By DARREN MILLER
hawkeyesports.com
MINNEAPOLIS — A huge fourth quarter lifted the No. 22/24 University of Iowa women’s basketball team to a 76-75 win over Minnesota on Thursday in front of 3,412 in Williams Arena. The Hawkeyes trailed by 15 points in the third quarter and by nine points with 4:47 remaining.
Much like last Thursday’s win over Maryland, redshirt junior Alexis Sevillian provided the knockout blow against the Gophers. She took a pass from senior Kathleen Doyle and made a 3-point field goal with 0:08 remaining. It was Iowa’s first lead since 6:05 remained before halftime.
Iowa won its fifth straight game and improved to 14-3 overall, 5-1 in the Big Ten; Minnesota lost its fifth game in a row and falls to 11-6, 1-5.
The Hawkeyes shot 54 percent from the field (28 of 52) with 25 assists. Sophomore center Monika Czinano made 10 of 11 field goals and finished with a game-high 21 points. Doyle had 17 points and Sevillian made 3 of 5 3-point field goals for 11 points.
Senior Makenzie Meyer, whose 3-point field goal with 1:10 remaining brought Iowa within 74-73, handed out a game-high nine assists. Doyle had eight assists.
Two Gophers — Sara Scalia and Gadiva Hubbard — scored 18 points. Scalia had 10 rebounds.
QUOTING COACH BLUDER
“We finally got some stops and boxed (Minnesota) out at the end. We hit some big 3s — Makenzie hits a 3 and obviously Lexi’s 3 was huge. We shot the ball well, we just didn’t get enough opportunities because of our turnovers (16) and our rebounding (minus-11).
“This team keeps believing and we find a way, somehow.”
STATISTIC OF THE GAME
Iowa shot 53.8 percent from the field and has now shot better than 53 percent in four of its last five games. For the season, the Hawkeyes have made 486 of 999 field goal attempts (48.6 percent). Iowa held Minnesota to 39.7-percent shooting; the Gophers made just four of 17 field goals in the fourth quarter.
WORTH NOTING
Minnesota had a chance to tie the game with 0.7 seconds remaining after Hubbard was fouled by Meyer. Hubbard missed the first free throw and made the second, making the final score 76-75.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes play at Wisconsin on Sunday with a 2 p.m. (CT) tip. The Badgers are 9-8 overall, 1-5 in the Big Ten following a 68-56 loss to Michigan on Thursday.
