WBB Notebook: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team (5 seed) advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, taking on 1-seed UConn on Saturday, March 27 inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Tipoff is set noon (CT) on ABC.

WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG

  • Saturday’s contest will be aired live on ABC. Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), and Holly Rowe (reporter) are on the call.
  • Live stats are available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

AUDIO COVERAGE

  • Rob Brooks and Jamie Cavey Lang will call the action on the Hawkeye Radio Network. A link to the broadcast is available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
  • Brooks is in his fifth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. He has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television.
  • Lang is in her fifth year as Iowa’s color commentator. She lettered at Iowa from 2002-05. Lang finished her Hawkeye career with 1,265 points and 506 rebounds. She was a two-time All-Big Ten selection.

HAWKEYES AT THE NCAA TOURNEY

  • Iowa has made 27 NCAA Tournament appearances with 15 under the guidance of P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Coach Lisa Bluder.
  • Iowa is 4-3 all-time in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
  • The Hawkeyes won their 13th first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 21 over Central Michigan (87-72) and ninth second round matchup on Tuesday, March 23 over Kentucky (86-72).
  • In Iowa’s last four NCAA Tournament appearances, Coach Bluder has led the Hawkeyes to Sweet 16 games in three.
  • In the Hawkeyes’ last NCAA appearance (2019), they defeated Mercer, Missouri, and North Carolina State to advance to the Elite Eight, losing to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Champions, Baylor.

NCAA FIRST ROUND

  • Iowa defeated Central Michigan, 87-72, in the NCAA Tournament First Round. The Hawkeyes are 13-6 all time in the first round.
  • Sophomore McKenna Warnock recorded her third consecutive double-double, tallying 13 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Freshman Caitlin Clark and junior Monika Czinano each tabbed 23 points for the Hawkeyes. Clark added seven assists, seven rebounds and two steals, while Czinano added six rebounds.
  • Redshirt sophomore Kate Martin was a crucial part of getting the Hawkeyes going in the first quarter, dropping 13 points. Throughout the game, she added four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

NCAA FIRST ROUND

  • Fifth seeded Iowa defeated fourth seeded Kentucky, 86-72, improving the Hawkeyes’ all-time NCAA Tournament Second Round record, 9-11.
  • In the first half, freshman Caitlin Clark outscored Kentucky 24-22 in the first half. Kentucky’s 22 points are the fewest the Hawkeyes have allowed in a half this season.
  • Clark’s six 3-pointers are the most all-time by a Hawkeye in a NCAA Tournament. The previous record was five set by four Iowa student-athletes, including Theairra Taylor (vs. Marist, 2014), Jaime Printy (vs. Gonzaga, 2011), and Arneda Yarbrough, twice (vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 1994; vs. Alabama, 1994).
  • Clark’s 35 points are the most Hawkeye points in a NCAA Tournament. Tangela Smith held the previous record with 32 points against UMass during the 1998 tournament.
  • Clark’s 13 field goals ties Iowa’s most in an NCAA Tournament game with Arneda Yarbrough, twice (vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 1994).
  • Junior Monika Czinano posted 14 points and had eight rebounds and sophomore McKenna Warnock knocked down 10 points and pulled in eight rebounds.
  • As a whole, the Hawkeyes shot 57.4 percent from the field, shooting 35-of-61.

HAWKEYES ON THE SEASON

  • Iowa is 20-9 on the season, winning six of its last seven contests.
  • Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 26.8 points. Junior Monika Czinano and sophomore McKenna Warnock follow, averaging 19.4 and 11.8 points per game, respectively.
  • Warnock leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 8.1 rebounds per game, while Clark and Czinano follow with 6.0 and 5.9 per game, respectively.
  • Sophomore Gabbie Marshall leads Iowa with 55 steals. Redshirt sophomore Kate Martin and Clark follow on the season with 36, apiece.
  • Clark recorded nine 3-pointers at Maryland (Feb. 23) — the most from a Hawkeye against a Big Ten opponent since Melissa Dixon recorded nine at Northwestern on Jan. 29, 2015 and ties for the second most in program history. Melissa Dixon holds the record with 10 3-pointers at Drake (Dec. 21, 2014).
  • The Hawkeyes upset No. 12 Michigan, 89-67, on Feb. 25 — the largest scoring margin over a ranked opponent since the Hawkeyes’ 1993 Final Four team beat No. 4 Penn State, 84-59.
  • Iowa finished second in the Big Ten Tournament, falling to No 7/8 Maryland, 84-104.

YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?

  • Big Ten Freshman of the Year Caitlin Clark has registered 26 20-plus point games this season, including 12 30-plus point games.
  • The West Des Moines, Iowa, native leads the country in points per game (26.8), total assists (209), and 3-pointers made (112). She ranks second in assists per game (7.2) and 3-pointers per game (3.86).
  • Clark is one of 13 women’s basketball players to record a triple-double this season, posting 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against Western Illinois (Dec. 22, 2020). Clark is the first Hawkeye to reach the accomplishment since Sam Logic against Baylor (March 27, 2015) and marks the 10th triple-double in program history, which tied the second-most in the NCAA.
  • Clark’s 778 points this year are the third most in a single season by a Hawkeye. Megan Gustafson ‘s junior (823) and senior (1,001) seasons rank above her. Gustafson’s junior season included 32 games and her senior season had 36 games — Clark has played 29 games.
  • Her 209 assists ranks fourth all-time at Iowa for a single season. She is the first freshman in program history to record 200-plus assists.
  • Clark earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten and Big Ten-All-Freshman team honors.
  • Clark is a finalist for the Dawn Staley Award that goes to the best guard in the country and the Nancy Lieberman Award that goes to the best point guard in the nation.
  • Clark was named WBCA All-Region, Second Team All-American, and The Athletic All-American.

UNSTOPPABLE MONIKA

  • Junior Monika Czinano is leading the country in field goal percentage (66.9), making 247 of 369 shots attempted this season.
  • Czinano has tallied 13 games shooting 70 percent or better, including six games over 85 percent.
  • Czinano scored 28 points at No. 22/23 Northwestern (Jan. 9), shooting 13 of 14 from the field. Czinano’s field goal percentage (.929) is a Big Ten Record with a minimum of 12 attempts in a Big Ten contest, shooting 13-of-14 against the Wildcats. On three occasions, a Big Ten women’s basketball player has made 12 of 13 (.917) — the last being Indiana’s Quacy Barnes on Feb. 22, 1998 against Michigan State.
  • Czinano has shot one perfect game this season, making all eight shots she took at Maryland (Feb. 23).

THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE BUBBLE

  • Four Hawkeyes have recorded double-doubles this season, including freshman Caitlin Clark (9), sophomore McKenna Warnock (7), junior Monika Czinano (2), and redshirt sophomore Kate Martin (1).
  • Clark has recorded eight double-doubles on the season, including a triple-double against Western Illinois (Dec. 22). She recorded the other seven against Drake (Dec. 2), Minnesota (Jan. 6), at Ohio State (Jan. 13), at Minnesota (Jan. 31), at Wisconsin (Feb. 28), and against Rutgers (March 11). Clark’s most recent double-double was accomplished with 21 points and 10 assists against Rutgers in the Big Ten Quarterfinals.
  • Warnock has tallied seven double-doubles this season, registering nine in her career, including three-consecutive with 17 points and 11 rebounds against Michigan State (March 12) in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals and 10 points and 10 rebounds against No. 7/8 Maryland (March 13) in the championship game, and 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
  • Czinano recorded double-doubles in both matchups against Northwestern this season. In the first meeting (Jan. 9), Czinano posted 28 points and 12 rebounds. On the Hawkeyes’ home court (Jan. 28), Czinano recorded a career-high 34 points and added 11 rebounds.
  • Martin recorded her first-career double-double against Penn State, recording 19 points and 11 assists.

SCOUTING UCONN

  • UConn is 26-1 on the season, winning its first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament over High Point (102-59) and Syracuse (83-47).
  • As a team, UConn leads the country in assists per game (20.9), field goal percentage (51.7), and scoring margin (32.1). They rank second in scoring defense (50.7), third in field-goal percentage defense (32.9), and fourth in scoring offense (82.8), assist turnover ratio (1.46), and personal fouls per game (12.8).
  • Four Huskies average double-figure scoring, including Big East Player and Freshman of the Year Paige Bueckers (19.9), junior guard Christyn Williams (15.5), junior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa (13.0), and freshman forward Aaliyah Edwards (10.8).
  • Nelson-Ododa averages 7.7 rebounds per game, Edwards follows with 5.7, and redshirt-junior Evina Westbrook tallies 5.2 per game.
  • Bueckers leads the Huskies with 6.0 assists per game, followed by Westbrook with 4.2.
  • Bueckers ranks third in the country in 3-point percentage (46.7), making 57 on the season (44th, nationally).

THE SERIES

  • The two teams have met seven times. UConn has won the last four matchups.
  • It has been 19 years since the two teams have faced each other. UConn won on their home court, 86-48.