On Friday night it was all black & gold inside the Target Center for the Iowa women’s first appearance in the tournament. It was clear the star Caitlin Clark was in town with another sold out arena and lines of fans of all ages. Iowa took on Penn State and ultimately pulled off a massive 95-62 victory.
The Hawks started with a strong 10-0 lead and indeed never trailed Penn State, but it wasn’t just another easy day on the hardwood for the women. The Hawks were fighting one player down with Molly Davis out for an injury that occurred last week during the final season home game back at Carver. Davis is usually a solid contributor to the Hawks offense.
Despite the large crowd and impressive victory, the energy of this game just felt off. While home games have been loud and energetic with sound levels often reaching 105-110 decibels, the arena tonight seemed fairly quiet and tame (with occasional outbursts for 3 pointers, blocks, steals, and the occasional unfavorable foul call). Either the crowd was comfortable watching the high margin victory, or the facility doesn’t amplify the shouts and cheers like Carver Arena does back home. Guessing we will find out on Saturday when the ladies return to the court.
Clark’s performance also left much to be desired tonight. She wasn’t able to sink a three point shot until her twelfth attempt occurring in the third quarter. 8 of her first 10 points were from the free throw line. Clark ended the game with 24 points (12 from the line), 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Still a driving force for the team victory but not the dazzling performance fans have come to expect.
In true team fashion, 8 other players put points on the board. Sydney Affolter put on the show this evening including a whopping 18 points with a high percentage of shots falling and keeping the momentum alive.
Gabbi Marshall also put on a notable performance with 15 total points and 4 three pointers to her name. Marshall also came up with an impressive three steals and proved to be a key part of the Iowa defense fighting on every possession. The rest of the team also got some time in tournament play as the Hawks were able to clear the bench with a comfortably secured lead.
Ultimately Penn State’s key players that have caused some issues for the Hawkeyes in the past proved no match this evening. Kapinus put 19 points on the board and Owusu put up 18 but it just wasn’t their team’s night to shine. The Hawks will continue to semifinals playing Saturday afternoon against Michigan. The game can be viewed on Peacock or the Fox Sports App.
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