Indiana wins the battle of #5 teams in the Excel H Sports Rankings with win over Iowa. 

Indiana wins the battle of #5 teams in the Excel H Sports Rankings with win over Iowa.

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

Indiana University Women’s Basketball set an all-time attendance record of 13,046 fans Thursday night as the Hoosiers took down the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-78 in Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall in matchup of two teams who are tied for 5th in this week’s Excel H Sports Rankings. The new record beat the old mark of 13,007 fans set on March 31, 2018, when the Hoosiers beat Virginia Tech for the WNIT Championship.  The Hoosiers are 23-1 overall and 13-1 in the Big Ten and have sole possession of first place in the conference with a trip to Ohio State Monday Night. Iowa is 19-5 on the season and 11-2 in the Big Ten.  “What a great crowd tonight in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, we needed every one of them helping us get to the finish line” Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game.  Iowa knew the challenge coming into this big game after the Hawkeyes beat the Hoosiers three times last season including the Big Ten Championship Game. “Congrats to Indiana on a well-played game, we turned the ball over too much and we will bounce back” Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder said after the game.

Grace Berger led the Hoosiers with 26 Points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Mackenzie Holmes added 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Chloe Moore McNeil added 11 points and was 8-8 from the free throw line. Sydney Parrish scored 9 points as she fouled out with 52.1 seconds. Yarden Garzon added 8 points and hit two big three pointers and 4 rebounds. Garzon fouled out with 3:12 left as the Hoosiers used 10 players tonight including a brief appearance by Center Arielle Wisne in the final seconds of the first quarter.   Indiana was 29-62 from field for 46%, 7-14 from three-point range for 50% and 22-34 from the free throw line for 64 %. The Hoosiers pulled down 37 rebounds, dished 15 assists, 9 steals, 3 blocks and committed 12 turnovers.

Catlin Clark led Iowa with 35 Points and 10 assists along with 8 turnovers. McKenna Warnock added 14 points and 11 Rebounds. Freshman Hannah Stuelke scored 10 points. The Hoosiers limited Center Monika Czinano with 6 points taking just six shots in game making three of those and 7 rebounds Czinano fouled out with 2:51 left in the game and the inside game for Hawkeyes struggled. Iowa finished 30-62 from the field for 48%, 6-23 from three-point range for 26% and 12-23 from the field for 52%. Iowa pulled down 38 rebounds, dished 17 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals and committed 18 turnovers.

This battle of top five teams featured 11 ties and 14 lead changes. Indiana jumped out to 5-0 lead and Iowa responded with 8-0 run as Caitlin Clark drilled two three pointers from deep. Iowa led by as many six points, but the Hoosiers and Hawkeyes were tied 19-19 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was back and forth with the Hoosiers leading by 4 points as the teams went into the locker room tied 39-39 as both teams scored 20 point each.

The second half Clark hit a jumper to take a 41-39 lead and Grace Berger scored 6 straight points as the Hoosiers led 45-41 with 6:36 left in the third quarter. Iowa went on a 6-0 run to go up 47-45 with 5:07 left in the quarter. Iowa led 58-57 after Caitlin Clark hit three free throws as the Hoosiers scored the last four points of the quarter with Berger and Holmes scoring to go up 62-57 at the end of the quarter as the Hoosiers outscored the Hawkeyes 23-18 in the quarter.  In the fourth quarter as Indiana never trailed with the Hawkeyes tying the game at 62-62 with 8:25 left after McKenna Warnock drained a three pointer. The Hoosiers led by 11 points with 48 seconds left and led by 10 points twice. The Hoosiers did not hit a field goal for the last 3 minutes and 24 seconds, but the Hoosiers hit 8 free throws down the stretch as the broke a three-game losing streak to Iowa.

The Hoosiers and the Hawkeyes will meet in the final regular season game February 26 in Iowa City and will be in front of a sold-out crowd of 15 thousand in Carver Hawkeye Arena. Even though this a was great crowd the Hawkeyes are used these big draws that are great for the Women’s Basketball game.  “The crowd was tremendous and great for women’s basketball and makes me happy, but we are used to playing in front of big crowds and we will have a sold-out Carver Hawkeye Arena when Indiana comes to town at the end of the season” Caitlin Clark said after the game.

POSTGAME NOTES    

• No. 2 Indiana handed No. 5 Iowa its first loss since Jan. 1, 2023, 87-78. 
• Iowa is 1-1 versus AP Top-2 teams this year, both games were on the road.    
• National POY candidate Caitlin Clark led the Hawkeyes with 35 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds. It was Clark’s 12th double-double this season. 
• Hannah Stuelke was a perfect five-for-five from the field.   
• Clark extended her streak of scoring in double figures an astounding 76 games, which is a NCAA Division I best.    
• McKenna Warnock was the third Hawkeye to net double figures and it was her 14th career double-double. She finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. 
• Clark has netted a 3-point basket in 43 straight games. She has hit at least one 3-pointer in 84 career games.      
• Clark is the only player in the nation with more than 650 points, 185 rebounds, 185 assists, and 35 steals this season.    
• The Hawkeyes have won 14 out of their last 16 games dating back to Dec. 4, 2022.