IOWA CITY, IOWA – The 14th-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team defeated Central Florida, 69-61, on Saturday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Sophomore Caitlin Clark tallied her second double-double this season with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Monika Czinano totaled 19 points and five rebounds. Junior McKenna Warnock notched 13 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
Both teams locked in on defense in this battle featuring 43 total turnovers which created a back-and-forth affair featuring 11 lead changes and three ties. The Hawkeyes went to work in the paint outscoring the Knights 24-16.
“They’re one of the best defensive teams in the country,” said P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Coach Lisa Bluder. “We wanted to win the battle in the paint, and we did.”
“It’s really hard to emulate their defense with your practice squad, and we probably won’t see anything like it for the rest of the year. This is a team that forces almost 21 turnovers a game, and we had 23 which is too many, but they also had 20. We forced our fair share on them, and still managed 19 assists on the night.”
Iowa pulled away in the second half offensively and on defense. The third quarter featured 25 points from the Hawkeyes, including two three-pointed and seven successful free throws, along with an 11 collective rebounds. Iowa also had their highest field goal and free throw percentages of the night in the third shooting 61.5% and 77.8% respectively.
In the fourth quarter Iowa grew their lead to 13 points, behind a 9-0 run. Despite a late push by the Knights the Hawkeyes stayed on top winning by eight.
GAME NOTES:
- The No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes defeated Central Florida, 69-61, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin had a career high four steals.
- Clark had her second double-double of the season and 11th of her career with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
UP NEXT:
Iowa returns to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 21, hosting Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT on B1G+. The game is Ugly Sweater Day/Buck Night ($1 Tickets).