Iowa women lose to South Dakota State
By Susan Harman
For Allhawkeyes
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team had its North Dakota State experience, bringing in a top-level FCS team to Kinnick Stadium only to see the Bison rumble away winners.
The Iowa women’s basketball team fell into the same trap when it invited mid-major power South Dakota State to its Hawkeye Challenge tournament. The Jackrabbits built a substantial lead over three quarters and hung on for a 66-64 victory Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
For some context, SDSU has earned an NCAA bid seven of the last eight seasons. It has averaged 25 victories per season over those eight years and improved to 4-0 with Sunday's victory..
“You can schedule them, and that’s terrific,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “But you also have to win some. And we let an opportunity really slip through our fingers today, and that's really what kind of hurts is that this one could hurt us at the end of the year.”
For as much as Iowa struggled offensively and defensively in the first three quarters, it was a major feat to have a chance to win at the end. Trailing 54-41 entering the fourth quarter, Iowa made a run by shooting 52.6 percent in the final period while making no turnovers and causing five by the Jackrabbits.
“We would like to have a few minutes back in the fourth quarter when we got a little bit out of sync and that’s probably on me as a coach as much as anything, trying to find a better way to attack that 1-3-1 zone,” SDSU coach Aaron Johnston said.
Iowa’s changing defenses had an impact.
“We would see man; we would see triangle-and-two in possessions; we would see some 1-3-1,” Johnston said. “Most teams are, and we are certainly one, we’re a rhythm team, and when you get us out of rhythm sometimes it disrupts our offense. Then they hit some shots. They hit a big three against us to (go from a 6-point lead to a 3-point lead), and Ally (Disterhoft) and Megan (Gustafson) had big plays for them. As we got a little rattled offensively I think their confidence on offense picked up a little bit, and that was their best five-minute stretch on offense.”
Iowa (4-1) scored on its final four possessions with Gustafson tying the game with 5 seconds left after she picked up a loose ball in the lane. The Jackrabbits took timeout, and everyone in the building knew junior guard Macy Miller would be the most likely shooter once SDSU took the ball out at mid-court.
With Iowa in a man-to-man defense Miller swished a 16-footer from the right of the key over a shorter defender to win the game. She finished with a game-high 22 points.
“She’s a smart player; she shot well and did a great job,” Disterhoft said.
Iowa struggled offensively and defensively in the first half. The Hawkeyes made 12-of-29 shots (only 1-of-7 from 3-point range) and committed a whopping 14 turnovers.
“The first half, I was not happy with our shot selection,” Bluder said. “I don't think we made South Dakota State work on defense. I thought we were taking shots that we just don't usually take, and that was a little bit of inexperience, kind of getting rattled and thinking, you've got to bring them back in one shot. We know it's a long game you and don't do that.”
On the other hand the Jackrabbits feasted, shooting 48.5 percent, as they ran their offense at will. They ran cutters to the basket and were very effective using screens that seemed to free shooters all over the court. Twenty of their 38 first-half points came in the paint.
“I thought in the first half they got about anything they wanted, quite honestly,” Bluder said. “I was really discouraged with our defense in the first half. It was basic on-ball defense, too.??
“We've got to be able to contain a drive better than that; help side's got to be better than that."
To get back in the game, Iowa’s defense and ball handling were better and created transition baskets. The Hawkeyes out-rebounded SDSU by seven in the second half and had nine points off offensive rebounds.
“But obviously you’ve got to play four quarters, and we didn’t do that today,” Bluder said.
Gustafson led Iowa with a hard-earned 21 points and 13 rebounds. Disterhoft had 16 points and nine rebounds. Iowa made only 3-of-15 3-point shots.
Iowa’s schedule gets tougher with No. 9 UCLA in the first round of the Cancun Challenge on Thursday and top-ranked Notre Dame in Iowa City on Nov. 30.
“I think you saw an experienced team kind of beat up on an inexperienced team today,” Bluder said. “I thought our freshmen kind of struggled being that situation, and I know that they are better than what they showed today. They will learn from this and be more prepared the next time.”