By Susan Harman

The 10^th-ranked Hawkeyes led most of the way and handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season, 83-72 Monday night in Columbus, Ohio. OSU is highest-ranked team Iowa has ever defeated on the road.

Iowa (16-4, 8-1) forged into a tie atop the Big Ten standings with Ohio State (19-1, 8-1) and Indiana (18-1, 8-1). The sixth-ranked Hoosiers beat Michigan Monday to keep pace.

All American Caitlin Clark recorded her eighth career triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists all on the day after her birthday. She was tremendous.

“That was a fun game. I told everyone that for my birthday this was the only present I wanted,” Clark said.

All this came without McKenna Warnock, Iowa’s third-leading scorer who is still hobbled with a rib injury suffered at Michigan State on an illegal screen. Molly Davis got the start for Warnock.

Iowa did many things well, but coach Lisa Bluder said after the game on the Iowa radio broadcast that defense and rebounding won the game. Iowa held Ohio State to 38 percent shooting overall and 16 percent behind the arc. OSU came in shooting 49 percent and 35 percent from 3-point range.

That’s where Iowa’s game plan came in. The Hawkeyes used a triangle-and-two defense that centered on stopping OSU’s 3-point whiz, Taylor Mikesell. Gabbie Marshall had the assignment and held the Buckeye sharpshooter to 5-of-16 shooting overall and 2-of-10 from 3-point range. Mikesell came in averaging 40 percent from behind the arc.

“You’re going to give up some shots, but you’re saying, ‘I don’t want 24 (Mikesell) to beat us; I don’t want their big post (Rebeka Mikulasikova) to beat us because they shoot the three so extremely well,” Associate head coach Jan Jensen said. “So you’re kind of playing the odds.”

Iowa left Rikki Harris open, and she was unable to make the Hawks pay. Harris finished 2-of-12, including 1-of-8 from three.

“That was the gamble,” Jensen continued. “She had one there in the beginning of the fourth quarter, but that’s not what she does. She’s a facilitator. She sets up everybody else.”

After shooting 53 percent from the field, Iowa led 43-34 at halftime, but danger lurked in the form of Ohio State’s full-court press.

“We had a great beginning to the third quarter,” Bluder said. “I think we had a 12-point lead at some point in that third quarter (56-44), and then they battled back.”

Ohio State scored the final 10 points of the quarter while Iowa missed nine shots and committed five turnovers.

 “Their defense amped up and we got a little tight,” Jensen said.

The crowd of almost 10,000 sensed blood in the water, as Iowa clung to a two-point lead and had to regain its poise. The coaches pointed out that they were still ahead by two points.

“You only have to win the game by two,” Bluder said she told the team. “You don’t have to win it by more than that.”
            This is where Iowa won the game. In the first possession Kate Martin missed a three, but Iowa rebounded. Then Molly Davis hit a three from the top of the key for her only basket of the game.

“I know she didn’t shoot the ball extremely well, but the three she had was huge,” Bluder said.

Next possession Marshall missed a baseline jumper, but Hannah Stuelke grabbed the rebound. Clark then hit a three. Next possession Iowa beat the press and Stuelke got a layup. Clark’s fallaway 18-footer gave the Hawkeyes a 66-60 lead, and the ship was righted.

Iowa made all eight of its free throws in the final two minutes.

Monika Czinano played the fourth quarter with four fouls and had two baskets. Czinano made 11 of 13 shots. She is 22 of 24 from the floor in the last two games.

“I tell you what, I was so proud of how we handled that run,” Jensen said. “You know you’re going to have it. A team, especially at home, a team is not going to just stay dormant and stay flat.

 “A win is great, but when you can weather that storm. I thought that was really, really crucial.”

Iowa outrebounded OSU 51-31, a stunning figure.

“I’m going to frame that box score,” Jensen said, laughing.

Stuelke had a game- and career-high 13 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. Iowa had 13 offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points. Martin had her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

“It does so much for our confidence; it does so much for our seeding in the NCAA tournament,” Bluder said. “Obviously it helps for seeding in the NCAA tournament to have a top-five win on their home court.

“It’s just a really good feeling because they’ve come into Carver the last two years and beat us. It’s nice to return the favor tonight.”

Iowa returns home Saturday for a noon tip against Nebraska.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 Celebration 🤩#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/E4fKk6dk1b

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 24, 2023