The 2024 B1G Ten Women’s basketball conference championship belongs in overtime to the Iowa Hawkeyes 94 to 89. The Hawkeyes have now three-peated.
Two blocks by Gabbie Marshall one to end regulation play and the other in overtime helped the Hawkeyes win the game but she wasn’t the only one who contributed to this historic win.
Caitlin Clark had a terrible first half shooting the ball but played team ball with tough defense and pinpoint assists to Hannah Stuelke while Sydney Affolter continued her terrific play with her over-all play including three offensive rebounds that provided points for the Hawkeyes.
Nebraska played well in the first half as they took a 46-to-35-point halftime lead behind B1G Ten freshman of the year, Natalie Potts, all everything Alexis Markowski owning the paint and Jaz Shelley pinpoint passes.
Behind Caitlin Clark’s outstanding third quarer shooting and the inside game of Stuelke and again the rebounding prowess of Affholter, Iowa tied the game up at 58 a piece.
The fourth quarter was simply put, great basketball by both teams.
Back and forth to the end where Marshall’s block put the game into overtime.
The overtime continued this epic battle as both teams battled for the right of claiming the B1G Ten Women’s basketball championship.
For the game, Caitlin Clark scored 34 points on 12 of 29 shots from the field that included five of seventeen from behind the arc, five of six from the charity stripe, seven rebounds, nine assists and claimed the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Hannah Stuelke continued her impressive play in the paint and her ability to get down the court for layups. Stuelke scored 25 points on 11 of 18 from the floor, nine rebounds and two impressive blocks on one of the top post players in the country Alexis Markowski.
Sixth year graduate Kate Martin would have a stellar day as well, as Martin scored 13 points of four of six from the floor that included four of five from behind the line and recorded seven boards.
Iowa’s future is bright with the continued excellent play of Sydney Affolter.
Affolter recorded yet another double-double with eleven points and eleven rebounds, six offensive boards among them.
Nebraska was impressive as well as Alexis Markowski would led the Huskers with 23 points on nine of 21 shots, thirteen rebounds and five assists.
Markowski got help from B1G Ten Freshman of the Year, Natalie Potts, the O’Fallon, Missouri native would score 21 points on eight of seventeen shots and nine rebounds and looked anything but a freshman.
Jaz Shelley scored 16 points on five of twelve shooting, and three three-point shots giving her the B1G Ten record of eighteen made. Shelley also laid out 13 assists for the Huskers.
If that wasn’t enough headaches for Iowa, Logan Nissley would score 13 on four of twelve from the field, including four of ten from the painted line.
Callen Hake would come off the bench to score six points.
How close was this game, the stats tell all, Iowa 44.6% from the field, 33 of 74, Nebraska 41.6% from the field, 32 of 77.
Nebraska 41.2% from behind the arc and Iowa 39.4%.
Iowa 78.9% from the line while Nebraska was 78.6%.
And finally, Nebraska 28 assists on 32 makes while Iowa had 25 assists on 33 makes.
In our Excel H Sports Final Season Women’s basketball rankings, we had Iowa #4 and Nebraska #23!
(The following is credit sourced to the University of Iowa Athletics)
2-Seed Iowa (29-4) dropped 5-Seed Nebraska (22-11), 94-89 (OT), inside a sold-out Target Center on Sunday afternoon for Iowa’s third straight Big Ten Tournament Championship.
– The Hawkeyes overcame its largest halftime deficit of the year. (11)
– Iowa has now tallied seven Big Ten Titles in program history.
– Iowa has now won four of the last six Big Ten Tournament titles (2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024).
– Lisa Bluder earned her fifth Big Ten Tournament title (2001, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024), to tie Maryland head coach Brenda Frese.
– Bluder also has earned a tournament record 32 victories during her career.
– Iowa made 39 three-point baskets during this year’s tournament, which is the most in Big Ten Tournament history. The Hawkeyes also made 31 triples in 2021 and 2023, as did Ohio State in 2020 which is good for second.
– National Player of the Year candidate, Caitlin Clark was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP for the third consecutive tournament. She is only second player since 1995 to earn MVP honors in three straight tournaments. (Jantel Lavender, Ohio State)
– Clark set a Big Ten Tournament career record with 112 assists in her 13 tournament games. The previous record was held by Samantha Prahalis of Ohio State (67 assists in 11 games from 2009-12).
– Iowa is the fourth team in conference history to win three straight Big Ten Tournament titles. (Maryland, Ohio State and Purdue)
– Sydney Affolter was named to the Big Ten’s All-Tournament Team.
– Iowa has played in five out of the last six Big Ten Tournament Championships.
– It was her 64th career double-double she is third on the Big Ten’s all-time list. (Surpassing Denise Jackson, Indiana 1981-84)
– Over the last two seasons, Iowa has won 60 games which is the best two-year stretch in program history.
– Iowa broke the Big Ten’s single season record for 3-pointers made which was set by Iowa (350) a season ago. (358)
– Clark is the all-time leader in 30+ point performances in men’s and women’s college basketball over the last 25 seasons. (56)
– She has 20 career games with 30+ points and 10+ assists, no one in college women’s basketball in past 25 seasons has more than two such games. Five of those have come against ranked teams.
– Iowa is 38-25 all-time in Big Ten Tournament action.
– Iowa is 15-2 in its last 17 Big Ten Tournament games.
– Iowa is 44-6 against Big Ten opponents since Feb. 9, 2022.
– Since 2009, no player has recorded more games of 35+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds. Clark has done it 20 times.
– Kate Martin is the 18th Hawkeye record 700+ rebounds in a career.
– Hannah Stuelke was 11-of-13 from the free throw in the BTT.
– Martin is third Hawkeye in school history to net 1,200+ points, 700+ rebounds, and 450+ assists. (Caitlin Clark and Sam Logic)
– Martin is fifth all-time at Iowa for career assists.
– Gabbie Marshall is 16-of-32 in her last four games from 3-point range.
– Marshall (160) and Martin (158) are eyeing Monika Czinano’s games played record. (162)
– Among active players who didn’t transfer, Marshall (124) and Martin (121) are third and fourth nationally for most active wins in a career.
– Clark leads the country in 20+ point games this season with 33.
– Clark is the only player in the country with 1,000+ points, 280+ assists, and 225+ rebounds this season.
– Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Iowa leads the nation with 104 games of 80+ points.
– UI has scored 80 or more points 27 times this season.
– Iowa leads the Big Ten with 24 games of 90+ points this season.
– The country’s best offense has record 90+ points in 13 out of the last 15 games.
– Clark has scored 20+ points in 118-of-133 career games which is the most in program history.
– Clark kept her streak alive of 90 consecutive games making a 3-point basket. (NCAA best)
– Clark is the first Division-I men’s or women’s player to record 3,700+ points, 1,000+ assists, and 850+ rebounds in a career.
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