In boxing, you don’t really know how good a boxer is until they get punched in the chin. Plenty of boxers look like the next big thing against weak competition. It’s only when they face true adversity that they show whether they are a contender or a pretender.
The same is largely true in women’s basketball. Iowa looked very impressive in wins against Southern and Evansville, but the final outcome of each game was decided before the first quarter ended.
How would the Hawkeyes do when they faced true adversity? When they got punched in the chin?
For Iowa, that first true test this year would come on the road against Drake. The Bulldogs have been one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley conference for the last decade. They generally have very good offenses and know Iowa’s players well. Any less than Iowa’s best would mean a very close and nervy game.
Recap
In the first few minutes, Drake did its best to show just how much of a threat it was. Drake attacked Monika Czinano on offense early and was rewarded for it, scoring several quick baskets at the rim. Drake kept its advantage for most of the quarter, and led 21-14 with a few minutes left. Finally the Iowa offense got going and responded with an 8-0 run to take a brief lead. Drake got a late basket, though, and led 23-22 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Drake’s 5-out offense kept dissecting Iowa’s meager defense. On some plays, Drake would hit a back cut and get an easy layup. When Iowa managed to stop the back cut, they left shooters open for threes. Iowa’s offense bogged down, meanwhile, relying too much on Czinano inside. Drake used its offense to build a 36-28 lead.
Iowa called timeout to regroup, but Drake extended the lead to 39-30 soon after. Finally the Iowa offense got going again to close the first half, but Drake led 45-41 at halftime. Czinano and Caitlin Clark had 34 of Iowa’s 41 first half points.
The early third quarter looked like a repeat of the first half, as Drake built the lead back to six points. But Iowa’s offense got going again, and Iowa’s other starters finally got involved. After a Czinano and-1, Gabbie Marshall nailed two threes and McKenna Warnock added another. Suddenly Iowa led 55-51. The two teams battled back and forth the rest of the quarter, but Iowa led 62-59 heading to the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was wild. Drake quickly tied the game early. Then Iowa bounced back and built a 4-point lead. Drake responded with a run of their own and took a one-point lead. Iowa answered back, and Clark hit a three to put Iowa up five with just a few minutes to go.
But again Drake rallied, tying the game at 80. With less than a minute to go, Monika Czinano got free inside and scored to put Iowa up 82-80. Drake took most of the shot clock on its next possession, before getting free for a layup to make tie the game at 82-all.
On Iowa’s last possession, they tried to find Czinano for a last shot, but Czinano got tangled and fell. That left Marshall with the ball and little time. She tried a short jumper that was no good, and Iowa didn’t have time for a putback. Overtime loomed.
In the extra period, Iowa scored the first basket on a Clark layup. Marshall then got a crucial steal on the inbounds pass and Czinano converted to put Iowa up four points. Iowa managed just two more free throws over the next four minutes, but the good news was that Drake only managed one point over the same span.
Unfortunately, Drake battled back again, making a three-pointer with 26 seconds left to cut Iowa's lead to two points. Molly Davis made just one of two free throws, meaning Iowa's lead was just three points -- and Drake still had a shot for the tie.
Every Iowa women’s basketball fan now knows that Lauren Jensen transferred from Iowa before the start of last season. What some might forget is that Megan Meyer transferred from Iowa in the same off-season. With the game on the line, Drake drew up a play to get Meyer a shot to kill the spirits of her former team just like Jensen did in the NCAA Tournament last March. Fortunately for Iowa, Meyer didn’t connect on her three. Iowa got the rebound, and Clark made two free throws to put the game out of reach. Iowa ultimately won 92-86.
In today’s game Iowa took more than a good punch to the chin. They got knocked to the canvas early by Drake’s offense. But like all true contenders, they got back up, battled back, and ultimately earned a hard-fought victory.
Box Score
Czinano lead Iowa with 36 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 14/21 from the field, but just 8/14 from the free throw line. Clark had 28 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, but shot just 9/28 from the field and 4/14 from three. She also missed three free throws. McKenna Warnock was the last Hawkeye in double-figures with 11. A box score for the game is here.
Defensive Effort
Effort is a large part of defensive results. Scheme matters some. So does size and athleticism. But effort can beat both size and athleticism if an entire team buys in.
In today’s game especially, Iowa’s defensive effort was largely lacking. I’ll make two quick exceptions for Molly Davis and Hannah Stuelke. Both played hard the entire game, and made small plays throughout that weren’t always reflected in the box score.
But Iowa’s starters have played together for more than two years now. They know defense is the team’s biggest weakness. To give such poor defensive effort at this point is inexcusable.
The effort improved in the second half, but it shouldn’t take Iowa being down for the team to buy in and play hard. The defensive effort didn’t cost them today. But it absolutely will in March without improvement.
Not Trusting the Depth
My recap against Evansville talked about Iowa having more depth this year than it has in a while. I still think that’s true. Iowa has many talented players that it can use this year. But right now, Coach Bluder clearly doesn’t trust that depth.
Iowa played just eight players in this game, and Addison O’Grady only played five minutes. That was partly because O’Grady got in foul trouble early. Another part was that Stuelke was the better matchup at the 5 when Czinano was out.
But the end result was the same. Iowa has 14 healthy players, and at least 12 should be good enough to see the floor. Instead, they effectively played the entire game with just seven players.
I do think there’s a link between Iowa’s defensive effort and the minutes that the starters play. Clark played 43 minutes today. Marshall played 41. Czinano played 37. It’s hard to sell out on defense every possession if you know you’re going to have to play 40 minutes in a game. You have to have something left in the fourth quarter.
That’s where Iowa’s depth has to come in. The Hawks need their starters to give more on the defensive end, but to do that, that starters have to know that they will have time to recover. Hopefully Coach Bluder will get more players involved soon. Iowa’s defense needs the help.
Next Up
Iowa returns to action on Thursday, November 17 on the road at Kansas State. The Wildcats are 2-0 on the season, including a 14-point win on the road at Wisconsin. If Iowa doesn’t improve defensively, this is absolutely a game they could lose.
