That was the worst defensive game I’ve seen an Iowa team play. Drake got wide open three after wide open three, and hit nearly half of them. When the Bulldogs weren’t getting open looks from deep, they were more often than not getting open around the rim, due to a defensive lapse or a defender just getting beat off the dribble.
It’s ironic, then, that three straight defensive plays in the fourth quarter helped swing the game back to Iowa.
With eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, it looked like Iowa was destined to lose. Drake had led by between three and 11 points for much of the game’s first three quarters. Every time Iowa would get the game relatively close, Drake seemed to hit another three. Or finally get a defensive stop or two.
A phenomenal offensive game from Caitlin Clark kept Iowa in it, but it didn’t look like her efforts would be enough. Cue the defense… finally.
Iowa’s run started with a Monika Czinano basket on an assist from Clark. Drake then got careless on an inbound pass, and Gabbie Marshall swooped in front of the Drake guard for a steal and immediate layup. Drake’s lead was down to three.
On Drake’s next possession, Marshall struck again, jumping in front of her player and getting another steal. She finished the run-out layup on the other end, and Drake’s lead was just one.
The Drake players were rattled at that point. On the Bulldogs’ next possession, rather than working the offense, they tried to force the ball inside. The pass was too soft, however, and Kate Martin grabbed it away for another Iowa steal. Iowa rushed down court and Clark found Czinano seconds later for another basket.
In just over a minute, Iowa went from down seven to up one. Drake called timeout, but the damage was done. Iowa didn’t trail again for the rest of the game.
That’s not to say the ending was easy. Iowa briefly got its lead up to seven, but Drake battled back, and was within one possession of the lead or tie on multiple occasions in the final few minutes. But Iowa did just enough to hold on, and won 103-97.
Clark led Iowa with 30 points (12-19 shooting), 13 assists, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds. Even more amazing than that stat line is that she didn’t score a single one of those points in the 4th quarter. Czinano added 27 points and 5 rebounds on 11-13 shooting. She had 19 in the 2nd half. McKenna Warnock was the last Hawkeye in double figures with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Most of her points came in the 2nd half, too. A box score for the game is here.
Defense
Iowa played player-to-player (man-to-man) defense for most of the night, and about everything that could go wrong in that defense did. Many of the mistakes were mental. Not switching properly on screens. Not finding your mark in transition. Getting beat on back cuts.
Part of the problem was also the scheme. When playing player-to-player defense, you have to decide how far the off-ball defenders’ play off their player to limit penetration. Play off too far, and your player will be wide open on the perimeter. Play too close to your player, and you can’t help a teammate if they get beat by a back cut or beat off the dribble. Too often tonight, Iowa managed to lose on both of those propositions. Drake got plenty of wide-open threes because defenders weren’t close enough to them, but also got to the basket plenty, too.
Iowa did switch to zone at times throughout the game, but frankly that didn’t look a whole lot better. Defensive schemes can help somewhat, but they aren’t a saving grace. Iowa’s players have to do better on the defensive end moving forward.
Clark
I don't think I've ever seen an Iowa player, men's or women's, who could score as easily as Clark can.
— RossWB (@RossWB) December 3, 2020
Clark’s first three quarters were some of the most impressive offense I’ve seen from an Iowa player. She largely had to create her own shot tonight, and did so possession after possession early on as Iowa was reeling defensively.
Then in the fourth quarter, when Warnock and Czinano started getting hot, Clark switched to the distributor role and racked up assists. It was good to see that, even in a game where she needed to carry the scoring load so much early, Clark was willing to defer and find better shots for the team late.
Team Offense
While Clark’s offensive performance was more than impressive, the rest of her teammates finally getting hot is what put Iowa over the top in the 4th quarter. Czinano’s play down low got Iowa plenty of easy baskets late, but also got Drake in foul trouble. Warnock found space to score or grab offensive rebounds when the Bulldogs had to focus more resources on stopping Czinano. The balanced offense of the fourth quarter is what Iowa will need to win big games moving forward.
Next Up
Iowa returns to action on Saturday, December 5 at 2 PM CT at home against Wisconsin. The game will presumably be streamed on BTN Plus, though I haven’t seen confirmation of that yet.
