-40 despite a significant size disadvantage, leaving player Hannah Stülke on the floor for just 17 minutes due to persistent foul trouble.
Sydney Affolter played a big part in the victory, although he only scored two points. The 1.70 meter tall junior scored 14 rebounds in just under 26 minutes. Affolter’s ability to finish Tech possessions was particularly important since Addison O’Grady, a 6-3 post player, did not play.
Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks praises Caitlin Clark
Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks had high praise for Caitlin Clark after her 44-point performance: “Sometimes you’re playing checkers and she’s playing chess.”
To survive a choppy first half, Clark had to focus on what worked instead of worrying about what didn’t. Repeated hard drives in the lane, searching – and finding contact – don’t show up on the highlight reel the way heavy bumps and shoves do, but Iowa still needed its superstar to prevail.
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“Just as they called the game, they decided to call the game over on both sides of the field. “So why not drive and make the referee call a foul?” Clark said. “We ended up 18-22, which is pretty good.
“I thought we had a lot of really good looks (from deep). A lot of me felt like they were going in, and Gabbie (Marshall) said the same thing (after going 0-for-6 from deep). Sometimes that’s the hardest thing you can do as a shooter – keep shooting when the ball isn’t going in. At the same time, I thought we drove to the basket very well.”
Clark trudged into the locker room at halftime with 18 points on 15 shots, having made just one field goal (6) more than one free throw (5). Still, Iowa held a 33-32 lead at the break despite missing its final 13 three-pointers to close out the first 20 minutes of play.
Stuelke (12 points) and Kate Martin (10) were the only other Hawkeyes to score in double figures on Thursday. Marshall was 0-for-6 from 3-point range. Amoore led Tech with 31 points but needed 23 shots to get there.
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The Hawkeyes knew this experience would be a crucial building block in this highly anticipated campaign. Finding a way to get through an up-and-down offensive night wasn’t high on the list of lessons to come, but Iowa and Clark did it, as they have done so many times before.
“It had a lot of postseason feel to it,” Bluder said. “Without doubt. Playing in this arena, having a great crowd.”
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.